Double Club System

Auctions starting 1, 1; 2 and 1, 1/; 2

One Club Opener's 2 Rebid

The Double Club System's 1 opening bid has no upper strength limit. The opening bidder may have a game-forcing hand with a natural club suit, and so must have a way of forcing responder to keep the bidding open so that exploration of denomination and contract level can continue without risk of a premature pass.

An initial response of 1 is a waiting bid. It may be very weak, even a Yarborough, but it may be quite strong. An initial response of 1 or 1 promises some values (at least 5+ hcp), as in standard bidding, but it too may be of any strength from 5 hcp to quite strong.

This page looks at the ways in which opener can show a strong unbalanced hand with clubs as the prime suit. The main method of showing such hands is with an artificial rebid of 2, but we will first look breifly at opener's other option, the natural reverse rebid.

Opener's 2 or 2 Reverse Rebid is Natural and Forcing

If opener has a strong unbalanced hand with a 4-card major and a longer club suit, he can open 1 and make a natural reverse rebid of 2 or 2. This bid is game-forcing unless responder shows weakness by using 2NT (Lebensohl).

A K K Q J 8 7 2 A Q J 7 6

After opening 1 and receiving a 1 response, this hand can make a natural and forcing 2 rebid. The auction can stop below game if responder bids 2 (forcing for one round) or 2NT (Lebensohl). A natural rebid by responder at the three-level is game-forcing.

Opener's 2 Rebid is Artificial and Forcing

In the Double Club System, after a response of 1, 1 or 1, a 1 opener's rebid of 2 is artificial and forcing. Opener should make this 2 rebid whenever he has an unbalanced hand (and therefore a natural club suit) that cannot reverse rebid a 4-card major but needs to establish a forcing auction.

Opener requires a strong hand to make the forcing 2 rebid:

• After a 1 response, opener requires a very good hand of at least 20+ hcp.
• After a 1 or 1 response, opener requires 17+ hcp. But it may be much stronger.

Opener's 2 Rebid is not a Natural Reverse

Note, in particular, that over a 1 or 1 response opener's 2 rebid is artificial, not a natural reverse. Although opener will, in fact, bid 2 if he has a hand that calls for a reverse rebid in diamonds, he does not at this stage promise such a hand. He may, for example, have a very strong club single-suiter, and no possibly diamonds at all.

A K 7 2 K Q J 8 A Q J 7 6

After opening 1 and receiving a 1 response, this hand must make the artificial and forcing 2 rebid. It is, of course, a hand suitable for a natural 2 reverse rebid, but that hand shape is not promised by this artificial 2 rebid.

A K 7 A Q 3 A K J 9 7 6 4

After opening 1 and receiving a 1 response, this hand must also make the artificial and forcing 2 rebid. Clearly a non-forcing jump to 3 is not sufficient, so it must use the artificial and forcing 2 rebid. The 2 rebid promises a club suit, but says nothing about diamonds.

Responder's Action after Opener's 2 Rebid

Responder's normal action is to relay with an artificial 2 waiting bid. This leaves the maximum amount of space available for opener to describe his hand. Although opener has game-forcing values, there remains the possibility that the hand may be a complete misfit, in which case it makes sense to be able to stop in a makeable (we hope) part score contract.

Some Weak Responders Should Break the 2 Relay

Responder should nearly always complete the 2 relay by bidding 2, so that he can find out what kind of strong hand opener has. But opener may have an issue, which is quite easily seen by considering this opening hand:

A K 7 2 K Q J 8 A Q J 7 6

After 1, 1; 2, 2, responder has made two artificial waiting bids and thus has shown nothing. Opener will rebid 3, which responder will pass if he is weak. But if responder has a 4-card diamond suit and poor club support we will be in an inferior contract. Clearly opener cannot instead bid 3, since if responder doesn't have a 4-card diamond suit 3 would probably be the better contract. How can opener know whether to choose 3 or 3?

He needs responder to tell him. If responder has a weak hand with a 4-card or longer diamond suit he must inform opener of that fact before opener bids 3. Responder should break the relay by bidding 2NT to tell opener of a weak hand with a 4-card diamond suit:

A K 7 2 K Q J 8 A K J 7 6

West 1 2 1 3 3

East 1 2NT 2 end

9 6 4 8 6 4 3 10 7 4 2 10 3

If responder does not notify opener that he has a diamond suit, opener will not try for a diamond contract and will rebid 3:

A K 7 2 K Q J 8 A K J 7 6

West 1 2 1 3 3

East 1 2 2 end

9 6 4 2 8 6 4 3 10 4 2 10 3

If responder breaks the relay but opener does not have a 4-card diamond suit, opener obviously rebids 3 anyway:

A K 7 2 K Q 8 A K J 9 7 6

West 1 2 1 3 3

East 1 2NT 2 end

9 6 4 8 6 4 3 10 7 4 2 10 3

If responder has a stronger hand he should complete the relay whether or not he has 4-card or longer diamonds. With enough strength for game, responder will make another bid anyway, and his rebid will be natural. If responder has a 4-card diamond suit he can, and should, bid a natural 3. Opener will then be able to support diamonds if he also has a 4-card suit.

To summarise, responder's action after opener's 2 rebid is:

2 ^[Alert]

Artificial completion of the relay, allowing opener to describe his hand. Responder may or may not be weak. If he knows of enough values for game opposite the strength that opener has shown, he will make a further bid after opener's potential sign-off. If he is weak, he will pass opener's next bid.

2NT ^[Alert]

Responder shows less than game values and 4+ diamonds. Opener's next bid is likely to be passed.

Memory Guide: Responder's 2NT cannot be natural (he would not bid 2NT if there was any possibility that NT might be the final denomination). It is artificial, and shows that responder has more interest in the unbid minor (diamonds) than in clubs.

Opener's Rebid

If responder completes the relay by bidding 2

Opener shows what type of strong hand he has as follows:

2 ^[Alert]

Opener has a game-forcing three suiter. He has the three suits he has bid, so is short in hearts.

2NT ^[Alert]

Artificial. Opener has a game-forcing or an almost game-forcing hand that is either a club single-suiter or a very strong club-diamond reverse. Responder's only weak continuation is 3, which opener can pass. Any other continuation by responder or a non-pass by opener is forcing.

3 ^[Alert]

Opener has a strong club single-suiter or a strong club-diamond reverse. This bid is non-forcing, so responder can pass with a weak or misfitting hand. Any continuation by responder is natural and forcing.

Higher bids

All higher bids by opener are natural and very strong and are forcing for at least one further round. Opener may have game in hand.

Memory Guide: All of opener's rebids are natural except for 2NT. 2NT cannot be natural (opener's 2 shows an unbalanced hand). It is artificial, and shows that responder has a natural club rebid but is too strong to make a natural and non-forcing rebid.

If responder breaks the relay by bidding 2NT

Opener again shows what type of strong hand he has by bidding naturally as follows:

3 ^[Alert]

Opener has a game-forcing three suiter. He has the three suits he has bid, so is short in hearts. This bid is clearly forcing: Responder and opener have both shown a diamond suit, and opener has a strong hand, so the auction is forced to at least 4. But responder may have 4-card spade support in addition, in which case a spade contract should be chosen. This is easily achieved by responder's making a natural rebid of 4 (no 4-card spades) or 4 (4-card spades).

3 ^[Alert]

Opener has a strong club single-suiter and responder will usually pass. If responder has a weak distributional hand with club support he can raise clubs.

3 ^[Alert]

Opener has a strong club-diamond reverse and responder will usually pass. If responder has a weak distributional hand with diamond support he can raise diamonds.

Higher bids

All higher bids by opener are natural and very strong and are forcing for at least one further round. Opener may have game in hand.

Memory Guide: All of opener's rebids are natural and three of either minor is non-forcing. Opener will select a diamond contract if he has 4-card support.

Further Examples

Finally, let us conclude with a few further examples:

Example 1

A K 7 2 K Q J 8 A K J 7 6

West 1 2 3 2 3 4 5 end

East 1 2 1 3 3 4 5

Q 8 4 3 9 6 4 A 10 4 2 10 3

Natural bidding after the relay ensures that the best contract is reached.

Example 2

A K 9 2 7 K Q J 8 A K Q 6

West 1 2 2 2 3 4 4NT 5 6 end

East 1 2 1 3 3 4 5 5 6 7

Q 8 4 3 9 6 4 A 10 4 2 10 3

It is sensible to have the agreement that after opener has shown a three-suited hand, in this case with clubs, diamonds and spades (the three suits that he has bid), responder should bid opener's known short suit to show a good fit for at least one of opener's suits and no wasted values in opener's short suit. The trump suit is still unspecified, so opener must temporise so that responder can show his choice of trump suit on the next round.

After that a standard RKB sequence gets us to the best contract.

Example 3

A K 7 A Q 3 A K J 9 7 6 4

West 1 2 1 2NT 3 4 4 4 5 6

East 1 2 2 3 4 5 4 5 end

Q 8 4 3 9 6 4 A 10 4 2 10 3

Opener is unable to find a way to ask for keycards in this auction. But ordinary cue bidding shows opener that sufficient controls are present to make the slam a good bet. Responder would presumably have signed off in 5, rather than encouraging opener with his 4 cue bid, if he had no trump support for clubs.

Example 4

A K 7 A Q 3 A K J 9 7 6 4

West 1 2 1 2NT 3 3 4 4NT 6 5 8 end

East 1 2 2 3 4 5 5 7 6 9

Q J 8 4 3 9 6 4 A 10 4 2 3

Although opener's clubs would be a self-sufficient trump suit, a better trump suit becomes apparent early in the auction.

Example 5

A K 7 A Q 3 A K J 9 7 6 4

West 1 2 1 2NT 3 end

East 1 2 2 3 4

9 6 4 2 8 6 4 3 Q 4 2 10 3

Opener is confident that he has bid the full value of his hand, so is content to respect responder's signs off and settle for a part score.

Author: Chris Burton
Gravesend Bridge Club