and the subsequent auction follows your accustomed methods.
If you have played the Basic Double Club System and wish to graduate to the Full Double Club System, this document will tell you where the differences lie.
The Basic System opens all game-forcing hands with 2
and the subsequent auction follows your accustomed methods.
The Full System removes game-forcing hands with clubs as the main suit from the 2 opening bid
and uses instead the 1 opening bid
(or the 2NT opening bid if game-forcing with both minors).
After opening a game-forcing club hand with 1
and getting a 1
response,
opener can jump to 2
or 2
if he has a two-suiter with clubs and a shorter major suit
or rebid an artificial 2 with a club single-suiter.
Opener has thus described his hand very well without having passed the two level.
Game-forcing hands with a major as the main suit are opened with 2
and handled in the same way as in standard bidding.
Game-forcing hands with diamonds as the main suit are opened with 2
and after a 2 response are rebid at the three level.
A diamond single-suiter is rebid with 3
while a diamond and major two-suiter is rebid with 3 or 3,
in each case promising a longer diamond suit as well as the major suit that has been bid.
The Full System also provides something that standard bidding does not —
forcing opening bids for all Strong Three-Suited Hands.
The 1 opening bid is used when clubs is one of the three suits
and the 2 opening bid
with an artificial rebid of 3 is used when short in clubs.
When Holding Diamonds
The Basic System suggests you respond with an artificial 1 bid
whenever you cannot bid a 5-card major or support clubs.
If you have a moderately strong hand with a diamond suit you have no way of showing your suit or your values.
The Full System provides two responses that enable you to show a hand that has 8-11 hcp and a diamond suit.
If your hand is balanced, you bid 1NT.
If your hand is unbalanced with a 6-card or longer diamond suit,
you bid 2, which is non-forcing.
Note that you should not respond 1NT if you have a 4-card major.
You should bid 1
so that opener can show a major suit if he has one.
If you have 8-11 hcp with a 6-card diamond suit
and a 4-card major you must make a choice, since you cannot show both suits.
If the major suit is good and the diamond suit poor, bid 1
so that you will at least find the major suit fit if it exists
(but if responder does not rebid your major you now have no way of showing your diamond suit,
since bidding 2 now shows 12+ hcp).
If the diamond suit is good, though, you should bid 2 straight away.
The Basic System's No Trump Ladder ends at 25+ hcp. If you are dealt a 29 hcp balanced hand then you will have to make an underbid and hope for the best.
The Full System's No Trump Ladder provides you with a proper mechanism for bidding even the strongest balanced hands. What's more, you will be showing your strength with a 2NT rebid in all cases, enabling you to use our 2NT Response System, making the subsequent auction very simple.
The Basic System lets you make a forcing raise
of 1 to 2
and 1 to 2
with support and 8+ hcp.
This is all right, as far as it goes, since opener can sign off in 3 or 3
if he is weak and responder will only continue if he has extra values.
But when opener has values to invite or insist on game, both hands are unlimited.
That makes it difficult to judge whether part score, game or slam is the target.
The Full System's minor suit raises provide more definition, which removes any guesswork.
A forcing raise
of 1 to 2
or 1 to 2
is made with support and either 8-11 hcp or 14+ hcp.
Opener assumes 8-11 hcp initially, and bids naturally on that assumption,
which is easy opposite responder's limit bid.
If responder has the stronger range then he makes a further try (for game or slam) after opener has signed-off.
When responder has a raise of opener's minor suit and 12-13 hcp
he makes the artificial bid of 2NT,
which is non-forcing (opener can pass
or correct to 3/
with a light or minimum hand) but highly encouraging.
After a 1 opening
responder can also choose to raise to 3
with 12-13 hcp, if he would not wish to declare a 3NT contract.
(But note that 1, 3 is pre-emptive).
Author: Chris Burton
Gravesend Bridge Club