Double Club System

Examples of 1 Auctions when Opener is Balanced

What has been shown?

Opener has either an unbalanced hand of 11+ hcp with no suit longer than clubs or a balanced hand with 17+ hcp.

Strategy for Responder

If responder has a 4-card or longer club suit and 8+ hcp, and does not have a 4-card major suit, it is right for responder to raise clubs immediately.

Note that responder has no pre-emptive club raise available, since opener's 1 does not promise clubs.

Examples — Responder bids 1♦

Example 1

	K 4
	A K J 6 5
	Q 7 3
	A Q 3

West
1

1
1NT 3
2NT 5
end

East
1

2
2

4
3NT 6

	9 6
	8 4
	J 5 2
	K J 8 5 4 2

Notes - 1:	It is right to open 1♣ even with a 5-card major.
2:	Responder cannot pre-emptively raise clubs. Opener may not have clubs, as in this case. Responder bids a waiting 1♦.
3:	Opener rebids 1NT, showing his 17-19 hcp balanced hand.
4:	Responder transfers to clubs, intending to play in 3♣.
5:	Opener breaks the transfer to show a good fit in clubs.
6:	Responder accepts the game invitation. Change ♣K to ♣9 and he would simply correct to 3♣.

Example 2

	K 4
	A K J 6 5
	Q 7 3
	A Q 3

West
1

1NT
2

East
1

1
2

2
end

	Q J 9 6 2
	9 8 4
	J 5
	8 5 2

Notes - 1:	Responder is not quite strong enough to bid 1♠.
2:	Responder transfers to spades.
3:	Opener accepts the transfer.

It is not usually possible to play in a 5-3 in opener's suit unless responder has enough strength to invite game. But a 5-2 fit in responder's suit is usually a very sound contract.

Examples — Responder bids 1♥ or 1♠

Example 3

	K 4
	A K J 6 5
	Q 7 3
	A Q 3

West
1

1NT
end

East
1

1
2

	A J 9 6 2
	9 8 4
	J 5
	8 5 2

Notes - 1:	With 5+ hcp and a 5-card suit, responder must bid 1♠.
2:	Responder must not pass opener's 1NT (which is forcing), so he rebids his spades, showing a weak hand.

Example 4

	K Q 4
	A K J 6 5
	7 3
	A Q 3

West
1

1NT 2
3

East
1

1
2

3
end

	A J 9 6 2
	9 8 4
	J 5
	8 5 2

Notes - 1:	With 5+ hcp and a 5-card suit, responder must bid 1♠.
2:	Opener's 1NT is forcing, so he need not fear being left in 1NT when he knows that spades will be a better contract.
3:	Responder must not pass opener's 1NT, so he rebids his spades, showing a weak hand.
4:	Opener, with good support, can invite game. Responder must have 5+ hcp, so 3♠ is unlikely to be too high.

Responder might well decide to bid 4♠ here. It is a close decision. His poor shape suggests not to, but his good trumps indicates that perhaps he should.

Example 5

	K Q 4
	A K J 6 5
	J 7
	A Q 3

West
1

2NT 1
4

East
1

2
end

	A J 9 6 2
	9 8 4
	Q 5 2
	8 5

Notes - 1:	Opener rebids 2NT, showing his 20-22 hcp balanced hand.
2:	Responder must rebids his spades. To bid 3NT would deny 5-card spades.

Example 6

	K Q 4
	A K J 6 5
	A K
	A Q 3

West
1

1NT 1
6NT 3

East
1

2
end

	A J 9 6 2
	9 8 4
	Q 5 2
	8 5

Notes - 1:	Opener rebids 1NT, showing 17-19 hcp or occasionally (as here) 25-26 hcp.
2:	Responder has game values (opposite an assumed 17-19 hcp), so jump rebids his spades. To bid 3NT would deny 5-card spades.
3:	Opener knows that responder has 8+ hcp (enough to insist on game opposite 17 hcp), so slam values are clearly present.

Because opener's 1NT rebid is forcing following a major suit response, it is perfectly safe to rebid 1NT with a strong hand such as this one. When holding the 25-26 hcp range, opener will make a further bid over any sign-off by responder, or will make a jump bid whenever a simple bid would be non-forcing.

Examples — Responder Raises Clubs

Example 7

	K 4 3
	A K J 5
	A J 7
	Q 10 3

West
1

2NT 2
4

East
2

1
3

3
end

	9
	Q 8 4
	K 9 5 2
	K J 8 5 2

Notes - 1:	Responder's raise shows 8-11 hcp, or sometimes 14+ hcp.
2:	Opener rebids 2NT, showing a 17-22 hcp balanced hand.
3:	Responder shows a singleton or void in spades, and exactly 3 cards in hearts.
4:	Opener confidently bids the heart game. A 4-3 fit will be all right with the short hand ruffing.

You can expect a top score from this auction. Everyone else will be in a hopeless 3NT. See Auctions Starting 1, 2; 2NT for a full description of responder's rebids.

Opener would clearly bid the same way if he had a 5-card heart suit, and a 5-3 major suit fit will always be discovered.

Example 8

	K 4 3
	A K J 5 2
	A J 7
	Q 3

West
1

2NT 2
3

4
end

East
2

1
3

3
4

	9 8
	Q 8 4
	K 9 5 2
	K J 5 2

Notes - 1:	Responder's raise shows 8-11 hcp, or sometimes 14+ hcp.
2:	Opener rebids 2NT, showing a 17-22 hcp balanced hand.
3:	Responder must make a waiting bid of 3♣ whenever he has 3 cards in hearts or spades and no shortage in the other major.
4:	Opener has room to show a 5-card major, if he has one.

Responder should rebid 3♣ when he has a 3-card major without shortage in the other major. This gives opener the chance to show a 5-card major if he has one.

If responder has a 3-card major and has shortage in the other major he bids his major suit shortage, as in the previous example.

Example 9

	9 4 3
	A K J 5
	A J 7
	A Q 3

West
1

2NT 2
3

4
5

East
2

1
3

3
4

5
end

	9 8
	8 4
	K Q 9 5 2
	K J 5 2

Notes - 1:	Responder's raise shows 8-11 hcp, or sometimes 14+ hcp.
2:	Opener rebids 2NT, showing a 17-22 hcp balanced hand.
3:	Responder's bid of 3♦ denies 3 cards in hearts or spades and shows at least 5 cards in diamonds.
4:	Opener shows a hearts stopper. This does not promise a suit, since responder has denied interest in the majors.
5:	Responder denies a spade stopper.

Opener can see that 5♦ must be on a finesse at the worse, so bids what he thinks he can make. It would be wrong to bid 4♦ since responder would pass, not knowing about opener's superb controls.

You are likely to get a top score from this auction. If spades split 4-4 you will tie with those in 3NT. Otherwise you will have no trouble taking your sure 11 tricks while everyone else will fail in 3NT.

Example 10

	K J 3
	A K J 5 2
	A 7 4
	A 3

West
1

3NT 2

East
2NT 1
end

	A 8
	Q 8 4
	K 9 5 2
	K J 5 2

Notes - 1:	Responder's 2NT shows a club raise and 12-13 hcp, and a hand suitable to declare 3NT.
2:	Opener, being strong and balanced, must show this by rebidding some number of NT. He cannot show his heart suit.

When responder has a club raise of 12-13 hcp he has a choice of bids: 2NT or 3♣. He should choose between the two depending on whether or not he is suitable to declare a no trump contract, bearing in mind that opener may have a weak or moderate unbalanced hand.

When opener is balanced he must rebid in no trump. To bid a suit would show an unbalanced hand with a genuine club suit. 3♥ here would show a stopper, not a 5-card suit, so opener is unable to show his 5-card major. This is not really a problem — there is frequently no advantage in playing in a suit when the side holds values significantly in excess of those required for game. Opener knows that we have 30-31 hcp, so 3NT should be enough.

Example 11

	K J 3
	A K J 5 2
	A 7 4
	A 3

West
1

4NT 2
5

4
end

East
2NT 1
5

3
6

	A 8
	Q 8 4
	K 9 5 2
	K J 5 2

Notes - 1:	Responder's 2NT shows a club raise and 12-13 hcp, and a hand suitable to declare 3NT.
2:	Opener bids a natural 4NT, inviting responder to continue to slam if maximum.
3:	Responder accepts the invitation, and does so by showing a second 4-card suit.
4:	Opener doesn't have 4-card support for either of responder's suits but can now show a 5-card suit of his own.

As a general principle, when a player accepts a natural 4NT slam invitation and there may be an as yet undiscovered suit fit available, he should bid his cheapest additional suit length. If responder had had a 5-card club suit, he could bid 5♣ instead of 5♦. Opener's 5♥ is clearly a 5-card suit, since responder's earlier club raise denied a 4-card major.

Whereas it is fine to play a high point count game in no trump, it is much better to find a suit fit when playing in a minimum point count slam, as here. 6NT is good odds: one of two finesses. But 6♥ requires only a spade ruff, with the club finesse for an overtrick.

Author: Chris Burton
Gravesend Bridge Club