Double Club System

Opening Bids

The Double Club System uses forcing bids of 1C and 2C. Furthermore, the opening bid of 2NT should also be considered forcing, since it shows a minor two-suiter. The 1C opening handles natural club hands of normal opening bid strength, strong balanced hands (17+ hcp), three-suiters with clubs and both majors, all strong three-suiters (except those with shortage in clubs), and strong unbalanced hands in which clubs is the longest suit. The 2C opening handles 23-24 hcp balanced hands, and game-forcing unbalanced hands where the prime suit is not clubs.

Before continuing, you may wish to peruse the System's No Trump Ladder, which is usually the most revealing single piece of information about any bidding system.

Strategy

We keep the System's opening bids pure, especially in first and second position. We do not open balanced hands of less than 13 hcp in first or second position unless they have a 5-card suit (other than clubs). This enables responder to support a bid suit with full confidence, knowing that it is always at least 5 cards (or a 4-4-4-1 unbalanced hand) or, if clubs was opened but the suit is not genuinely held, that the hand is compensatingly strong (17+ hcp).

The choice of opening bid and how to continue over each possible response can be found in the document that lists the Opening Bid Strategy.

The general strategy and the System's principles for responding to opening bids can be found in the document that lists the responses to one of a suit opening bids.

Opening Bids

You can click on each bid to see the continuations after that bid. The system's opening bids are:

1C [Alert]
Forcing, even though the bid will often be a normal-strength natural club opening. We open 1C with natural club hands of normal strength, and also balanced hands of 17-22 hcp and 25+ hcp (open 2C with a balanced 23-24 hcp). In addition, we open 1C with Game-Forcing hands where clubs is the longest suit and with Game-Forcing three suited hands except those short in clubs.
Note: This bid promises either a club suit in an unbalanced hand or a strong balanced hand. Responder can therefore confidently support clubs (particularly useful when the opponents compete and responder has club support) knowing that, if opener does not have clubs, he will have 17+ hcp and will be strong enough to correct to no trumps at the same level.
1D
Natural diamond hands of normal strength. Three-suited hands short in clubs or a major, normal strength. Promises 5 cards (or a 4-card suit in a 4-4-4-1 hand) in 1st/2nd position. Will not be a balanced hand unless having less than 13 hcp.
1H/1S (1st/2nd position)
Natural heart/spade hands of normal strength or below normal strength. Promises 5 cards in 1st/2nd position. Will not be a balanced hand unless having less than 13 hcp.
1H/1S (3rd/4th position)
Natural heart/spade hands of normal strength or below normal strength. May be a balanced hand of less than 13 hcp and with only a 4-card suit in 3rd/4th position. The two-level responses are different after a 3rd/4th position major suit opening.
1NT
Balanced hands of 13-16 hcp. Balanced hands of this strength with a 5-card major must be opened 1NT, since there is no proper rebid if the hand is incorrectly opened with a suit bid.
2C [Alert]
Strong unbalanced hands, single-suited or two-suited, where the longest suit is diamonds, hearts or spades. Strong balanced hands of 23-24 hcp. Strong three-suited hands where clubs is the short suit.
Note: The 2C opening bid is not used when opener has a minor two-suiter (open 2NT instead) or when opener's main suit is clubs (open 1C instead).
2D/2H/2S
Standard pre-emptive weak twos.
2NT [Alert]
A dual-purpose forcing bid that shows both minor suits, either weak or Game-Forcing. It shows either a two-suited pre-emptive hands with both minor suits, at least 5-5, and with 9-12 hcp in the minor suits, or a Game-Forcing opening bid with both minor suits, at least 5-4 either way. Opener must not make any further bid when he has the weak hand, since the act of opener making a further bid shows partner that he has the Game-Forcing hand. Nevertheless, opener is at liberty to use this bid with a somewhat stronger hand (one that is worth an opening bid) when he has no significant defensive values in the majors, provided that he can restrain himself from making any further bid.

Higher opening bids are standard pre-emptive opening bids.

Tricky Bidding Sequences

There are a small number of bidding sequences which, for one reason or another, you need to be aware of. These are listed in Tricky Bidding Sequences.

Author: Chris Burton
Gravesend Bridge Club