but have the discretion to bid when they have good hopes of improving the contract.
All hands with 6+ hcp must make their best available response.
Weaker hands will usually pass opening bids other than 1
but have the discretion to bid when they have good hopes of improving the contract.
It is much safer in the Double Club System than in standard systems
for responder to try to improve the contract when he is short in opener's suit,
especially after an opening bid of 1
.
Even with as few as 2 or 3 hcp
it is worth bidding a 4-card or longer major when short in diamonds.
You can be absolutely certain that opener is not going to jump to a hopeless 2NT or 3NT,
since he would have opened 1
if he has the values that justify those rebids.
The 1 opening bid is forcing
(since it may be very strong and balanced, or very strong with a club suit),
and any hand that is not worth a natural bid should bid 1.
Some stronger hands will also bid 1,
so it is not always a negative, more of a waiting bid.
Nominally shows 6+ hcp,
but may be made with a weaker hand where responder hopes to locate a better contract.
A major suit response to 1
shows a 5-card suit (or 12+ hcp).
With only a 4-card major suit and less than 12+ hcp
you temporise by first bidding 1:
opener will next bid a major suit if he has one, so the fit will not be missed
(and a negative double is available on the next round if an opponent bids the other major).
Responder is not allowed to bypass a 4-card major to bid 1NT, no matter how weak the suit.
The 1NT response nominally shows 6-12 hcp, but may be made with any weaker hand where responder hopes to locate a better contract.
The Double Club System recommends that you play the Kaplan Interchange after a 1
opening bid.
This is a swap of the meanings of the 1
and 1NT responses.
The Kaplan Interchange does not apply to a passed hand.
The 1NT response (or the Kaplan Interchange 1 response)
nominally shows 6-12 hcp,
but may be made with any weaker hand where responder hopes to locate a better contract.
Over one of a major, 1 or 1NT is forcing when bid by an unpassed hand,
and may be even be used with balanced hands that have known game values
(especially strong hands with 3-card support).
A two-over-one response shows 12+ hcp and is therefore game forcing in principle, though the game force can be cancelled if opener rebids 2NT, showing that his hand is weak and balanced and without prime support for responder's suit, or a misfit is detected by either partner.
, 2)
A jump bid of two of a new suit by responder is a strong game force, as in standard bidding. The System requires that a game-forcing jump takeout response conforms to the Proper Use of the Game-Forcing Jump Takeout.
A jump bid of a lower-ranking new suit by responder at the three level shows a good 6-card or longer suit and invitational values (about 10-12 hcp). It is non-forcing.
A double-jump bid of a new suit by responder is a splinter in support of opener's suit. Since we can force to game in a higher suit with a jump takeout and in a lower suit by making a two-over-one response, we do not need a double-jump bid as a forcing measure. In the Double Club System, any unnecessary jump bid in an uncontested aution is a splinter raise.
When responder has 12+ hcp, the partnership has game values unless opener is light or weak. All responding hands of 12+ hcp should bid naturally, usually longest suit first. A two-over-one response is possible with 12+ hcp, if the natural suit to choose is lower-ranking than opener's.
But responding hands with less than 12 hcp are bid more cautiously. In particular, the Double Club System requires 12+ hcp for a two-over-one response in a new suit, so that the 1NT response is used for hands of 6-11 hcp that are unable to bid a 4-card or longer suit at the one level. The 1NT response is forcing after a major suit opening bid.
Responding hands of 6-9 hcp are worth one free bid. After that they will not bid again unless invited to.
Responding hands of 10-12 hcp that have a long suit that is lower-ranking than opener's can make a non-forcing jump bid at the three level.
Other responding hands of 10-12 hcp must start with a one level bid, one of a higher-ranking suit or 1NT, but are worth a second free bid, so should make one further effort over a weak rebid by opener.
Author: Chris Burton
Gravesend Bridge Club