Double Club System

Introduction

The Double Club System is a natural bidding system that introduces a separation between balanced and unbalanced hands that no other bidding system has managed. This simplifies your bidding decisions considerably, and puts you in a good position if the opponents compete.

A Description of the Double Club System

You can view the System's complete set of bidding sequences, starting with each opening bid and continuing with all possible follow-up sequences. These are tabulated in a way that lets you navigate through bidding sequences, going deeper into the sequence by clicking on a bid that you wish to follow.

Before looking at the bidding sequences themselves, however, you may find it useful to read about the System's strategic approach. An understanding of the common themes will aid your understanding of the actual sequences. Please select any of the following:

• Opening bid strategy: One of a suit opening bids are natural, showing a probable 5-card or longer suit, except that 1 may alternatively be natural and balanced. Light openings, with good suits, are encouraged in all positions.
• Responses to one-level suit opening bids: This section gives the general principles that the System follows. The System's two over one responses are game-forcing, except that there are certain sequences which can terminate the auction short of game if opener is light or weak and responder is minimum.
• Countering opponents' interference: We use their bids to add definition to ours, thereby recovering much of the bidding space they have taken away.

More will be added as the author's time constraints permit.

I will be pleased to receive any comments. Please email Chris Burton.

The Double Club System's Philosophical Approach

The System's philosophy is to handle balanced hands in a scientific manner, using narrow Milton Work Count strength ranges ("hcp" in this documentation), while keeping the bidding low. But with unbalanced hands a much freer strategy is appropriate and hcp often counts for little. We use the Losing Trick Count when a fit is found, together with the players' judgement of suit length and hand shape. By separating balanced and unbalanced hands, we begin using the right measures on the first round of bidding, making us far less vulnerable to competitive manoeuvres by the opponents and helping us to reach the best contract whether or not they compete.

The Double Club System opens all balanced hands with either 1NT (if in the 14-16 hcp range) or, if above that range, with one of the System's two forcing bids: 1 or 2. Opener will rebid in no trumps at his first opportunity, defining his hand exactly. All other suit bids are freed from the burden of carrying balanced hands that must be rebid in no trump to clarify their character. Opening bids of 1, 1 and 1 show strictly unbalanced hands, aiding partner's judgement when faced with competition.

There is one small exception: balanced hands with a 5-card diamond, heart or spade suit and 10-13 hcp may be opened freely if the suit quality is good. The opener will have no intention of bidding again unless forced, and if he is forced he will make a minimum bid.

That leaves one final innovation to explain. Balanced hands of below 14 hcp that are not suitable for an opening bid are passed in first or second position. This means that, in third or fourth position, a responder with 11+ hcp must bid, to protect his partner's pass, and to facilitate this we relax the suit-length constraints in 3rd/4th position. This is explained in the section covering bidding sequences starting with a third or fourth position major suit opening.

Author: Chris Burton
Gravesend Bridge Club