Big Club systems achieve many good results through the ability to describe strong hands at a low level. However anyone who has played such a system knows that an even greater benefit is that other one-level openings are much more limited than in standard bidding. Upon hearing your partner's opening bid, you immediately have a very big clue as to where the auction should take you.
One club is opened with most hands of 16 or more HCP (17 if
balanced). We also open 1 with any unbalanced hand
containing fewer than five losers.
There are many methods for responding to a Big Club. If you already have a preferred method, you may skip this section.
Because of the popularity of Precision we suggest it as the basic
approach, but with a small change for the better - i.e., more or less
reversing the meanings of the 1 and 1NT responses.
This keeps the bidding at a reasonable level, and improves the
chances of the strong hand declaring, in the common case
where responser has a balanced hand.
Responses to 1 are:
1![]() | 0-7 HCP | |
1![]() | 8+ HCP, no good suit (usually 8-10 balanced, | |
but may be 4-4-4-1 with more) | ||
1![]() | 8+ HCP, 5 or more spades | |
1NT | 8+ HCP, 5 or more hearts | |
2![]() ![]() | 8+ HCP, natural | |
2![]() ![]() | 4-7 HCP, decent 6-card suit | |
2NT | 11-13 or 16+ HCP, balanced | |
3![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | 4-7 HCP, decent 7-card suit | |
3NT | 14-15 HCP, balanced |
Opener's non-jump notrump rebids are 17-19 HCP; with 23-24, opener should jump in notrump (with 25+, it's best to rebid in a suit). After an artificial response and opener's 1NT or 2NT rebid, Stayman and Jacoby Transfers apply.
After 1-1
, a
1
or 1
rebid by
opener may be only four
cards if she also has a longer minor or a balanced hand;
responder may pass only with a very bad hand. Opener's
subsequent jump rebid in a minor shows a very good hand with
the minor being the longer suit. Alternatively, a subsequent
non-jump rebid in a minor is ambiguous as to relative suit
length, and responder may pass or take a preference with 0-4
HCP.
After 1-1
and a
2
or 2
rebid by opener,
responder may pass only with 0-3 HCP. Any positive response to
1
is forcing to game.
After an overcall up to the level of 2, we do the following:
Pass | 0-4 HCP | |
Double | 5-8 HCP, no 5-card or longer suit | |
Suit | Natural, 5-8 HCP, nonforcing | |
Lowest NT | 9+ HCP, artificial game force, usually unbalanced | |
Jump in NT | 9-11 HCP balanced, stopper | |
Double jump to 3NT | 12-14 HCP balanced, stopper | |
Q-bid | 9+ HCP, no stopper, no long suit |
If the overcall shows two or three known suits, then with 9+ HCP we bid notrump with those suits stopped, or cue-bid the cheapest enemy suit in which we have a control. If no specific suit is shown then a double shows 5+ HCP with some interest in collecting a penalty or "flushing out" the meaning of the bid, there is no cue-bid, a suit bid is natural and nonforcing, and the cheapest notrump bid is natural with 9+ HCP (note that a natural 1NT overcall falls in this "no specific suit" category).
If the overcall is 2NT or higher, bidding is natural. A double shows values suitable for either offense or defense.
If 1 is doubled, respond as if it were an
overcall but with redouble replacing double.