Opening Bids of Two Clubs

Theory

While some pairs use a 2 opening for minimum three-suiters (so-called "mini-Roman"), analysis shows that this is vastly inferior to use of 2 for that purpose. The extra bidding room, while it may seem small, makes a huge difference.

But why use a special opening at all for three-suiters? Aside from the fact that they are often not otherwise biddable in a Big Club system, three-suiters have remarkable obstructive value. An opening bid that makes it dangerous for the opponents to enter the auction, while usually allowing you to reach the right contract, is a formidable weapon. That describes this opening precisely.

Requirements and Responses

Our 2 opening shows a three-suited hand with 11-15 HCP. Shape may be 4-4-4-1 or 5-4-4-0 (but not with a five-card major), or 5-4-3-1. With 5-4-3-1, the five-card suit must be a minor and the four-card suit must be a major. Thus the following specific distributions are allowed:

In general, we permit but avoid the 2 opening with a three-card heart suit. This is because responder will often bid 2 with 3-3 majors, and because opening 1 will work well if partner responds in either major.

An 11-13 count is a minimum, 14-15 HCP is a maximum. With 5-4-4-0, add a point in valuing the hand. With a singleton face card, subtract a point.

Possible responses to 2 are as follows:

	2	2	Asking, 10+ HCP or appropriate distribution
		2,2,3	Signoff, opener passes if she has the suit
		2NT	Asks opener to bid her short suit at the 3-level
		3,3,3	Game-Invitational with a self-sufficient suit
		3NT	Long clubs, opener passes if short in clubs
		4	Game-invitational with a self-sufficient club suit

The Two Diamond Response

The 2 response is artificial and indicates a hand that can make game opposite a maximum opener. Opener rebids as follows:

	2	2
	2,2		Minimum, short in the opposite color (2NT asks)
	2NT-3		Maximum, short in the next higher suit (next step asks)

For example, the 2 rebid shows a minimum with shortness in a black suit; 2 shows a minimum, short in a red suit; 2NT is a maximum, short in clubs; 3 is a maximum, short in diamonds; and so on.

After the 2 rebid, responder may pass or bid 3 to sign off, or 2 to play in opener's black suit; after the 2 rebid, he may pass or bid 3 to sign off, or 3 to play in opener's red suit; or in either case, 2NT may be bid to explore further, as follows:

	2	2
	2	2NT
	3		Short in spades (3 now asks further)
	3-3NT		Short in clubs, showing specific distribution

	2	2
	2	2NT
	3		Short in diamonds (3 now asks further)
	3		Short in hearts (3 now asks further)

That's all the important stuff. You can now identify which is the short suit, and whether opener is minimum or maximum. We will next lay out some rules that let you identify opener's exact distribution, for those cases where it may be important to know. We'll also discuss what to do when the opponents interfere.

Determining Exact Distribution

Once the short suit is known, responder may then "cue-bid" that suit (which is usually also the cheapest bid) to find out opener's exact distribution.

If the short suit is a major, then five step responses are needed to identify the specific distribution; if a minor, only four are required. The following rules determine the order of the steps:

1. Show 5-4-3-1, then 4-4-4-1, then 5-4-4-0.
2. Show longer clubs or hearts before longer diamonds or spades.

For example:

	2	2
	3	3	(asking)
	3		3-4-1-5
	3		4-3-1-5
	3NT		4-4-1-4
	4		4-4-0-5

Note that the possible distributions listed earlier are shown in "step" order.

Miscellaneous

After specific distribution is known, responder with slam interest may again "cue-bid" the short suit to ask for controls (A=2, K=1); the first step shows 1-2 controls, the second step is 3 controls, etc.

The 2NT response to 2 asks opener to bid her short suit; responder might have something like KQJxxxx, intending to play there.

The sequences 2 - 2 - 3 and 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 3 promise longer clubs than diamonds; 2NT instead of 3 shows equal or longer diamonds.

A sequence like 2 - 2 - 2 - 3 is invitational, encouraging opener to accept only if short in spades. Why? Because responder was afraid to bid 2NT (instead of 3), where club shortness can get the bidding above 3.

Two Club Auctions with Interference

The 2 opening puts the partnership in a great position to deal with interference. If the opponents can be punished, they usually will be, and if they can't then responder will usually know where to place the contract.

If 2 is overcalled at the two- or three-level, responder usually doubles with a decent hand; opener should pass unless that is her short suit. If responder passes the overcall, opener usually reopens with a double if she has the other three suits, but is not absolutely required to. A bid by responder indicates a desire to compete, probably with a two-suited hand (opener should remove if short in partner's suit). If responder's bid is a jump, he's showing an invitational one-suiter that can play opposite a void.

If 2 is overcalled with 2 or 2 or 2, an immediate 2NT by responder shows a good hand unwilling to defend at the two-level (probably with shortness in the opponent's suit), and asks partner with a minimum to rebid 3 if short in the highest-ranking unbid suit, 3 if short in the opponent's suit, otherwise bid 3 or 3 in whichever way avoids bidding the short suit. For example, if the overcall was 2, opener bids 3, 3, 3 or 3 with shortness in spades, clubs, diamonds or hearts, respectively. With a maximum, opener bids the same steps but starting with 3NT.

If 2 is doubled, redouble is business; opener leaves it in unless short in clubs. Bids by responder retain the same meaning as without the double. Pass by responder indicates tolerance for clubs. If the double is passed around to opener, she redoubles if short in clubs, or bids 2 with five diamonds and three clubs, otherwise passes.

If the opponents bid after responder has shown values (e.g., 2 - Pass - 2 - 2 or 2 - 2 - Dbl - 2), then opener's double indicates that the opponents' suit is not her short suit; responder's double, however, asks partner not to pull. Responder's pass asks partner to double if she has the suit, otherwise bid.

If responder shows values by redoubling a double of 2 or doubling a two- or three-level overcall, and opener removes because that is her short suit, then the cheapest bid by opener shows a minimum, and higher bids are steps showing specific distribution with a maximum. If opener shows the minimum, the next step by responder (excluding 3NT) is always a relay asking partner to show her distribution. In either case, distribution is shown using the same principles that are used without interference, with the restriction that we don't bid above 3NT without a void.

If an asking bid is doubled after opener's short suit is known, then pass becomes the first step, redouble the second, and so on.

Here's one further refinement. If a defender makes the mistake of doubling the 2 response, then opener takes advantage of the extra room and rebids as follows:

	Pass	Minimum, short in diamonds
	Redouble	Minimum, short in hearts
	2	Minimum, short in spades
	2	Minimum, short in clubs
	2NT-3NT	Maximums, same as without the double

As you might expect, responder may then cue-bid the short suit to ask for the distribution-showing steps, except after a pass he redoubles to ask.