Chapter 9
After a 2 Club Opening
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2  Sequences
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| Open | Rspnd | Open Rebid | Rspnd Rebid | Comments
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| 2 | 11-15 HCP.
Six or more clubs, OR Five clubs, a four-card major, and less than four diamonds. With six clubs, you may have four diamonds. Open 2 — diamonds will be lost.
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| 2 | 2  | Artificial and invitational. It does not promise a four-card major. Most game and slam investigations start with 2 .
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| 2 | 2 | 2 
2  | Four cards and 11-13 HCP.
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| 2NT | 11-13 HCP, six or more clubs, and a hand suited for notrump. This implies a weaker club suit than 3 .
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| 3 | Same as 2 NT, except that partner declares notrump. This suggests stronger clubs or a short suit.
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| 3 | 14-15 HCP and six or more clubs.
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| 3NT | Same as 3 with a different notrump declarer.
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3
3 | Four cards and 14-15 HCP.
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| 2 | 2 | Bid | Bid | Responder's second bid: - 2NT and 3 nonforcing.
- The raise of opener's major is invitational.
- A new suit including 3 is natural and forcing.
- If the opener's rebid was 3 or higher, a game force exists.
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| 2 | 2
2 | Natural and nonforcing. 6-10 (11) HCP. Opener's options range from pass to jump to game. Responder's suit can range from 7-20 suit points. Opener rebids: - (15) 16-up suit points. Jump raise.
- 12-14 (15) suit points and three or four trumps. Raise.
- With two-card support, pass.
- With a singleton, pass unless you have a constructive bid to make, i.e .2 over 2 , 2 NT with a maximum (but 2 NT is not an attempt to get to game), or 3 with a good club suit.
- With a void in responder's suit, find a bid.
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| 2NT | Natural and invitational.
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| 3 | About 6-9 (10) suit points in support of clubs.
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| 3 | Natural and nonforcing. About 6-10 HCP. Probably a seven-card or longer suit. Opener is expected to pass or raise. They should bid.
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3
3 | Forcing and a six-card or longer suit. A doubleton is adequate trump support. You can be interested in slam. A bid between 4 and four-of-the-agreed-suit is a cue-bid in support of the suit.
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3NT
4
4 | To play.
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| 4 | An invitational raise.
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Second Seat Overcalls
The negative double and the cue-bid replace the 2 bid. The
negative double can be done on as few as 7 points. Therefore,
rebids do not necessarily clarify opener's count. Thus over an
overcall, responder's bids of 3 or less are nonforcing and
higher non-game bids in a new suit are forcing. If responder
passes, opener does not reopen unless he wants to.
Over a double, the changes are:
- Redouble replaces the artificial 2 bid. Redouble is
invitational to game or better.
- 2 is natural and nonforcing.
Discussion
| | A J 10 x x
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| | x x
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| | J x x x
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| | x x
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| |
| | K J x x x x
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| | A x
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| | K x x
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| | x x
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| |
| 2 | Pass | ?
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These are attempts at minimum and maximum 2 responses.
They are within the 10 of being a different response. To pass
the first hand when vulnerable is acceptable.
| x | | |
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| K x x x | | |
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| Q x | | |
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| A Q J 10 x x | | |
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| |
| 2 | Pass | 2 | Pass
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| ? | | |
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Raise hearts (to 3 or 4 ).
| 2 | Pass | 2 | Pass
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| ? | | |
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With a strong club suit, rebid 3 over 2 . With only the
A-Q-x-x-x-x of clubs, I would pass 2 .
| — | |
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| K x x x | |
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| Q x x | |
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| A Q x x x x | |
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| |
| 2 | | 2
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| ? | |
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Don't pass 2 . 2NT or 3 are reasonable bids. 2NT is not
an attempt to get to game, but just looking for a better spot.
| | A x x x x x
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| | A x
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| | K J x
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| | x x
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| |
| 2 | Pass | ?
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Bid 3 . We want partner to raise if he has two spades. If
he is short in spades we will take our chances at 3NT.
| | K Q J 10 x x
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| | A x x
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| | x x
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| | Q x
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| |
| | K Q J 10 x x
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| | K Q x
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| | J x
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| | x x
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| |
| 2 | Pass | ?
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Bid 4 . When the chances of slam are low and you know where
to play, place the contract.
| | A K Q J x x
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| | A x x
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| | x x
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| | Q x
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| |
| 2 | Pass | ?
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Bid 3 . With a strong six-card major, it is the exceptional
hand that you do not bid the suit immediately. As there are
chances for slam, force with 3 .
| | A x x
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| | K J x x
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| | Q x x x
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| | x x
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| |
| 2 | Pass | ?
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A 2 response invites game, and so the natural count for a
2 response is 11 notrump points. It is difficult to construct a
10 HCP hand that you should pass over 2 . Without a club fit,
2 may find a better contract.
| | J x x x
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| | A x
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| | Q x x x
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| | K x x
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| |
| 2 | Pass | ?
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With a club fit, the 10-point hand is worth 11 points at
notrump. Bid 2 , and then 2NT (or 3 ) over 2 .
| A K x | | |
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| x x x x | | |
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| x | | |
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| A Q J x x | | |
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| 2 | Pass | 2 | Pass
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| ? | | |
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With 14 HCP and a four-card major, jump in the major.
| Q x x | | |
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| K x | | |
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| x x | | |
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| A K Q x x x | | |
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| 2 | Pass | 2 | Pass
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| ? | | |
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With 14 HCP, force to game with 3 or 3NT. Bid 3NT. Two of
three side suits should be led to you rather than through you.
| A x | | |
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| A x x | | |
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| A x | | |
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| Q x x x x x | | |
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| 2 | Pass | 2 | Pass
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| ? | | |
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Bid 3 , as partner probably should declare at 3NT. If
partner has J-10-x in the led suit, you should have declared.
Usually 3 implies a strong club suit and 3NT a weak club suit.
These are contradictory examples.
| x | | |
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| K x x | | |
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| K Q x | | |
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| K Q x x x x | | |
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| 2 | Pass | 2 | Pass
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| ? | | |
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2NT or 3 are the choices with 11-13 HCP. Most would bid 3 ,
but the lead should come to you in two out of the three suits.
This could be enough for a 2NT bid.
| x x | | |
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| x x x | | |
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| A | | |
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| A K Q x x x x | | |
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| 2 | Pass | 2 | Pass
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| ? | | |
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With eight tricks bid 3 .
| | x
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| | x x x
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| | K Q J x x x x
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| | K x
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| 2 | Pass | ?
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Bid 3 . The requirements for 3 over 2 are similar to
those for 3 over 1 . A seven-card or longer suit is expected,
and opener should accept 3 even (especially) if he is void.
| | K Q J x x x
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| | K x x x
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| | A x
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| | x
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| 2 | Pass | ?
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Bid 2 to search for a 4-4 heart fit. After 2 , the
nonforcing rebids are 2NT and 3 . Therefore you can rebid spades
in search of the best game. A direct jump to 3 would show this
spade suit, but would miss a heart fit.
| | A Q x x x
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| | K x x
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| | x x
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| | A x x
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| 2 | Pass | ?
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Bid 2 and then spades. This is the typical spade suit for
this auction.
| | A x
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| | A x x
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| | Q x x x
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| | x x x x
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| 2 | Pass | ?
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Choices are:
- 3 c over 2 ,
- 2NT over 2 , or
- 2
over 2 and then 2NT or 3 over two-of-a-major.
| | x
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| | A x x
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| | K Q J x x x
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| | Q x x
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| |
| 2 | Pass | ?
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Bid 2 . 2 response does not promise a four-card major.
Over 2 bid 3NT (or more delicately if you wish).
| | A K x x
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| | K x x
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| | K x
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| | A x x x
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| |
| 2 | Pass | ?
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With a big hand in support of clubs, start with 2 and then
bid 4 .
However, if 4 is competitive, it is nonforcing.
| | J x x x
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| | x x
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| | A x x x x
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| | Q x
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| 2 | 2 | ?
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A negative double is acceptable. In a competitive auction, the
meaning of bids are mostly unchanged. The negative double
replaces 2 on small hands, and extends to weaker hands. The
negative double or cue-bid replaces 2 on big hands. The
negative double can be made on as few as 7 points. The overcall
provides a chance to find a spade fit.
| | x x
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| | A Q x x x x
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| | K x x
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| | Q x
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| |
| 2 | 2 | ?
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3 forces game. To stop at 3 , negative double and then bid
3 .
| | x x
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| | A Q 10 x x
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| | K Q x x
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| | x x
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| |
| 2 | 2 | ?
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The theory of negative doubles as played over one-level
openings is that you may pass and partner is expected to reopen.
Thus, if the bidding is 1 -2 , a pass is automatic. We have not
been insistent on reopening in a 2 auction. Thus, the
alternative of bidding 2NT or 3NT with this hand should be
considered. The problem with always reopening is that if
responder does not have a penalty double, you will be too high
when opener and responder have nondescript hands.
| | x x
|
| | x x x
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| | A Q x x x x
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| | x x
|
| |
| 2 | Dbl | ?
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Bid 2 . This should be a losing battle when the opponents
have half the deck and the major suits. You want a diamond lead,
and sometimes partner can raise and you will break the opponents.
With the seven-card diamond suit of an earlier example, either bid
3 directly, or walk the hand starting with 2 .
| x |  | A x
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| A K x x | Q x x
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| x x | A K Q x x
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| K Q x x x x | A x x
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| |
| 2 | | 2
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| 2 | | 4
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| 4NT | | 5
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| 5NT | | 7
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Most big hands start with a 2 response. After opener's 2
rebid, responder's forcing bids are 2 , 3 , and 4 . Responder
sets trumps and shows strength with a 4 bid. Opener has a
mountainous hand in terms of his earlier bidding. He has six
clubs, not five, and his points are useful. He asks for aces and
then confirms four aces with a 5NT. 5NT is hardly for kings — responder has collected most of the information on the earlier
bidding. Though 7NT is par on this deal, responder chooses 7 ,
because opener might the spade king rather than the heart king.
| x x | | |
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| K Q x x | | |
|
| x x | | |
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| A Q x x x | | |
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| |
| 2 | Pass | 2 | Dbl
|
| ? | | |
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Make your natural 2 bid.
Double to say 2 was your bid.
Your decision. My inclination is to bid 3 . I hope partner
can handle a bid one level higher than he expected when he bid
2 . An overcall of 2 and higher can cause difficulty. Note
that when RHO interferes, opener's and responder's rebids are
natural.
| K x x x | | |
|
| Q x x x | | |
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| — | | |
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| A Q x x x | | |
|
| |
| 2 | Pass | 2 | Pass
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| 2 | Pass | Bid | Pass
|
| ? | | |
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Make a minimum bid in hearts. 4=4=0=5 hands are a problem. I would
bid only 2 even if the hand was a maximum. Another choice is to open 1 and pretend you have a 4=4=1=4 hand.