The Caroline Club

(Based on the Sukoneck-Ekeblad Club)

Originally developed by Scott Benson and Doug Bone
12/9/07 Revision


Contents:

Opening Bids

Caroline Club is based on 4 card majors, 10-12 NT, a strong club, and two-suited 2-level openings. All 10-counts are opened in first or second seat. In third and fourth seat opening bids are two points stronger, 12 or more points (and the notrump opener is 12-14). Also, red-on-white notrump openings are three points stronger. This section explains what to open with a given hand; the meanings of the individual openings and follow-up sequences are covered in later sections.

The One Diamond Opening

The one diamond opening shows four types of hands, and can be summarized as follows:

Responses to One Diamond

Note that with 10+ points and no 4 card major, we simply bid the better minor, ignoring the fact that diamonds was opened.

4441 Rebids After One Diamond - One Major

Originally the Caroline Club had 10-12 notrumps at all vulnerabilities. When the 1 opener had a four card major, the hand was 13-15 balanced or 10-15 with 4441 shape. This was a range of 13-18 support points; the stronger hands jump raised so the single raise always showed 13-15.

In the interest of safety, we have changed the Caroline Club so that a red-white 1 opener can have 10-12 balanced. This would put the range of a single raise at 10-15. We avoid this problem by making the single raise a balanced hand, and using specialized rebids to show the minimum 4441's. (It is only necessary to play this system when red on white, but we choose to play it at all vulnerabilities for ease of memorization.)

Interference

We play negative doubles through 4, new suits strong. We play support doubles and redoubles.

The One Heart Opening

This is treated considerably differently than the 1 opening due to the possibility of the hand with 4 hearts and 5 spades. The one heart opener is essentially divided into four types of hands:

Responses to One Heart

2/1 Bidding

Responder can make a 2/1 with 10 or more points in Caroline Club. A 2/1 can be one of the following hand types:

Reverse Lebenshol after 2 of a minor responses

After the following three auctions, opener has a rebid problem if he holds a minimum canape that cannot be bid out at the 2-level: Even when responder bids 2, a club canape can be awkward as the partnership is in a forcing auction with potentially 21 HCP. So really any minimum canape is in trouble after a 2-over-1.

Therefore after any 2-over-1, a 2NT rebid by opener is Reverse Lebensohl and is game forcing. The immediate canape is non-forcing, showing a minimum. This solves one of the main holes in the system, that opener can be forced to rebid at the 3-level with no fit and as few as 10 opposite 11.

Opener's Direct 3-Level Rebids

If opener bids a suit suit lower ranking than responder's 2/1 suit (or passes 3C), he shows a minimum canape. The bid is to play. Responder can return to his own suit, or bid opener's suit; neither bid is forcing.

Opener's Rebids After Reverse Lebensohl

If opener bids three of responder's 2/1 suit, he shows a maximum with a canape in responder's 2/1 suit.

The cheapest 3 leel bid that is not needed naturally shows a maximum club canape. (Usually this is the suit above the 2/1 suit, since that suit can be bid at the 2 level or 3 level directly.)

Putting it all together:

1H - 2D
2N - 3C:

Heavy 1N Responses When Vulnerable Against Not

Normally when a 1H or 1S opener is 5332, he has a maximum balanced hand (13-15 or 15-17) and can drive to game after a 2/1 (usually via 2N, then 3N). But when red on white, a balanced 1 major opening is a minimum.

Therefore when vulnerable against not, responder should bid 1N with balanced 11, 12, or even some 13 point hands. Opener will bid again with shape, but will pass with 10-12. Responder can then bid 2N with extras.

If responder makes a 2/1 when vul vs. not, he has a game force or one of these hands:

Therefore it is never necessary for opener to bid 3N after 2N with 10-12 unless responder shows a good hand by bidding 3C.

Note that if responder's suit is clubs, he must bid the cheapest unbid suit to force -- 3C should be taken as offering a place to play:

Red/white
1H - 2C
2N - ?

Interference

We play positive doubles through 4 , preemptive raises, cue bids as LR+, negative free bids in some situations (the other major when major is overcalled by a minor, or the minors after major suit overcall), fit showing jumps, Jordan 2NT, Manfield redoubles (shows ability to penalize in 2 suits). Therefore, with 10-12 balanced and no 4 card support, pass and plan to take some action later. A later double by responder if the bidding is at the 2 level or higher shows this 10-12 balanced hand.

Insinuating Doubles

Problem: the 1 opening tends to lead to problems when LHO overcalls 2 of a minor and opener has spades, as opener can rarely reopen with 2, and having the balancing double show spades only is wasteful. Therefore, we play "insinuating doubles" over 1-(2) and 1-(2). Like a negative double, they show spades, but only 3 or more. They should be combined with Negative Free Bids in spades only; 1-(2)-2 is still forcing 1 round since responder can have a good hand w/o 3 spades or support. Negative Free Bids in spades are still a good idea since with a forcing spade hand responder can double and then bid spades. Thus: We play insinuating doubles through 3.

The One Spade Opening

This is considerably simpler than One Heart.

Responses to One Spade

Interference

We play positive doubles through 4 , preemptive raises, cue bids as LR+, negative free bids in some situations, fit showing jumps, Jordan 2NT, Manfield redoubles (shows ability to penalize in 2 suits). Therefore, with 10-12 balanced and no 4 card support, pass and plan to take some action later. A later double by responder if the bidding is at the 2 level or higher shows this 10-12 balanced hand.

Insinuating Doubles

This is based on the Insinuating Double defense to 1H interference, described above. We play insinuating doubles through 3.

The One NoTrump Opening

One NoTrump openings are 10-12 in 1st and 2nd, 13-15 in 3rd and 4th, and 3 points stronger when vul vs not (so 13-15 and 15-17 respectively). All responses are natural by a passed hand. Responses by an unpassed hand are shown below.

Runouts

Over a double in direct seat: Over a balancing double:

Two Level Openings

The reader is advised to remember Doug's Rule: "Those two-suiters always play better than you think."

General Rules For Responses

Openings and Responses

Three Level Transfers

When opener makes a two-suited two bid, most suit bids at the three level are transfers, showing the next higher suit. After 2H, transfers start at 3D; after other two-suited opening bids, they start at 3C. 3S is the highest transfer bid.

Note that after 2C-2D-2S, 3C shows diamonds, not a club signoff.

Transfer Raises

When responder transfers to one of opener's suits, he is showing at least invitational values. Opener accepts the transfer to reject the invite, or makes a bid to further describe his hand with extras. The meaning of the bid depends on whether 3N is playable and biddable:
Transfer Raises of a Major
Opener accepts by bidding above 3 of the major, to show his shape:

2D - 3D (showing hearts):

If opener rejects the invite by accepting the transfer, responder can bid the next step to ask opener to bid out his shape. There are one fewer steps (four) than hand types (five); four of the major shows either 5422 or a sixth card in the major. (Opener would strain to accept the invite with a sixth trump, so it's likely that opener will have 5422, or a really bad hand with a six card major.) 3N shows a spade fragment if the suit raised was hearts. Thus:

2D - 3D (showing hearts): 3H (minimum) - 3S (relay asking shape):

Transfer Raises of Diamonds
Responder bids 3C to invite in diamonds, so probes for 3N are possible: Note that 2S - 3C is a puppet to 3D, and opener has no opportunity to accept an invitation. The above schedule is always used if responder has enough strength to bid again -- there are no invitational bids in this sequence.
Transfer Raises of Clubs
Responder raises clubs by bidding at the high 3 level. This bid is game forcing, and there is no room to probe for 3N. Opener rejects by bidding 3N. Responder can bid 4C to request opener to show shape.

Transfers to New Suits

When responder transfers to his own suit, opener primarily shows shape rather than strength. He can bid 3N to reject the transfer, accept the transfer to show doubleton support, bid one of his own suits, or bid the fourth suit to show that responder hit his fragment. So:

2H - 3H (showing spades):

After a 2N Response

Opener can pass with 5-4 and a minimum, sign off in one of his suits with a shapely minimum, or accept the game try with a maximum. Opener bids shortness to accept the game try. (This is not the normal Caroline Club style but opener is not guaranteed to have a fragment.) Opener can also bid past 3N with extreme hands. So:

2D - 2N

Interference

All doubles are penalty, all new suits are forcing, all raises are competitive.

Miscellaneous

Other Openings

Competitive Bidding

Carding

The One Club Opening

The one club opener is used for all 16+ hands (18+ in third and fourth seat). Positive responses show 9+, 6+ if the opener is 3rd or 4th seat.

Responses

All followup bidding is natural except after the 1 negative sequence, the 2 balanced sequence, and the 2 4441 sequence. They are covered in the following sections.

The 1=1 Sequence

The 1=2 Sequence

Recall that this shows 9-11 balanced or 16+ balanced, with no 5 card major. 2 is Stayman in response, with the following responses. All other bids are natural. We are forced to slam in the 16+ case unless 2 keycards are missing.

The 1=2 Sequence

Recall that this shows any 4441 with 9+ points. 2 asks where singleton is; responder bids 2NT with spade singleton, otherwise bids singleton; now next step by opener asks controls, responses being 0-2, 3, 4, etc. rebidding the singleton then asks for extras; bid next step with no extras, and bid more the more you have. 2NT shows spades, suit bids are natural; responder shows support for opener's suit by bidding: Now a bid of the next step (when responder has a singleton in opener's suit) or the singleton suit (otherwise) asks controls, as after 2; again, next step or singleton asks for extras

Interference

Dropped from the Caroline Club

These conventions and treatments used to be part of the Caroline Club, but have been dropped:

Revisions