Opening Bid:   One Club - 17+ HCP An opening bid of 1 is the cornerstone of any strong club system.  Although the Precision system defines a strong hand as one with 16 or more points, our club system requires at least 17 points.  17 points is the dividing line between normal opening hands and strong, forcing hands.  It's not an important distinction, but the methods described here will use 17 HCP as the criteria.  Because of this, we do not use the standard 15-17 point range for an opening bid of 1NT, nor do we use the popular 14-16 point range used by most Big Club systems.  Our 1NT opening is 15-16. A major advantage of the KDclub and other club systems is that responder immediately knows that when her partner does not open with the strong 1 call, the opener has fewer than 17 points.  This affects every hand that the partnership opens! Negative Response Bids The first thing to learn is the negative response after a strong 1 call... With 0-7 HCP, responder bids 1 - an artificial call that simply shows a minimum hand with almost any distribution.  Responder will almost always rebid with 5-7 points. The second thing to learn is that a jump shift response is 5-8 points with at least a 6-card suit.  A jump usually describes hand that is a weak-two bid in a major, but could be longer than the promised 6-card suit. The jump to 3 is similar. There is an exception to the agreement about jump responses... Because the 1 is used to show a weak hand, the jump to 2 shows a diamond suit with 8 or more points, and the jump to 3 is a 6-card suit with 5-8 points. Positive Responses and Asking Bids Other than the 1 bid and the 5-8 point jump bids, all other bids show a minimum of 8 points and are forcing to game.     Repeat:   Any response to 1 except 1 (and jump responses) is forcing to game, and shows at least 8 HCP. A positive response in any suit is always at least a 5-card suit Responder bids 1NT with 8 or more points and no 5-card major Trump Asking Bid - TAB When responder names a suit, showing at least five, the opener can raise the suit as an agreement on trump.  The raise is also a Trump Asking Bid and requires responder to use step rebids to describe the quality of her suit. TAB Step 1     5+ card suit with none of the top three honors Step 2     5-card suit with one top honor Step 3     5-card suit with two top honors Step 4     6-card suit with one top honor Step 5     6-card suit with two top honors Step 6     5+ card suit with all of the top three honors Support Asking Bid - SAB When responder bids either a suit or notrump, the opener can then bid a new suit, which is at least a 5-card suit, and is also request for responder to uses steps to show how well she can support the suit.  Responder's replies can show poor support, moderate support or good support, as well as control-showing. SAB Step 1     Poor support with fewer than three controls Step 2     Poor support with three or more controls Step 3     Moderate support with fewer than three controls Step 4     Moderate support with three or more controls Step 5     Good support with fewer than three controls Step 6     Good support with three or more controls Definitions:  A king is one control and an ace is valued at two controls.  Other honors are not defined in terms of controls.  There are a total of 12 controls in the deck. Poor support is defined as two or fewer small cards - Moderate support can be three small cards or a doubleton honor - Good support is four small cards or three with an honor. Control Asking Bid - CAB After a positive response by the responder, either a suit or a notrump call, opener can ask about the number of controls held by responder.  Opener asks by bidding notrump.  1NT over responder's 1-level bids, or 2NT over responder's minor suit calls.  (An ace is two controls, and a king is one.) CAB Step 1     0/1 controls Step 2     2 controls Step 3     3 controls Step 4     4 controls Step 5     etc Opener Rebids 1NT Afer a Negative 1 Response A Rebid of 1NT by Opener Shows 18-20 Points Responder can use the standard bids of Stayman and Transfers. Transfer Over Stayman - TOS If Responder bids 1NT with 8+ points, it shows a balanced hand and at least 8 points.  Unlike many older Precision systems, this bid is not limited in point-count. Opener might rebid a suit, promising at least a 5-card suit, and is SAB, the Support Asking Bid.  But the opener can also bid two clubs, which is Stayman.  Because there are advantages to having the strong hand be the declarer, responder does not bid a 4-card major directly, but instead uses Transfer responses. 2     4-card heart suit 2     4-card spade suit 2     No 4-card major 2N     Both 4-card majors Opener can now bid the promised 4-card suit, and will be the declarer, or opener can rebid 2NT.  In either case, the responder will use step bids to show his point-count. Step 1       8-10 HCP Step 2     11-12 HCP Step 3     13-14 HCP Step 4     15-16 HCP Step 5     etc Opener might prefer to simply rebid 2NT, instead of using Stayman.  Treat this as CAB... the Control Asking Bid. Step 1     0 controls Step 2     1 control Step 3     2 controls Step 4     3 controls Step 5     etc Interference: If an opponent doubles or overcalls, we can use either a pass, a double or a redouble to convey information.  We can also simply bid a new suit to show at least 8 points and a positive response, and a cue bid is available. Pass with zero or one control Double with two controls Bid a natural call with 8+ points or three controls - either a 5-card suit or notrump A direct notrump response after an interference overcall promises at least 8 points with no 5-card major.  The direct response usually implies a stopper in the opponent's suit.  With a balanced hand and no stopper in the enemy suit, responder should use the Western Cue Bid which denies a stopper, but also asks the opener to bid notrump if she has one. Okay, this is a little bit complicated, but it is very precise and it's fun.

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Opening Bid:   One Club - 17+ HCP

An opening bid of 1 is the cornerstone of any strong club system.  Although the Precision system defines a strong hand as one with 16 or more points, our club system requires at least 17 points.  17 points is the dividing line between normal opening hands and strong, forcing hands.  It's not an important distinction, but the methods described here will use 17 HCP as the criteria.  Because of this, we do not use the standard 15-17 point range for an opening bid of 1NT, nor do we use the popular 14-16 point range used by most Big Club systems.  Our 1NT opening is 15-16.  It's the KD 1NT.

A major advantage of the KDclub and other club systems is that responder immediately knows that when her partner does not open with the strong 1 call, the opener has fewer than 17 points.  This affects every hand that the partnership opens!

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Negative Response Bids
The first thing to learn is the negative response after a strong 1 call...

• With 0-7 HCP, responder bids 1 - an artificial call that simply shows a minimum hand with almost any distribution.  Responder will almost always rebid with 5-7 points.
  
  
• The second thing to learn is that a jump shift response is 5-8 points with at least a 6-card suit.  A jump usually describes hand that is a weak-two bid in a major, but could be longer than the promised 6-card suit. The jump to 3 is similar.
  
  
• There is an exception to the agreement about jump responses... Because the 1 is used to show a weak hand, the jump to 2 shows a diamond suit with 8 or more points, and the jump to 3 is a 6-card suit with 5-8 points.

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Positive Responses and Asking Bids
Other than the 1 bid and the 5-8 point jump bids, all other bids show a minimum of 8 points and are forcing to game.
    Repeat:   Any response to 1 except 1 (and jump responses) is forcing to game, and shows at least 8 HCP.

A positive response in any suit is always at least a 5-card suit
Responder bids 1NT with 8 or more points and no 5-card major

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Trump Asking Bid - TAB
When responder names a suit, showing at least five, the opener can raise the suit as an agreement on trump.  The raise is also a Trump Asking Bid and requires responder to use step rebids to describe the quality of her suit.

TAB
• Step 1     5+ card suit with none of the top three honors
• Step 2     5-card suit with one top honor
• Step 3     5-card suit with two top honors
• Step 4     6-card suit with one top honor
• Step 5     6-card suit with two top honors
• Step 6     5+ card suit with all of the top three honors

Support Asking Bid - SAB
When responder bids either a suit or notrump, the opener can then bid a new suit, which is at least a 5-card suit, and is also request for responder to uses steps to show how well she can support the suit.  Responder's replies can show poor support, moderate support or good support, as well as control-showing.

SAB
• Step 1     Poor support with fewer than three controls
• Step 2     Poor support with three or more controls
• Step 3     Moderate support with fewer than three controls
• Step 4     Moderate support with three or more controls
• Step 5     Good support with fewer than three controls
• Step 6     Good support with three or more controls
  
  
  Definitions:  A king is one control and an ace is valued at two controls.  Other honors are not defined in terms of controls.  There are a total of 12 controls in the deck.
  
  Poor support is defined as two or fewer small cards - Moderate support can be three small cards or a doubleton honor - Good support is four small cards or three with an honor.

Control Asking Bid - CAB
After a positive response by the responder, either a suit or a notrump call, opener can ask about the number of controls held by responder.  Opener asks by bidding notrump.  1NT over responder's 1-level bids, or 2NT over responder's minor suit calls.  (An ace is two controls, and a king is one.)

CAB
• Step 1     0/1 controls
• Step 2     2 controls
• Step 3     3 controls
• Step 4     4 controls

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Opener Rebids 1NT Afer a Negative 1 Response
A Rebid of 1NT by Opener Shows 18-20 Points
Responder can use the standard bids or Stayman and Transfers.

Transfer Over Stayman - TOS
If Responder bids 1NT with 8+ points, it shows a balanced hand and at least 8 points.  Unlike many older Precision systems, this bid is not limited in point-count.

Transfer Over Stayman - TOS
Responder will bid 1NT over a strong club with a balanced hand and at least 8 points.  Unlike many older Precision systems, this bid is not limited in point-count.

Opener might rebid a suit, promising at least a 5-card suit, and is SAB, the Support Asking Bid.  But the opener can also bid two clubs, which is Stayman.  Because there are advantages to having the strong hand be the declarer, responder does not bid a 4-card major directly, but instead uses Transfer responses.

• 2     4-card heart suit
• 2     4-card spade suit
• 2     No 4-card major
• 2N     Both 4-card majors

Opener can now bid the promised 4-card suit, and will be the declarer, or opener can rebid 2NT.  In either case, the responder will use step bids to show his point-count.

• Step 1       8-10 HCP
• Step 2     11-12 HCP
• Step 3     13-14 HCP
• Step 4     15-16 HCP
• Step 5     etc

Opener might prefer to simply rebid 2NT, instead of using Stayman.  Treat this as CAB... the Control Asking Bid.

• Step 1     0 controls
• Step 2     1 control
• Step 3     2 controls
• Step 4     3 controls
• Step 5     etc

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Interference:
If an opponent doubles or overcalls, we can use either a pass, a double or a redouble to convey information.  We can also simply bid a new suit to show at least 8 points and a positive response, and a cue bid is available.

• Pass with zero or one control
• Double with two controls
• Bid a natural call with 8+ points or three controls - either a 5-card suit or notrump

A direct notrump response after an interference overcall promises at least 8 points with no 5-card major.  The direct response usually implies a stopper in the opponent's suit.  With a balanced hand and no stopper in the enemy suit, responder should use the Western Cue Bid which denies a stopper, but also asks the opener to bid notrump if she has one.



Okay, this is a little bit complicated, but it is very precise and it's fun.