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3♣ Opening and Responses

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3♣ Opening & Responses

The 3♣ Opening is not forcing and shows 11-15 points with a 6-card (or longer) Club suit and either:

  • 4-card Hearts, or
  • 4-card Spades

In practice it is only lower-range hands with 7-card Club suits that use this opening and it suggested that upper-range hands with a 7-card suit are best opened with 1♣ instead. The other exception is that hands with 4306 or 3406 shape use the 2♣ opening (ie: with void Diamonds and a 3-card holding in the other Major), but hands with 3-card Diamonds and a void in the other Major can use this route.

Initial Responses

Most weak hands will pass the 3♣ Opening, but can use the 3♦ enquiry with both Majors. The 3♦ Enquiry is a normal route for intermediate responding hands with at least 1 4-card Major, but Responder needs to have a sensible backup plan if no Major suit fit is found. The 3♥, 3♠ and 4♣ routes are generally for 16+ hands interested in a slam.

-3♦ A forcing enquiry merely asking which Major is held. Opener bids their 4-card suit
-3♥ This shows slam interest in Hearts.
-3♠ This shows slam interest in Spades.
-3NT Natural and "to play"
-4♣ 16+, Gamma in Clubs unless a passed hand, in which case invitational with 4+ Clubs, unbalanced. A Relay over the Gamma response is Beta and other rebids are Epsilon

Continuations

3♣-3♦ -3♥ / ♠ -3NT is natural and "to play".
-4♣ is invitational but non-forcing.
-4♦ is Beta but no subsequent Epsilons are permitted and responder must set the final contract over the Beta Response.
3♣-3♥ -3♠ shows 4-card Spades. Now 3NT is to play. 4♣ is Gamma in Clubs with a relay over the response Beta and other bids Epsilons. 4♦ is Beta but no Epsilons are permitted and Responder must set the contract over the Beta response.
-3NT and upwards are Eta responses for Hearts. A relay over the Eta response is Beta and Asking bids now established with Hearts agreed.
3♣-3♠ -3NT shows 4-card Hearts. Now 4♣ is Gamma in Clubs with a relay over the response Beta and other bids Epsilons. 4♦ is Beta but no Epsilons are permitted and Responder must set the contract over the Beta response. 4♥ is Eta in Hearts (A Relay over the Eta Response is Beta and Epsilons are then permitted).
-4♣ and upwards are Eta responses for Spades. A relay over the Eta response is Beta and Asking bids now established with Spades agreed.
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