Schenken Big Club System

 

After Italy had beaten American in many world championships in the 60s, Howard Schenken created his Big Club system. It included many similar bids as the earlier Vanderbilt Club system. The main features of the Big Club are:

No Trump Openings
Balanced 12-15 hands open 1D, 1 of a major, or 2C and make a simple re-bid.
Balanced 16-18 hands open 1N.
Balanced 19-21 hands open 1C and re-bid in no trump.
Balanced 22-24 hands open 2D and re-bid in no trump.
Balanced 25-27 hands open 1C and re-bid 2NT. 


1NT opening
1NT shows a balanced 16-18 hcp.  

1C opening
A 1C opening shows either a strong unbalanced 17+ hcp or a strong balanced hand of 19-21 or 25+ hcp.  The responses to 1C are:

1D ..... negative 0-9 hcp 
1H/1S .. positive, at least a good four carder  
1N ..... positive balanced 9-11 hcp  
2C ..... at least a semi-positive 7-8, any shape or a positive with five or more clubs   
2D ..... positive with five or more clubs suit jumps ... positive, solid six carder or longer 
2N ..... positive balanced 12+ hcp  
 
After the response, opener rebids naturally with jumps in suits showing a solid suit and a jump in no trump showing a balanced 25-27 hcp. 

Major openings
The major suit opening were natural four card majors limited to 17 hcp.
The suit quality determined which of the four suits were opened (1D, 1H, 1S or 2C).  In some cases the major suit opening is canape when opener has five clubs and four of the major. 

The responses to a major opening are natural and similar to Old Standard American (OSA): 1N is 6-10 balanced, 2N is 13-15 balanced,3N is 16-17 balanced, a two-over-one is forcing one round, and jump shifts are strong.  The only exception to OSA is that a jump to 3C over a major opening is a strong game-forcing raise. 




1D opening
The 1D opening is not the catch-all bid that the 1D bid is in Precision or some other big club systems.  In Schenken, 1D is limited to 17 hcp and is usually at least a four card suit.  It may be a balanced hand with a three carder only when 1) it is between 12-15 hcp; 2) there are no biddable four card majors; and 3) the club suit is poor.  In this one case where 1D is 
short, the diamond suit must be of good quality.

The responses to 1D are natural and show at least 8+ hcp.  1N, 2N,
and 3N are natural balanced hands.  

2C opening
2C is similar to Precision 2C opening, except that the suit must 
be good.  If not, opener should either open one of a major with a 
good four carder or open one diamond with a good diamond suit. 

Over 2C, 2D is an invitational or stronger relay (11+ hcp) asking
opener for a four card major.  

2D opening
The 2D opening is used to show a freak hand or a strong balanced
hand of 22-24 hcp.  Responder must answer not only the number of
aces, but also where the aces are held.  The responses are: 
* 2H no ace
* 2S, 2N, 3C, 3D one ace in suit bid (2N=hearts)
* 3H, 3S, 4C, 4D two aces in the suit bid plus the one higher
* 3N two aces in non-touching suits
* 4N three aces 

The 3N and 4N responses occur when opener has a truly freakish
two-suited hand with voids.  

Over the ace response, opener may ask for kings by bidding the
cheapest suit bid.  Over 2D-2H, 2S asks for kings.  Over 2D-2S,
3C asks for kings.  The king showing responses are similar:
* cheapest suit step shows no kings
* cheapest suit bid shows that king
* cheapest no trump bid shows the king of the cheapest step
* jumps show touching kings
* jump in no trump shows two non-touching kings
* double jump in no trump shows three kings

After the king response, opener can further ask for queens
(and even jacks!) in the same manner. 

Opener usually inquires about kings, queens, etc, but opener 
can make other re-bids.  A no trump re-bid shows the balanced 
hand.  Suit re-bids are forcing to game and suggest that the
answer to the ace-question was not enough for slam. 

Weak two
Schenken advocated the original weak two preempt.  The strength
is 8-12 hcp with a strong six card suit (at least three of the
top five honors).  New suit and no trump responses are natural.


Unusual 2NT
Schenken Big Club (Cont.)

2N showed 5-5 or better in both minors.  The strength of the
bid depended on the vulnerability.  Non-vulnerable the 2N 
opener has 10-13 hcp.  Vulnerable the 2N opener has 13-16 hcp.

Responses are simple and natural: three bids of a minor are 
signoffs.  Game and slam bids are to play; four of a minor is 
invitational to five and three of a major is forcing. 

3C opening

Etcetera
Schenken experimented with some asking bids, especially after
partner preempts.  After a three level preempt, a jump to five
of a suit asked for the suit quality.  Also after suit agreement
and cue bidding has started, a jump in a suit is also an asking
bid in that suit. 
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