User:Brian/Bridge/Responding to 2C

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The most common set of responses to a strong 2♣ opening are as follows:

If... then ...
I have 8+ HCP with a balanced hand Respond 2NT
I have 8+ HCP with a good 5+-card major suit (at least 2 of 3 top honors) Bid your suit at the 2 level.
I have 8+ HCP with a good 5+-card minor suit Bid your suit at the 3 level.
Otherwise Bid 2♦.

The 2♥, 2♠, 2NT, 3♣, and 3♦ responses are said to be "positive", since they show the presence of some quality of responder's hand. The 2♦ response is "waiting", an artificial relay that denies the positive responses and asks opener to describe their hand. Thus, 2♦ is like a "catch-all" response, used for the following kinds of hands:

  • Less than 8 HCP, for example ♠J872 ♥643 ♦J2 ♣KT97
  • Unbalanced with a low-quality suit, for example ♠KT985 ♥A63 ♦5 ♣Q765
  • 4441 distribution regardless of strength, for example ♠KQT2 ♥4 ♦K754 ♣AJ93.

Responder's rebids vary greatly according to partnership agreement, as do opener's rebids after the positive responses.