BLUE TEAM
CLUB RESPONSES

Blue Team became the popular name for the Italian International Bridge Team, which had many international successes from 1956 to 1975. The captain and the members of the Blue Team devised a bidding system, which is still played today. The Blue Team Club was the result of the efforts of the Italian Bridge Federation, Mr. Carl Alberto Perroux, the team captain, and the team members, who dedicated themselves to the study of the game of bridge.

As the name implies, the opening will be 1 Club. The significance of this 1 Club opening is that it is defined as 1. forcing, and 2. shows 17 or more points using a 4-3-2-1 count. Sometimes it is also a distributional factor which may define a 1 Club opening with slightly less than 17 points, or a weaker 1 Club opening with exactly 17 points.

1

shows 17 points plus, and is forcing

The responses to a 1 Club opening show controls by Steps, counting an Ace as 2 controls and a King as 1 control.

1		shows 0-2 controls		less than 6 points
1		shows 0-2 controls		6 points plus
1		shows 3 controls		at least 10 points
1 NT		shows 4 controls		at least12 points
2		shows 5 controls		at least 16 points
2		shows 6 controls		at least 20 points
2		shows a 6-card suit		with 2 honors and less than 6 points
2		shows a 6-card suit		with 2 honors and less than 6 points
2 NT		shows 7 controls		at least at least 24 points

If there is an immediate overcall on the One Level after a 1 Club opening, the Blue Team Club bidding system compensates for this action.

Opener	Overcaller	Responder
1	1	Pass	equals 1st Step Response:	0-2 controls, less than 6 points
	1	Double	equals 2nd Step Response:	0-2 controls, 6 points plus
	1	Pass	equals 1st Step Response:	0-2 controls, less than 6 points
	1	Double	equals 2nd Step Response:	0-2 controls, 6 points plus

All other responses retain their original meaning and are showing controls. All responses on the Two Level are made as if there had been no direct overcall.

If there is an immediate overcall on the Two Level after a 1 Club opening, the Blue Team Club bidding system also compensates for this action.

Opener	Overcaller	Responder
1	2	Pass	equals 1st Step Response:	0-2 controls, less than 6 points
	2	Double	equals 2nd Step Response:	0-2 controls, 6 points plus
	2	2 / 2	forcing for one round:	shows good suit with values
	2	2 NT	shows 3 or 4 controls:	stopper in opponent's suit
	2	3	cuebid:	shows 5 or more controls

Using the guidelines of the Blue Team Club bidding system, a 1 Club opening is forcing to 1 No Trump at least, if the first response is 1 Diamond, and to 2 No Trump, if the first response is 1 Heart. If there is any other first response, then the partnership is committed to game.

Any Jump rebid by the opener in a suit is game-forcing. If the opener rebids 1 No Trump or 2 No Trump, the Stayman convention is on, and the responder can ask for a 4-card Major suit.

If the partnership is committed to game, then the first rebid by the responder will be his best suit at the lowest level, and any following rebids by the responder will show any features he may hold.

Openings of 1 Diamond, 1 Heart, or 1 Spade are natural, limited bids, showing 12 to 16 points, and at least a 4-card suit.

The responses are normal responses.

Jump Raises are limited raises

A 2 No Trump response is invitational, 11-12 points, 4-3-3-3 distribution

Jump Shifts indicate a (semi) solid suit and 13 points or more

Stronger holdings are bid according to the Canapé principle

Responder's first bid suit may be artificial if the second suit is a higher-ranking suit

Any response at the Two Level is forcing for one round, or at least to 2 No Trump

If the opening is 1 Heart or 1 Spade:

Opener	Responder
1	1
1 NT	4	second-round jump by responder
		shows first suit is the trump suit
		and responder shows control in Clubs

Opener	Responder
1	2
2	4	second-round jump by responder
		shows first suit is the trump suit
		and responder shows control in Diamonds

Any second-round jump by the responder decides the Trump suit as the first bid suit by the opener, and shows first round control in that suit, which has to be a Minor suit. This is known as the Blue Team Four Club - Four Diamond convention.

If the opener has a maximum opening of 1 Diamond, 1 Heart, or 1 Spade between 14 and 16 points, the opener can make a Jump Rebid or even a Reverse Rebid. However, if most of the points are located in the bid suits, then it is preferable for the opener to make a strong rebid.

A 1 No Trump opening shows either of two holdings:

A. 1 No Trump		13-15 points, balanced		shows a Club suit and exactly 3 cards in each Major suit
				distribution is either 3-3-2-5 or 3-3-3-4
B. 1 No Trump		16-17 points, balanced

The responder should, if he has the values and/or distribution, respond.
1. Minor suit responses are completely artificial.
2. A bid of 2 Clubs shows 8 to 11 points.

a. if the opener has a strong No Trump, 16-17 points, then the opener should rebid 2 Spades.

• a rebid of 2 No Trump by the responder asks for a Major suit
• Minor suit rebids by the responder are non-forcing

b. with the weaker No Trump range, the opener will make another Two Level rebid to describe the strength and Club length

• any rebid by the responder then become non-forcing, only invitational

3. A bid of 2 Diamonds by the responder shows a minimum of 12 points, and is completely forcing for one round and/or to game

a. if the opener has the stronger No Trump range, he bids a 4-card Major suit
b. if the opener has the stronger No Trump range, and no 4-card Major suit, his rebid is 3 Clubs

• after a 3 Club rebid by the opener, the responder can ask about the Minor suits by rebidding 3 Diamonds

c. if the opener has the weaker No Trump range, and the responder has bid 2 Diamonds, the opener rebids 2 No Trump to show the weaker No Trump range.

• responder rebids 3 Diamonds asking opener to further describe his holding, his strength, and the number of cards held in the Club suit in 4 Steps

4. Jump responses by the responder to the Three Level show 6-card suits headed by 2 of the top 3 honors with 6-7 points support. Jump responses of 4 Clubs transfer the opener to 4 Hearts, and Jump responses of 4 Diamonds transfer the opener to 4 Spades.

A 2 Clubs opening indicates a good Club suit with at least a 5-card Club suit, and a minimum of 12 to 16 points. In the case that the opener holds a second 4-card suit, then the opener has a minimum of 15 points.

Opener	Responder
2	2	artificial, requests partner to bid a second suit
2 NT		indicates no second suit and stoppers in 2 outside suits
3		indicates no second suit and only 1 stopper in an outside suit
	3	asking rebid of opener to rebid his stoppers

Any other Two Lever response besides 2 Diamonds are natural and non-forcing responses. Jump responses to the Three Level are completely game-forcing.

Any suit opening on the Three Level is a natural preempt showing at least 7 Quick Tricks. The responses are the same with normal preempts. If the partner has 2 Quick Tricks and stoppers in the other unbid suits, the final contract should be 3 No Trump. If the partner has 3 Quick Tricks and entries in his holding, then game should be attempted.

In considering slam possibilities, Roman Blackwood was the choice of the Blue Team. This means that only the 4 Aces were counted as Key Cards. This means that a response over 4 No Trump of 5 Clubs shows 1 Ace or 4 Aces. A response of 5 Diamonds shows zero Aces or 3 Aces.

Certain situations in the Blue Team Club bidding system created circumstances where a bid of 4 No Trump becomes a natural slam invitation. This invitation can be rejected and the partner will sign off in the agreed suit, or the partner may pass the 4 No Trump bid, or the partner can accept the slam invitation by bidding an additional feature or Key Card.

If you wish to include this feature, or any other feature, of the game of bridge in your partnership agreement, then please make certain that the concept is understood by both partners. Be aware whether or not the feature is alertable or not and whether an announcement should or must be made. Check with the governing body and/or the bridge district and/or the bridge unit prior to the game to establish the guidelines applied. Please include the particular feature on your convention card in order that your opponents are also aware of this feature during the bidding process, since this information must be made known to them according to the Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge. We do not always include the procedure regarding Alerts and/or Announcements, since these regulations are changed and revised during time by the governing body. It is our intention only to present the information as concisely and as accurately as possible.