Three Clubs

The 3♣ Opening is not a pre-empt but is not forcing. It shows 11-15 points with a 6-card (or longer) Club suit and an unspecified 4-card Major. This takes some pressure off responses to the 2♣ Opening, particularly the 2♦ Forcing Enquiry, which has to cope with a lot of different hand-types already.

Note: 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.

Responses & Continuations

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 (eg: tolerance for Clubs or the all-round strength to bid 3NT). The 3♥, 3♠ and 4♣ routes are generally for 16+ hands interested in a slam:
3♣ -3♦ A forcing enquiry merely asking which Major is held. Opener bids their 4-card suit
-3♥/♠ show the 4-card Major. Now:
-3NT is 100% "to play"
-4♣ is invitational, but not forcing.
-4♦ is Beta, but since Responder will not know whether Responder is implicitly agreeing the Major or Clubs, no Epsilons are permitted and Responder must set the final contract over the Beta Response.
-3♥ is Eta in Hearts, but has the extra 1st step inserted to show no 4-card Heart suit. If Responder is 16+ with 4+-card support for both Majors, they should Ask in Spades first.
-3♠ shows 4-card Spades. Now:
-3NT is "to play"
-4♣ is Gamma in Clubs. Asking Bids now established.
-4♦ is Beta, but No Epsilons are permitted and Responder must set the final contract over the Beta response.
-3NT and upwards are Eta Responses for Hearts. Asking Bids now established.
-3♠ is Eta in Spades, but has the extra 1st step inserted to show no 4-card Spade suit.
-3NT shows 4-card Hearts. Now:
-4♣ is Gamma in Clubs. Asking Bids now established.
-4♦ is Beta, but No Epsilons are permitted and Responder must set the final contract over the Beta response.
-4♥ is Eta in Hearts. Asking Bids now established.
-4♣ and upwards are Eta responses for Spades. Asking Bids now established.
-3NT Natural and "to play"
-4♣ is Gamma in Clubs unless Responder is a passed hand, in which case it is an unbalanced invitation with 4+ Clubs.

Action over Interference

Action over Interference Over interference, we try to retain as much of the above as possible. Responder's action is generally as follows:
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