When one of the bridge players at the bridge table opens 1 Club, then that bridge player could be using the Bangkok Club System devised by Mr. Somboon Nandhabiwat. This Club System was used with some success in several world championship tournaments.

Note: Information as to the bridge personality Mr. Somboon Nandhabiwat is scarce. Any contributed information, especially photographic material, would be greatly appreciated.

This Club System is not very involved or complicated, but the understanding must be a team agreement. It has several similarities to the Vienna Bidding System. The essentials of the Bangkok Club System are shown in the schematic below, especially the opening bids, but may vary according to following alterations resulting in variations, which have been included as long as they are relevant to the concept.

Bid		Values		Meaning
1 :		12-20 high card points		Shows various shapes.
1 :		12-20 high card points		Promises a 5-card plus Diamond suit.
1 :		12-18 high card points		Promises a 5-card plus Heart suit.
1 :		12-18 high card points		Promises a 5-card plus Spade suit.
1 NT:		15-17 high card points		Shows balanced shape.
or:		(21-22 high card points)		(Balanced shape = variation modification).
or:		18+ high card points		Promises a maximum 5 Losing Trick holding.
2 :		21+ (23+) high card points		Any shape (variation = natural and game-forcing).
2 :		6-11 high card points		Promises 6 Hearts or Spades.
or:		18+ (23+) high card points		Promises a 5-card plus Club suit or Diamond suit; (variation = natural and game-forcing).
2 :		18+ (23+) high card points		Promises 5-card plus Hearts; (variation = natural and game-forcing).
2 :		18+ (23+) high card points		Promises 5-card plus Spades; (variation = natural and game-forcing).
2NT:		20-22 (23-24) high card points		Shows balanced shape; (variation = balanced and vulnerable).

Response Methods

The responder has several options depending on the partnership agreement. The Bangkok Club System allows two different sets of responses for the responder, but only one should be included in the partnership agreement.

Choice Number One

A 1 Diamond response is negative.

A 1 No Trump response is an artificial game-forcing bid.

Any other response is forcing or not forcing depending on the partnership agreement.

Choice Number Two

A 1 Diamond, 1 Heart or 1 Spade response indicates 11-17 points, whereby both High Card Points and Distributional Points are counted.

A 1 Diamond, 1 Heart or 1 Spade response strongly indicates a 5-card suit.

A 1 No Trump response is artificial and strong, showing 18+ points, whereby both High Card Points and Distributional Points are counted.

Bids on the Two Level are natural and also game-forcing.

 

 

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.