opening bid of 2 can be used. The opener's rebid (in these cases always in No Trump) then indicates the strength of the hand using steps of 2-3 HCP. Hence 2 - 2 - 2NT shows 22-24 HCP's in Standard American or 23-24 HCP in Acol, while a 3NT rebid can show 25+ HCP's. Disadvantages If the opening bid of 2 is exclusively used for strong hands, the auction becomes more susceptive to disruptive (jump) overcalls (especially when the opposing partnership is not vulnerable) than the "old" treatment of strong two bids. However, that danger is smaller when compared to strong 1 system in strong club systems, because 2 bid is made with bigger high-card strength and on a higher level. On the other hand, the strong 2 opening reduces the bidding space for the pair themselves compared with strong 1—sometimes, the pair can be unable to find a fit on a relatively low level (below 3NT), and/or reduce the space for effective slam investigation with cue bidding. Other treatments In most strong club systems, the opening bid of 2 is natural and promises a hand with long clubs (for example, in both Precision and Blue club, it shows 11-15 high card points and either a 6-card club suit or at least a 5-card club suit and a 4-card major suit). As such, it makes overcalls more difficult, since they have to be made at the two-level. Chances are therefore increased that the side of the opener has an undisturbed auction, and the opponents will not discover a fit in a major suit. However, as a corollary, their strong 1 opening bid is more susceptible to preempting by opponents. Another variant advocates two strong forcing openings, 2 for strong hands with fewer than four spades and 2 for strong hands with four or more spades. References Bridge conventions