This system is a combination of Polish Club and the Swedish systems Svan and Skrot ("metal junk") developed by Mr. Anders Morath and Mr. Sven-Ake Bjarregard in 1972. Svan/Skrot are five-card-Major versions of the Carrot Club.

Historical Data

The Carrot Club, originally Morotsklovern, (Swedish for Carrot Club), was invented by Mr. Sven-Olof Flodqvist and Mr. Anders Morath in 1972 for use in the European Championships in Athens, Greece. It was the system that won the European Championships in 1977, with two pairs playing Carrot. In the European Championships the Carrot team placed 1st in 1987, 3rd in 1989, 2nd in 1991, and 5th in 1993. In the World Championship they placed 3rd in 1987 and 1991, and in the Olympics 3rd in 1988 and 4th in 1992.

Additional Information

Other members of the team were Mr. Hans Gothe, Mr. P.O. Sundelin, and Mr. Tommy Gullberg. The rights of the Swedish name was bought by Mr. Eric Jannersten when he published a book written by Mr. Sven-Olof Flodqvist in 1978, and the later variants of the system has been called Carrot Club.

After playing SKalmar, (a Swedish weak/strong 1C system), for two seasons with Mr. Jorgen Lindqvist in the early eighties, Mr. Sven-Olof Flodqvist introduced a weak/strong 1 Club opening. It was first used in the strong pass system Carrotti that was also created at the same time. Mr. Sven-Olof Flodqvist and Mr. Hans Gothe qualified themselves to the European Championships in 1985 using Carrotti. They were not allowed to play it in the championships, so they used Carrot with a weak/strong 1 Club instead.

Mr. Anders Morath has later developed a new version of the system, called Svan, with 5+ card Major openings. The latest Carrot Club version, O'Carrot, has kept the 4 card major openings, which are always unbalanced.

Note: For the convenience of the reader each bid plus any additional explanations are divided for the presentation presented on this web page.

Opening Bids

1 Club

a)	11-13 hcps, balanced or semibalanced (not 2-2 in majors) or 4-4-1-4
b)	16+ high card points, unbalanced
c)	17+ high card points, balanced (except hands opened with 2 No Trump)
	How to deal with Interference Over a 2-Way 1 Club Opening

1 Diamond

a)	10-15 high card points, 4-card plus Diamond suit, or
b)	shows a Club canapé, or
c)	shows a distributional pattern of 4-4-4-1

Additional Information

The only non-classic distribution is 4 Diamonds and 5 Clubs.

The responses to 1 Diamond are natural, with inverted raises. The only non-natural response is 3 Clubs which shows a semi-balanced raise with 4+ Diamonds and no 4-card Major and 10-12 high card points (too weak for 2 Diamonds and too strong for 3 Diamonds).

Any further continuance is natural, with new suits over 2 Diamonds and 3 Clubs (below 3 Diamonds and 4 Diamonds) showing stoppers.

After 1 - 1/ - 1 NT, 2 Clubs is a check-back, 3 Clubs shows Clubs and is a sign-off, and 2 No Trump shows Clubs and is invitational (balanced invitational hands go via checkback).

1 - 1/ - 3 promises 3-card support for responder's Major (and, of course, a good hand with 6+ Diamonds), while 1 - 1/ - 2 NT is a hand worth the 3 Diamonds bid, but with fewer than 3-card support.

Similarly 1 - 1/ - 4 promises a 4-card support for responder's Major.

1 Heart / Spade: Shows 10-15 high card points and 5+ cards in the respective suit.

(Note: 14-15 high card points and 5-3-3-2 hands are opened 1 No Trump).

1. 1 Spade: (after 1 Heart)

Shows 4+ Spades and 8+ high card points. 1 - 1 - 1 NT shows 11-13 points; 2 is check-back.

1 - 1 - 2 NT shows 6+ Hearts with a hand worth a 3 bid, but with fewer than 3 Spades. 1 - 1 - 3 promises a 3-card Spade support.

1 - 1 - 3 of a minor suit shows 5-5 and 14-15 high card points.

2. Semi-forcing 1 No Trump

The 1 NT response is either classic (7-10 high card points and fewer than 3 card support) or an invitational hand with 3 card support. Opener can pass with a balanced minimum.

3. Major-Suit Raises

1 NT:	3-card support with  11-13 hcps (invitational; 8-loser hand).
2 Major:	3-card support with 8-10 hcps (9-loser hand).
3 Major:	Preemptive, at least 4-card support.
4 Major:	Poor preemptive raise (5+ Hearts, less than 1 honor trick).
2 Major+1:	Mini-splinter raise with 4-card support, unknown singleton or void and either 6- or 8-loser hand.
2 Major+2:	Jacoby - 14+ high card points, balanced or semi-balanced, with 4-card support.
2 Major+3:	4-card support, 8-10 high card points, (9-loser hand).
2 Major+4:	4-card limit raise.
3 NT:	Splinter in the suit below the Major opened ( after 1; after 1).
3 / 4 after 1 and 4 / 4 after 1: splinters with either 5- or 7-loser hand.
4 Major-1:	Exclusion RKCB with void in this suit.
4 Major+1:	RKCB (Roman KeyCard Blackwood

Further Auction

Over a Single Raise 1M - 2M.
	A new suit shows maximum and asks for help in this suit, except for 1 - 2 - 2 NT which asks for help in Spades.
	Opener's cheapest bid (2 and 2 NT) is a puppet to the next higher bid (2 NT or 3 ), after which the opener shows his shortness (with Hearts agreed 3 shows Spade shortness; with spades agreed 3 shows Club shortness).
	A re-raise is preemptive, not invitational.
Over a Mini-Splinter Raise
	First step is a relay showing a non-minimum hand (less than 7 losers), over which responder shows his shortness. With a 6-loser hand responder continues even over a sign-off (with a singleton just above the Major opened and a 6-loser hand responder cannot bid 3 Major, e.g. 1 - 2 - 2 NT - 3 shows a Spade singleton and an 8-loser hand, 1 - 1 - 2 NT - 3 S shows Spade singleton and a 6-loser hand).
Over the forcing Balanced Raise (Jacoby).
	Opener shows shortness at 3-level. Without shortness opener shows a good second suit at 4-level. Without either of these he bids 3 Major with maximum and 3 NT with minimum.

4. Two-over-One Responses

These show 11+ high card points and are forcing to 2 No Trump.  A raise by opener of responder's suit is game-forcing.

With minimum hand and no support for responder's suit, opener rebids his Major; with minimum hand and support opener rebids 2 NT (Note: systemically open all 14-16 high card points and 5-3-3-2 hands with 1 No Trump).

5. Further Rules

In a forcing auction with trumps agreed, 3NT denies a slam interest, while a free cue-bid at 4-level expresses such an interest.

1 No Trump: Shows a range of 14-16 high card points

Additional Information about 1 No Trump Openings can be found on this site.

2 Clubs: Shows 10-15 high card points, 6+ Clubs, or 5 Clubs and 4 of a Major

Responses:

2 :	relay; opener bids 2 Hearts/Spades with a 4-card Major and 10-12 points, 2 NT without a 4-card Major and 10-12 points, 3 Clubs without a 4-card Major and 13-15 points, 3 Hearts/Spades with a 4-card Major and 13-15 points.
2 :	natural, non-forcing
2 :	natural, non-forcing
2 NT:	forcing with support, asks for shortness (3 Clubs no shortness).
3 :	preemptive
3 :	game-forcing
3 :	game-forcing

2 Diamonds: Shows 4-9 high card points, at least 5-4 in Majors (4-4 if allowed)

The 2 Diamonds opening showing a weak hand with both Majors is known as Ekrens or Norwegian 2 Diamonds. It seems though that it was invented in Poland in the 1970's (and later, independently, by Mr. Bjoern Ekren).

Responses to 2 Diamonds

2 :	To play.
2 :	To play.
2 NT:	Forcing relay.
3 :	To play.
3 :	Invitational with 3-3 in the Major suits.
3 :	Preempt.
3 :	Preempt.

Rebids after 2 Diamonds - 2 No Trump

3 :	Poor 5-4 (now 3 Diamonds asks for the longer suit).
3 :	Poor 5-5 (3 Hearts/Spades to play; 3 No Trump asks for shortness).
3 :	Maximum with 5 Hearts and 4 Spades.
3 :	Maximum with 5 Spades and 4 Hearts.
3 NT:	Good 5-5 and a void. Now 4 Clubs asks: 4 = Club void, 4 = Diamond void.
4 :	Good 5-5 and a singleton in Clubs.
4 :	Good 5-5 and a singleton in Diamonds.

In competition, all doubles are for penalties; jumps in a minor are fit-jumps in support of a (unspecified) Major.

2 Hearts/Spades: Weak Two bids

2 No Trump: Shows a range of 23-25 high card points, balanced, no 5-card Major

Note: the 4-4-1-4 hand with 14/15 points can be downgraded to 11-13 points or opened 1 Major if the Major is strong.

Responses to 1 Club

1 :	Shows 0-7 points, any distribution (not an Ace and a King)
1 :	Shows 8+ points, 4+ cards.
1 :	Shows 8+ points, 4+ cards.
1 NT:	Shows 8-11 points, no 4-card Major, balanced or semi-balanced.
2 :	Shows 8-12 points, unbalanced, 5+ Club suit, no 4+ Major
2 :	Shows 8-12 points, unbalanced, 5+ Diamond suit, no 4+ Major
2 :	Game-forcing with both Minor suits; (2 NT asks for the longer Minor suit)
2 :	Puppet to 2 NT; either 14+ points, balanced with no 4-card Major or game-forcing Minor one-suiter.
2 NT:	Shows 12-13 points, balanced, no 4-card Major suit.
3 :	Shows 5-7 points, 6+ Clubs suit headed by KQ or AQ.
3 :	Shows 5-7 points, 6+ Diamond suit headed by KQ or AQ.
3 :	Shows 7-card Heart suit headed with 2 top honors.
3 :	Shows 7-card Spade suit headed with 2 top honors.

Development of the Auction - Hand Types

Hand Type I		11-13 HCPs; balanced or 4-4-1-4		17-19 HCPs; balanced, no 5+ Major suit		20-22 HCPs; balanced, no 5+ Major suit
Response
1: 0-7 hcps; any distribution		Bid 1 Major (showing 3+). Pass on the next round.		Bid 1 NT. Further bidding as after 1 NT opening.		Bid 2 NT. Further bidding as after 2 NT opening.
1 Major: 8+ hcps, 4+ Major		Bid 2 Major or 1 NT (even if opener holds 4 Spades after a 1 response). Responder can now bid 2 as check-back, 2x/3  as a weak takeout, 2 NT as invitational with Clubs or 3/ - invitational 5-5.		Bid 2 (GF showing 17+ balanced or 4-card support).		Bid 2 (GF showing 17+ balanced or 4-card support). Show extra strength later.
1 NT: 8-11 hcps, no 4-card Major, balanced or semi-balanced.		Pass.		Bid 3 NT or 2 (shape inquiry showing 17+ balanced or strong with a long Minor).		Bid 3 NT or 2 (shape inquiry showing 17+ balanced or strong with a long Minor) or possibly 4 NT (quantitative).
2 Minor suit: 8-12 hcps unbalanced, 5+ Minor suit, no 4 card + Major suit.		Pass or bid 2 NT / 3 Minor suit (invitational).		Bid 3 NT or 4 Minor suit (forcing).		Bid 4 NT or 4 Minor suit (forcing).
2: Game-Forcing with both Minors		Bid 3 NT or ask for longer Minor with 2 NT		Bid 4 NT or ask for longer Minor with 2 NT		Bid 5 NT or ask with 2 NT
2 NT: 12-13 hcps, balanced, no 4-card+ Major suit		Pass or bid 3 NT		Bid 4 NT or 3 Minor suit (could be a 4-card suit)		Bid 4 NT or 3 Minor suit (could be a 4-card suit).
3 Minor: 5-7 hcps, 6+ cards to KQ or AQ		Pass or bid 4 Minor suit (preemptive)		Bid 3 NT or 5 Minor suit.		Bid 3 NT, 5 Minor, or more.
3 Major suit: 7-card suit with 2 top honors and out		Pass or bid 3 NT / 4 Major suit		Do something clever		Do something clever

Hand Type II		16+ HCPs, 5+ Minor		16+ HCPs, 5+ Major
Response
1: 0-7 hcps, any distribution		With a 4-card Major bid 1 Major. With no 4-card Major, bid 2 Minor. With a game-forcing hand bid 3 Minor. After the 2 Minor rebid, responder can bid a new suit at 2-level (4-7 hcps, 5-cards plus);		Bid 1 Major (NF) or 2 Major (Acol 2, forcing). Responder can bid naturally with 4-7 hcps. If opener is raised to 2 Major, bidding goes as after 1 Major - 2 Major.
1 Major: 8+ hcps, 4+ Major.		With a 1-suiter and 16-18 hcps bid 3 Minor. With other hands without support bid 2 Clubs (GF relay). With support bid 2 (GF) or splinter.		Bid 1/2 other Major. This sets up a game-force. With support bid 2 (GF relay) or splinter.
1 NT: 8-11 hcps, no 4-card Major, balanced or semi-balanced.		With Diamonds bid 2, with Clubs bid 2 NT. Alternatively bid 3 NT (to play),  3 Minor (powerful one-suiter; demand for cue-biding), 4 Minor (RKC Gerber), or 2 Clubs (shape inquiry showing 17+ hcps, balanced, or strong with a long Minor).		Bid 2 Major, game-forcing or 3 Major (powerful one-suiter; demand for cue-biding).
2 Minor: 8-12 hcps, 5+ Minor, unbalanced, no 4+ Major		Bid 2/3 other Minor (if responder has the wrong one) alternatively double-raise or splinter (after the right one).		Bid 2 Major
2: GF with both Minors		Bid 4 Minor (Roman KeyCard Gerber)		Bid 3 Major or 2 NT asking for longer Minor
2 NT: 12-13 hcps, balanced, no 4+ Major		Bid 3 Minor or 4 Minor. Note that 3 Minor might be only a 4-card suit (with 17+ hcps, balanced)		Bid 3 Major
3 Minor: 5-7 hcps, 6+ Minor to KQ/AQ		Do something clever (like pass)		Pass or bid 3 Major
3 Major: 7-card suit with 2 top honors and out		Bid 4 Minor (forcing)		Do something clever

Bidding after 1 Club - 1 Major - 2 Diamonds

2 Hearts:	5-card (or bad 6) suit bid on the previous round. Opener bids 2 No Trump with a doubleton (further bidding natural); 2 Spades with support (with 11+ hcps responder bids now as after 1 Major - 2 No Trump; with 8-10 hcps and shortness responder bids 2 No Trump and opener may inquiry by bidding 3 Clubs).
2 Spades:	4-card suit and 8-10 points. 2 No Trump is a further inquiry: 3 Minor - 5-card Minor; 3 Hearts - singleton in the other Major; 3 Spades - after 1 Club - 1 Heart shows 4 Spades and after 1 Club - 1 Spade shows 4-4-3-2 with a 4-card Minor; 3 No Trump shows precisely 4-3-3-3 after 1 Club - 1 Spade and either 4-4-3-2 or 4-3-3-3 after 1 Club - 1 Heart.
2 No Trump:	4 Major in a balanced hand with 11+ hcps; further bidding is natural; with the support hand opener bids 3 Major.
3 Minor:	5-card plus Minor and only 4-card Major, 11+ hcps; further bidding is natural; with the support hand opener bids 3 Major and responder shows a singleton.
3 Major:	good 6-card plus Major, no singleton.
3 other Major	good 6-card plus Major, splinter
4 other Minor:	good 6-card plus Major, splinter

Bidding after 1 Club - 1 Major - 2 Clubs

2 Clubs: shows either a two-suiter without support for responder's Major or a Minor one-suiter with 19+ points (Minor one-suiter with 16-18 high card points are bid 1 Club - 1 Major - 3 Minor).  Now the suits are bid up the line, with the key point that the responder shows a 3-card Diamond support. Thus  after 1 Club - 1 Major - 2 Clubs, responder's rebids are as follows:

2 :	Shows 3-card plus Diamonds; now opener  bids 2 Major with 3-card support, 2 Other Major with 4 cards in that Major, 2 No Trump with Clubs (showing either a Minor 2-suiter with longer Clubs or 19+ points with Clubs; responder bids 3 Clubs with 3-card support),  or 3 Diamonds showing Diamonds.
2 :	(after 1 Club - 1 Spade): 4+ Hearts, fewer than 3 Diamonds.
	Note: 2 after 1 Club - 1 Heart: 5+ Hearts, fewer than 3 Diamonds.
2 :	(after 1 Clubs - 1 Heart): exactly 4 Hearts, 4 Spades, fewer than 3 Diamonds (and so at least 3 Clubs).
	Note: 2 after 1 Club - 1 Spade: 5+ Spades, fewer than 3 Diamonds, fewer than 4 Hearts (and so either 6 Spades or at least 3 Clubs).
2 NT:	Shows 4 cards in the Major bid, fewer than 3 Diamonds, fewer than 4 cards in the other Major (and so at least 4 Clubs).
3 :	Shows 5+ Clubs, denies 4 cards in the other Major and 3 of the other Minor.
3 :	Shows 5+ Diamonds, denies 4 cards in the other Major and 3 of the other Minor.

After 1 Club - 1 Major - 2 Clubs - 2 /, 2 NT: by opener shows Clubs. Responder bids 3 Clubs with 3-card support.

Bidding after 1 Club - 1 NT - 2 Clubs (Doubleton Stayman)

2 Diamonds:	No Major doubleton; 2 is a further relay: 2 shows 3-3-3-4, 2 NT shows 3-3-4-3, 3 shows 3-3-2-5, 3 shows 3-3-5-2.
2 Hearts:	Doubleton in the Major bid, 3 cards in the other Major; 2 NT by opener is a further relay. The responder bids 3 Minor with a 5-card suit (thus showing 5-3-3-2 shape) and otherwise (with 4-4 in Minors) bids: 3 NT with a stopper in the doubleton, 3 of the original doubleton without a stopper and 8-9 points, 3 of the other Major with 10-11 points (and no stopper in the doubleton).
2 Spades:	Doubleton in the Major bid, 3 cards in the other Major; 2 NT by opener is a further relay. The responder bids 3 Minor with a 5-card suit (thus showing 5-3-3-2 shape) and otherwise (with 4-4 in Minors) bids: 3 NT with a stopper in the doubleton, 3 of the original doubleton without a stopper and 8-9 points, 3 of the other Major with 10-11 points (and no stopper in the doubleton).
2 No Trump:	Doubletons in both Majors, i.e. both Minors: 2-2-5-4 or 2-2-4-5.
3 Minor:	Shows a 6-card suit.

Subsequent bids at the 3-level by opener show stoppers if in a Major; set trumps and begin cuebidding if in a Minor.

Bidding after 1 Club - 1 Heart - 1 Spade

1 NT:	Shows 11+ points, balanced, doubleton Spade.
2 NT	Shows 11+ points, balanced with 4-card Spade support; opener bids as after 1 Spade - 2 NT
3 NT:	Shows 8-10 points, balanced; doubleton Spade.
2 :	Shows 11+, 3-card Spade support.
3 :	Shows 8-10 points, 3-card Spade support.
4 :	Shows 8-10 points, 4-card Spade support.
4 :	Splinter in Clubs with 4-card Spade support.
4 :	Splinter in Diamonds with 4-card Spade support.

Strong 4-4-4-1 Holdings

After 1 Club - 1 Major, 2 No Trump shows 4-4-4-1 with singleton in partner's suit and 19+ points; 3 No Trump shows the same distribution and 16-18 points.

 

 

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.