Slam Bidding (Part II) - Mr Bridge

BETTER BIDDING continued from page 10
when bidding the minors (e.g. 1♣ – 3♣),
as we have seen on page 9. You should
start by assuming that partner is trying
for no-trumps, then if he does not bid
3NT but a suit at the four level, you
know he is cue-bidding and trying for a
slam, and you proceed accordingly.
Other examples
♠ A Q J 7 4 ♠ K 10 3 2
♥ 5 2 N ♥ A9 4
W E
♦ A S ♦ J 5 4 3
♣ A Q J 5 4 ♣ K 2
West
1♠
4♣
4NT
5NT
7♠
East
3♠
4♥
5♥
6♣
End
This hand illustrates how cue-bidding
can be effectively combined with Key-
Card Blackwood (Key-card Blackwood
was discussed at length in the previous
issue and the article is available from
the on-line library at www.mr
bridge.co.uk/library/library.shtm).
West cannot use Blackwood because
of his weak hearts, so he starts to cuebid,
but as soon as he hears his partner
cue-bid hearts (4♥), he can introduce
KCB. His partner shows two key cards
(one ace and the king of trumps). Now
West continues with 5NT, asking for
kings, and East replies by showing the
king of clubs.
That is just the card West needed and
he can confidently bid 7♠.
TABLE
CARD HOLDER
from the
£6 75
CODE CH02
Mail Order Service
01672 519219
♠ A K 5 2 ♠ Q J 6 4
♥ 9 5 N ♥ K Q 2
W E
♦ 10 3 S ♦ A K Q J 4
♣ A J 8 7 6 ♣ 2
West
1♣
1♠
5♠
End
East
1♦
4NT
6♠
Let me repeat it once more: you should
only cue-bid if you have to. East has a
wonderful hand and as soon as he hears
1♠ from West he wants to try for slam
in spades. He does not need cue-bidding,
he simply needs to know about key cards:
the ace and king of spades, the ace of
hearts and the ace of clubs – all of which
he can find out about by bidding 4NT.
When West shows three key-cards, East
can bid 6♠.
♠ K Q 9 8 7 6 ♠ A J 10 4
♥ 7 6 N ♥ Q 3 2
W E
♦ AK Q S ♦ 7 6
♣ K Q ♣ A J 5 3
West
1♠
4♦
5♦
End
East
3♠
5♣
5♠
On this last deal West has weak hearts
and so avoids Blackwood; instead he
cue-bids 4♦ to find out if East has a heart
control. It’s a neat auction, because after
West’s 5♦ bid East can work out what
West needs: with all the suits bid except
for hearts, it is clear that a heart control is
required. East’s queen is not good enough
for that, so he signs off in 5♠.
Conclusion
Cue-bidding is difficult, but it is a very
useful aid – without it, a lot of slam
bidding is guesswork. However, try to
heed my advice and use it only when
necessary. Mind you, when you do get a
cue-bidding auction right and bid to a
good slam, there are few better feelings
in bridge – other than making the slam
afterwards!
■
MORE ACOL
BIDDING
The follow-up
Interactive CD by
BERNARD MAGEE
200 More Hands
in 10 Chapters
Basics
Advanced Basics
Weak Twos
Strong Hands
Defence to Weak Twos
Defence to 1NT
Doubles
Two-suited Overcalls
Defences to Other Systems
Misfits and
Distributional Hands
Includes
Analysis and Commentary on
the Play of the 200 hands, which
vary from the straightforward
to the very difficult.
System Requirements
Windows 98 or later CD-ROM
£89 95
A
Product
Available exclusively from the
Mail Order Service
01672 519219
Page 11