Cream of the Crop 11

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Text File | 1995-10-18 | 11KB | 309 lines

FOUR NOTRUMP - BLACKWOOD OR NATURAL? An opening bid of 4NT is regular (not RKCB) Blackwood. With a ten- trick notrump hand, start with an artificial strong two-level bid (e.g., 2C) and then bid 4NT. This policy lessens the chance that the opponents will get into the act when all you want to know about is aces. Opener Responder 1H 2NT 3C 3H/3S 4NT Roman Key Card Blackwood (RKCB), with last bid suit agreed as trumps. 1S 2NT 3C 3NT 4NT Natural notrump raise. Opener still doesn't know whether responder is minimum or not--only that he has 13-15 HCP, no spade support, no heart suit. If opener wanted to ask for aces he could have bid 4C instead of 3C. 1H 3H 4C 4H 4S 4NT A natural bid, showing the king of diamonds. Limit raisers don't have a Blackwood sort of hand. 1S 2C 2H 4C 4NT Natural, showing diamond strength 1S 2C 4C 4NT Natural, showing minimum values for a two-over- one response: S-2 H-QJ93 D-K1087 C-AJ62 1S 2H 4H 4NT RKCB. The preceding applies to minors only. 1S 3C 3NT 4NT RKCB, clubs agreed. A player who makes a strong jump takeout cannot make a natural 4NT bid (and cannot use Gerber). 2C 2D 4NT A sure ten-trick notrump hand. With 28-30 HCP and no assurance of winning ten tricks, rebid 3NT. For Blackwood, open 4NT. 2C 2S 4NT RKCB, spades agreed. 1S 3C 3S 3NT 4NT Natural. Opener can raise to 4NT, even after a jump takeout response. A 4D bid here would be Super Gerber (q.v.). No suit is agreed. 1S 3C 3S 4C 4NT RKCB. When a jump takeout responder rebids his suit, that is considered the "agreed" suit. Opener can only bid 4S or 5C to sign off. 1H 1S 3C 3NT/4C 4S 4NT RKCB, not a signoff 1S 2C 2S 3D 3NT 4H/4S 4NT RKCB, spades agreed, not a signoff (4H, "non- jump splinter" (described in the book "Marvin's Conventions and Treatments"), promises a singleton heart, 4S denies it) Responding in Competition South West North 1C/1D 1H/1S 4NT RKCB 1C/1D 2H/3H 4NT Natural, too good for 3NT (18-19 HCP) /4H (Minor suit opening, preemptive overcall) 1H/1S any 4NT RKCB - Major suit opening 1C/1D/1H 4S 4NT Takeout, two or three-suiter When the opposing jump is to 4S, the takeout can be a two or three- suiter, so RKCB loses out. Consider this auction: South West North 1C 4S 4NT North could have S-3 H-AJ1087 D-AK8742 C-5 or S-5 H-KQ843 D-AJ74 C-K85. The 4NT bid asks South to bid another suit if he has one, otherwise to bid 5C. North will correct 5C to 5D with the first hand, showing a red two-suiter. With the second hand North will pass 5C. South must not jump to 6C unless his suit is self- sufficient. If he wants to be in slam but does not know what to bid, he can bid 5NT to show interest in both minors, or 5S to show interest in hearts as well as clubs. Rebids in Competition Unless it follows a minor suit raise, a jump rebid of 4NT is always RKCB, with the last named suit as the agreed suit. Non-jumps of 4NT by either partner are for takeout after a one-over-one response or negative double, RKCB after a stronger suit response, negative double, or major suit raise. South West North East 1D Pass 1H 4S 4NT - Takeout: S-6 H-KQ6 D-AKJ872 C-A76 or S-6 H-Q2 D-AKQ87 C-AKJ74 (With the first hand, opener will correct a 5C bid to 5D, thereby implying three-card heart support.) 1C 1S Dbl 4S (negative double) 4NT - RKCB (clubs) Double responsively with S-3 H-AKQ3 D-AQ2 C-KJ873 1D Pass 2C 4S - Now 4NT by either partner is RKCB. 1H Pass 2H/3H 4S 4NT - RKCB After a minor suit raise, however (even a jump), a 4NT bid (even a jump) is natural. 1H 3S 4C/4D Pass 4NT - natural Four Notrump Overcalls East South 1H/1S 4NT 2H/2S 4NT 3H/3S 4NT These are all unusual notrump, asking for a minor suit preference. If South wants to ask for aces, he must cue bid or double first. 1C/1D 4NT 2C/2D 4NT 3C/3D 4NT Over a minor, a jump to 4NT is regular Blackwood unless the opening is preemptive. Over a preempt, (including a weak two bid) a jump to 4NT says "I'm too strong to just bid 3NT." 4C/4D 4NT Blackwood at IMP scoring, natural at matchpoints 4H 4NT Unusual notrump, but could have a little something in spades 4S 4NT Any wild two-suiter, not just the minors. Opener should bid clubs or diamonds unless he has a self- sufficient heart suit. He bids diamonds only if he prefers hearts to clubs. He therefore bids 5C with S-42 H-53 D-J97632 C-K84 because partner probably has hearts and clubs. With a good hand, he can bid 5NT to show both minors, 5S to show hearts plus a minor. Responding to an Overcall Double or triple jumps to 4NT are RKCB. A single jump is RKCB if partner overcalls in a major, natural otherwise: South West North East 1C 1D Pass 4NT RKCB (triple jump) 2D 2S Pass 4NT RKCB (double jump) 3H 3S Pass 4NT RKCB (single jump over major suit) 2H 3D Pass 4NT Natural (single jump over a minor) The last 4NT bid shows a hand that is too good for a 3NT bid. If both opponents have bid a suit (i.e., North bids 3H in the last auction), then a jump to 4NT is RKCB even when partner has bid a minor. Natural will not be missed, since a stopper becomes much less likely. Non-jump 4NT bids are for takeout in general, but there is an exception at matchpoints: A 4NT response to a simple overcall of 4C or 4D is natural if the opposing suit has not been raised: South West North East 3H 4C/4D Pass 4NT Natural at matchpoints, RKCB at IMPs 3S 4C/4D 4S 4NT RKCB always, because of the raise. 1S 2D 4S 4NT Takeout: S-2 H-AJ1092 D-Q1032 C-A98 or: S-2 H-KQ873 D-K5 C-AQJ83 (implies hearts plus a minor) 4NT responses to a strong jump overcall are always RKCB> Responding to a Takeout Double The same principles apply as those applicable to partner's overcall. When 4NT asks for aces, it is regular Blackwood since the partnership has not bid a suit. South West North East 1S Dbl 4S 4NT Takeout (over a major) 1H Dbl 4H 4NT Takeout, emphasis on the minors 3C Dbl Pass 4NT Natural (single jump over a minor) 1C Dbl 3C/4C 4NT Blackwood (in view of the raise) 3S Dbl Pass 4NT Blackwood (jump to 4NT over a major) 4C Dbl Pass 4NT Natural at matchpoints, Blackwood at IMP scoring In the first auction West should avoid bidding a four-card heart suit unless it is very strong. Even if East has four hearts, which he might have bid, the suit may split 4-1 or 5-0 in view of the auction. Four Notrump Bids by the Takeout Doubler If partner has bid a suit, 4NT is always RKCB. South West North East 3S Dbl Pass 4C/4D/4H 4S 4NT - RKCB: S-3 H-KQJ4 D-KQ10 C-AKQJ2 If partner has bid notrump, 4NT is always a notrump raise, even if an opposing suit has been raised. South West North East 2S Dbl 3S 3NT 4S 4NT Notrump raise, not takeout If partner has not bid, 4NT over 4S is for takeout, emphasizing the minors, probably with three cards in the unbid major: South West North East 2S Dbl 4S Pass Pass 4NT Perhaps 1-3-4-5 distribution, big hand Dbl Repeats the takeout, promises hearts Some General Principles A player who has made a limit bid cannot use Blackwood. This holds for most natural notrump bidders, since notrump bids are limit bids. Any exceptions are clear-cut: Opener Responder but: Opener Responder 1NT 3S 1C 3NT 4NT is obviously RKCB 4H 4NT - signoff Opener Responder 1S 3S 4C 4D 4S 4NT is natural, showing king of hearts and a maximum. There is just no type of hand that responder, who has made a limit bid of 3S, could have that would warrant RKCB. A passed hand is a "limit bidder" for this purpose: South West North East Pass Pass 3H Dbl Pass 4NT West has a good hand with two long minors. She could not have enough for Blackwood, considering her initial pass. A player who has pulled partner's 3NT bid to four of a suit cannot change his mind and bid 4NT naturally. It has to be RKCB: Opener Responder 1D 2C 2S 3NT 4C 4H 4NT - RKCB, clubs agreed Blackwood cannot be used by either partner after Fourth Suit Artificial--no exceptions! After FSA, a 4NT by either partner is natural, a notrump slam try. Blackwood is not used after a forcing club raise--no exceptions! Opener Responder 1C 3D - forcing club raise 4NT - natural, too much for a 3NT bid See the book "Notrump Bidding" for the meaning of 4NT in bidding sequences following a notrump opening. Also see chapter GETTING A PREFERENCE AT THE FIVE LEVEL in the book "Defensive Bidding."