Cream of the Crop 11/Cream of the Crop 11-1.iso/games/marvin01.zip/TODBL.CBA

Text File | 1995-10-19 | 12KB | 295 lines

              CUE BIDS IN TAKEOUT DOUBLE SITUATIONS


Almost any cue bid can be a slam try, regardless of what the cue
bid may sound like when it is made. When the cue bidder follows up
the cue bid with some strong bid that shows he was not just seeking
a suit or looking for a notrump contract, then the true meaning is
revealed:

                   South  West   North  East
                   1D     Dbl    Pass   2D
                   Pass   2H     Pass   4S

Obviously East knew where he was going all along. Why the cue bid,
then? To show first round control of diamonds and to invite a slam.
Nothing complicated, just a normal slam try control-showing cue
bid. With this in mind, then, the following discussion of cue bids
in takeout double situations is concerned with the meaning that
partner will assume the cue bid has, until the cue bidder makes
clear that he had something else in mind.


             Cue Bid in Response to a Takeout Double

-- When RHO passes or raises:

                   South  West   North  East
                   1C     Dbl    Pass   2C

                   South  West   North  East
                   1C     Dbl    2C     3C

These cue bids are forcing to a limit situation, so East cannot
pass a non-game bid by West. A non-game notrump bid is not a "limit
situation" if the bidder has not previously bid, so a 2NT bid by
West in the first auction is forcing (a double is not a bid).

Since these cue bids are forcing to a limit situation, don't cue
bid just because you have both majors and want partner to take a
choice. With 4-4 in the majors and insufficient strength for the
cue bid, East must just bid 1S in the first auction and make a
responsive double in the second auction.

The weakest hand one could have for a two-level cue bid occurs when
the suit is clubs, since partner can bid at the two level in any
suit. When partner might be (or is) forced to bid at the three
level, the cue bidder should have game-going values.

Avoid answering a cue bid with a very weak four-card suit,
especially when it is the only unbid major. The double has already
implied major suit length, so bidding a suit like 9642 is somewhat
redundant. Instead, show some other feature of the hand.

When a passed hand cue bids at the three level, he is allowed to
pass the response. If there are two unbid major suits, a passed
hand is almost certainly just asking for a choice between them with
the three level cue bid. The takeout doubler must therefore not
bid just 3S or 3H if game is likely.

Since the three level cue bid by an unpassed hand is forcing to a
limit situation, the doubler does not have to jump with just an
extra king or so. A jump therefore shows substantial extra values:

                   South  West   North  East
                   1D     Dbl    2D     3D
                   Pass   4H

West has S-A93 H-AKJ97 D-4 C-QJ87. The good suit, extra high cards,
and diamond control justify the jump. With one more spade and one
less heart, West could cue bid 4D to show both a good hand and a
pro- bable 4-4 major suit holding.

A repeat cue bid after the doubler has made a minimum answer to the
first cue bid shows great support for the doubler's suit and at
least second round control of opener's suit:

                   South  West   North  East
                   1C     Dbl    Pass   2C
                   Pass   2D     Pass   3C

East has good diamond support, perhaps the ace of clubs, and is
asking for more information. There is no need to make this repeat
cue bid with something like 5-5 in the majors, because a 2S bid
over 2D would be forcing.

-- When the opponents have bid two suits before the double:

                   South  West   North  East
                   1H     Pass   1S     Dbl
                   Pass   2H - natural, not forcing

The 2H bid is natural because 2S is available as a forcing cue bid.

                   South  West   North  East
                   1D     Pass   2C     Dbl
                   Pass   2D - natural, not forcing

West is not asking East to choose a major. With 4-4 in the majors
and not enough to cue bid 3C, West must just bid 2S.

                   South  West   North  East
                   1D     Pass   1H     Pass
                   1S     Dbl    Pass   2D - natural

East can count on diamond support, as implied by West's actions.

-- When RHO redoubles, all responses are weak (pass with strength):

                   South  West   North  East
                   1C     Dbl    Rdbl   2C

The cue bid in a minor asks for partner's best major. It shows a
weak but distributional hand of some sort, perhaps 5-5 in the
majors. It does not promise another bid.

The cue bid in a major shows a weak three-suiter:

               South  West   North  East
               1H     Dbl    Rdbl   2H - S-8432 H-5 D-Q843 C-K765

Also see chapter TAKEOUT DOUBLES in the book "Conventional
Doubles."

-- When RHO bids a new suit, a cue bid in opener's suit is natural:

                   South  West   North  East
                   1D     Dbl    2C     2D

The 2D bid sounds like "take a choice between the majors," but
that's not what it means.

When the new suit is a major, there is a good possibility that the
bid is a psych. The best policy is to ignore the bid completely,
except that a double is for penalty. The double is limited,
however, in that it says, "I would willingly have made that bid."
With a stronger hand, one that would have called for a jump or cue
bid, go ahead and make the bid you would have made if RHO had
passed:

                   South  West   North  East
                   1H     Dbl    1S     Dbl - "That's my bid!"
                                        2S - not forcing
                                        2H - normal cue bid

The 2S bid is not forcing, just as a jump response of 2S would not
have been forcing. Might East be giving up a good penalty by
bidding 2S with S-AJ873 H-43 D-K85 C-J32? Don't be naive! It is
important to be accurate about one's strength here, in case the
bidding goes something like this:

                   South  West   North  East
                   1H     Dbl    1S     Dbl
                   Pass   Pass   4H!

If North had more than a double of 1S, he is going to have a hard
time showing that now unless he is sure of making game in spades.

-- When RHO bids 1NT:

If the suit doubled is a minor, the cue bid shows a weak hand with
both majors.

                   South  West   North  East
                   1C     Dbl    1NT    2C

When the suit doubled is a major, however:

                   South  West   North  East
                   1H     Dbl    1NT    2H

This cue bid is forcing to a limit situation, based on a good but
distributional hand that is not suitable for a double of 1NT.

A cue bid of 2NT over 1NT in either auction would be unusual
notrump, showing the lower two unbid suits. With a two-suited hand
that includes a good major, one would just bid the major opposite
a takeout double. An unusual notrump bid showing a major and a
minor therefore implies that the major is a weak four-carder and
the minor is longer, probably a six-carder.


                 Cue Bid by the Takeout Doubler

-- When the doubler's partner has responded minimally and the
doubler cue bids opener's suit:

                   South  West   North  East
                   1S     Dbl    Pass   2C
                   Pass   2S

This cue bid, forcing to a limit situation, can be based on almost
any sort of strong hand. The doubler may be trying to find out if
East has a spade stopper, or another suit, or a good club suit, or
whatever. See chapter 10-12, Competitive Cue Bids. If the doubler's
next bid is something like a jump to 4H or 5C, then the cue bid
will be revealed as a normal slam try cue bid. If West repeats the
cue bid, she shows spades--not forcing. After a major suit
response, the sequence of cue bid, then raise, implies three-card
support.

In the auction above, West can pass a minimum club rebid or a 2NT
bid by East. If East bids a new suit or jumps to 4C, West will not
pass. Responder should avoid bidding beyond the level of his
original response suit unless he has undisclosed strength, even if
it means rebidding a four-card suit. With a five-card suit and
undisclosed strength, he should jump in response to the cue bid.

-- A cue bid in response to a jump response definitely shows
support for responder's suit:

                   South  West   North  East
                   1S     2C     Pass   Pass
                   Dbl    Pass   3D     Pass
                   4C - cue bid in support of diamonds

South is not asking for a major suit preference, but is showing a
great hand for diamonds and first round club control: S-AK832
H-A432 D-KJ87 C- void  While not big enough to bid 3C over 2C, this
hand is so good in support of diamonds that South has good reason
to try for slam. North can bid 6D with S-Q2 H-65 D-A109642 C-654.

-- When doubler bids LHO's suit after hearing a suit response:

                   South  West   North  East
                   1C     Dbl    1H     1S
                   Pass   2H - not forcing

West is exposing a probable psych. This bid cannot be based on mere
suspicion, so West must have quite good hearts. In order to force,
West must bid opener's suit first.

-- After a cue bid response to the takeout double:

                   South  West   North  East
                   1D     Dbl    Pass   2D
                   Pass   3D - game forcing

This bid does not just say, "I have both majors," but also "I have
a good hand." With a modest hand and 4-4 in the majors, West should
just bid 2S. This will not be passed, as East's cue bid is forcing
to a limit situation.

-- When the doubler's partner has passed over an intervening bid:

                   South  West   North  East
                   1D     Dbl    2C     Pass
                   Pass   2D

A 3C cue bid would be forcing to a limit situation, so the 2D bid
is used when West doesn't want to sell out, has no good five-card
or longer major to bid, and is not particularly interested in
playing 2C doubled (as might well happen if he doubled again and
East decided to pass with a little something in clubs). West might
have: S-AJ109 H-KQJ10 D-A2 C-432.

We can make a rule out of this situation: When the doubler bids
opener's suit, he is merely competing. When she cue bids respon-
der's suit, she is forcing to a limit situation if the suit is a
minor, but is making a natural bid when it is a major:

                   South  West   North  East
                   1C     Dbl    1H     Pass
                   Pass   2C - just competing, probably
                          2H - not forcing

West's 2C bid implies a dislike for defending 2H doubled, for
otherwise she might repeat the takeout double. Probably her hearts
are questionable: S-AQJ8 H-987 D-AKJ7 C-32. A 2H bid by West
exposes a probable psych. If North had bid 1D, however, a 2D bid
would be forcing (again, implying that a leave-in of a repeat
double would not be welcome).


                Cue Bid as Responder's Second Bid

-- If the original response was a minimum response over a pass
(i.e., not a free bid), a second round cue bid by responder is
natural:

                   South  West   North  East
                   1C     Dbl    Pass   1D
                   Pass   1NT    Pass   2C - long in both minors

East could hardly be making a strong move after responding just
1D. The clubs were not good enough for a pass of the double.

-- If the original response was a free bid or jump, a second round
cue bid is a competitive cue bid. See chapter COMPETITIVE CUE BIDS.

-- If the original response was a cue bid, a second round cue bid
asks for more information from the doubler:

                   South  West   North  East
                   1H     Dbl    Pass   2H
                   Pass   2S     Pass   3H - "tell me more"