Story 3

Control-Bids                                                                                                                                                                                                   The control-bid is the cornerstone of accurate suit slam bidding. It is like ringing a bell to announce, “I am interested in slam in our agreed trump suit.” Normal procedure is to bid a suit in which you hold first-round control.

What comes next? Let’s cross to the other side of the table. Here is what you should usually do when partner announces slam interest by making a control-bid:

• If you have minimum values or don’t like your hand, return to the trump suit at the cheapest level. This discourages partner.

• If you have better than minimum values or like your hand, make a control-bid of your own. This encourages partner.

Carefully compare examples 1-3; then compare examples 4-6.

 Key-Card Blackwood                                                                                                                                                                                   The best of the many ace-asking conventions is “key-card” Blackwood. The basic concept is to count the king of trumps — always an important card — just like an ace. Thus, there are five key cards, and your partnership needs at least four of them to warrant bidding a slam.  The following rules determine which suit is the key suit:

• If one suit is raised, that suit is the key suit.

• If two suits are raised, the higher suit is the key suit.

• If no suit is raised, the last suit bid by your side is the key suit.

There are several variations used to respond to key-card Blackwood. I present the method I feel is best and that which I use with my favorite partners. It is easy to learn.

Note that each response has two possibilities. It is presumed that asker can tell which based on the previous bidding and his own hand.

The key suit is spades (higher of two agreed suits). East shows 0 or 3 key cards (surely 3) and West comfortably bids six.

Here is how I show a void:

What is Full Disclosure?

You're bidding along and suddenly you get a question from your opponent: "What does your bid mean?" Or online, you get a system message that your bid has been questioned and there's that little box for you to type your answer.  Although it may appear to you that they are asking you something that is none of their business, actually,it is.

At the bridge table there can be few secrets. The opponents are entitled to the very same information that your partner has. If you have an agreement with partner about a certain bid, the opponents are entitled to know what that agreement is, and it's your responsibility to tell them. 

And when you answer your opponents you must answer promptly, clearly and completely. For instance, it may surprise you to know that not everyone has heard of, for instance, the Flannery convention or knows what it means. But it's true. So when you're questioned about your 2D bid, "Flannery" isn't the right answer. And although there's not a whole lot of room to explain, it can be done with just a few more words by saying "11-15, with 5 (sometimes 6) hearts at 4 spades."  This is what Full Disclosure means. If you have an agreement with partner, the opponents are entitled to that information also. This not the time to be coy or to give bits and pieces of information, this is the time for Full Disclosure!

But what if you make a bid and you have no agreement with partner? Do you still have to explain your bid and more or less tell them what you hold in your hand? Of course, not. And you should not guess or suppose.  If you have no agreement with partner on a bid your answer to your opponent's question is No Agreement. It's as simple as that! 

By answering your opponents quickly and completely when questioned, your game will go faster, smoother and give YOU a reputation as a bridge player in the know.