Story 4

This lesson pertains to two related areas: slam bidding in notrump (6 NT or 7 NT), and investigating a suit slam after your side has already bid notrump. It is essential to have a firm understanding of the available tools. You should be familiar with the point-count requirements of 33-36 points to bid a slam (any six-bid) or 37+ points to bid a grand slam.

Quantitative Bidding

An important aspect of bidding is the quantitative nature of notrump bids once your partner has already bid notrump (as a natural bid) and no major suit is agreed. These bids are summarized below:

The point-count system is very accurate when balanced hands are concerned. This can simplify the bidding of many strong hands:

West

3 NT

North

Pass

East

6 NT

South

All Pass

Q J 6 3

A K 7 K J 4 A K 3 A Q J 5

Q 9 3 10 8 2 K 8 3

The bidding may not be elegant, but there is no better auction. Opener shows 24-26 HCP and responder adds his own 8 HCP to determine that 33 HCP are held. The only thing easier than the bidding is the play.

It is interesting to note that if you replace the J with the two, reducing the total to 32 HCP (without a 5-card suit), the slam then becomes inferior — you would need a 3-3 spade break which is only a 36% chance. A similar case exists if you replace the

J or the J with a low card of the same suit.

Natural 4 NT Bid

4 NT is not always Blackwood.

Many players are brainwashed by Blackwood — whenever they hear 4 NT they answer aces — because they learned bridge by copying the bad habits of others. Unfortunately, the natural (quantitative) 4 NT bid is crucial to accurate bidding. If you belong to the “Blackwood camp” I suggest you repeat 100 times:

Even experts do not exactly agree when 4 NT should be natural. Here is the rule I use, based on 36 years of bridge playing:

4 NT is natural if your side has made a natural notrump bid and no major suit is agreed.

Conversely, 4 NT b Blackwood if your side has never bid notrump naturally, or if a major suit is agreed. Exception: An overcall of 4 NT after an enemy bid is a special case (it is for takeout).

West

1

North

Pass

East

1

South

Pass

All Pass

A K Q 2

8 4 K Q 5 3

1 NT

4 NT

A 2 8 5 3

K J 6 2

K Q J 3

A 7 4

The 1 NT rebid shows 12-14 HCP and 4 NT is invitational to slam. Opener uses good judgment to pass.

West

2 NT

3

North

Pass

All Pass

East

3

South

Pass

K Q 8 4

4 NT

A J 2 K Q 8 6 K Q 4 A K 8

4 3 A J 6 2

6 NT

J 10 2

Responder first uses Stayman to check for a spade fit, then invites slam with 4 NT. Opener, having shown 20-22 HCP, has the tiptop maximum so he accepts.

West

1

North

Pass

East

2

South

Pass

All Pass

A 10 4 2 K Q J 10 9 4

3 4 NT

3 NT

6

K 8 3 A K J 9 8 2 A K 9 3

J 5 2

Opener invites with 4 NT. Responder is low on point count but high on playing strength, so he accepts the invitation by bidding slam in his self-sufficient suit.

4 NT Discouraging

In examples 2-4, the natural 4 NT bid was made by the partner of the original notrump bidder; hence it was a slam invitation. A different meaning should be apparent from the other side of the table:

If the original notrump bidder retreats to 4 NT, it discourages slam (assuming no major raise).

West

2 NT

3

North

Pass

East

3

South

Pass

4 A Q 8 4

K Q J 7 K 5 2 A Q J 7 A 4

4 NT

4

8 6 2

Pass

K J 9 7 6

Responder first uses Stayman and then bids 4 (natural) to try for slam. Opener’s bid of 4 NT suggests minimum values and no club fit. If opener wished to encourage slam, he could bid an unbid suit (a control-bid), 5 NT (pick a slam) or 6 .

West

1

North

Pass

East

2

South

Pass

3 NT

4 NT

K J 10 8 K Q J A 8 7 4 A 5

2 A 8 4 K 9 6 3 K J 10 8 2

4 Pass

Opener’s heavy values in the major suits make slam unlikely so he discourages with 4 NT. Note the importance of being able to stop in 4 NT rather than 5

.

Forcing 5 NT Bid

The classic meaning of a 5 NT response to a notrump opening bid is to invite a grand slam. Opener is supposed to bid 6 NT if minimum, or 7 NT if maximum. Since I can’t remember the last time I used this bid, I will not waste your time with an example. (If you get these hands a lot, I recommend you play money bridge for big bucks.)

A far more practical use of 5 NT occurs when both notrump and a suit have been bid:

5 NT “Pick a Slam”

5 NT is forcing and asks partner to pick a slam, provided your side has bid notrump, at least one real suit has been shown,

and no major suit is agreed.

West

2 NT

3

North

Pass

All Pass

East

3

South

Pass

A Q J 4 8 2 Q 8 6 2 A 8 2

5 NT

K 10 9 6 A K 9 3 A 4 K Q J

6

After using Stayman responder has the strength to bid 6 NT, but that would preclude playing in 6 if opener also held four spades. The problem is neatly solved with 5 NT.

West

1 NT

2

North

Pass

All Pass

East

2

South

Pass *Jacoby transfer

Pass

K 8 2

A Q J 4 10 2 K Q 10 3 Q J 10

A K 9 7 4

*

5 NT

6 NT

A 8 4

K 3

After transferring to his five-card major, responder next bids 5 NT (forcing) to ask opener to choose between 6 and 6 NT. Opener lacks heart support so he bids the slam in notrump.

The Gerber Convention

In situations where 4 NT would be natural it may be possible to ask for aces with the Gerber 4 bid. The following rule dictates when

4 is Gerber.

The responses to Gerber are by steps, as in regular Blackwood:

Important: The Gerber bid must be a jump. Hence, on some auctions there is no ace-asking bid available.

If partner has bid notrump as a natural bid, a jump bid of 4 is Gerber to ask for aces.

Responses to Gerber

0 or 4 aces

1 ace

2 aces

3 aces

4

4 NT

West

1

North

Pass

East

3 NT

4

South

Pass

4 K 7 4 A K J 9 8 6 4

4 4 NT

Pass

K Q 8 Q J 9 10 5 2 A Q 9 3

K 2

Opener asks for aces with 4 and discovers that two are missing. Opener could sign off in 5 but prefers to play 4 NT to try for a better score at matchpoints.

West

1 NT

2

North

Pass

East

2

South

Pass

All Pass

A K 8 Q J 6 5 A 2 Q 7 6 2

4 A K 9 4 K J 8 5 4 3 K 3

4

4 6

After finding the heart fit with Stayman, responder has enough distributional points to warrant a slam bid; but it is possible that two aces are missing so he uses Gerber to check for aces.

Gerber in Action:

West

1 NT

5

North

Pass

East

4

South

Pass

*resigned, not wanting to play eight clubs

? 6 ? 7 ?

5 6 Pass*

West

1

North

Pass

East

2

South

Pass

All Pass

A K 8 4 3 A J 5 J 3 A J 10

— 4 3 2 A Q 10 6 5

3 NT

4

4 6

K Q 9 5 4

Not Gerber. Since 4 is not a jump, it is a natural bid (forcing). Opener’s 4 is a control-bid showing the A, so responder is encouraged to bid the slam.

Asking for Kings

If the Gerber bidder continues to 5 at his next turn, it guarantees that all the aces are held and that a grand slam is possible. This asks for kings in the same manner that 4 asked for aces, except the bidding is one level higher. (Note that 4 NT by Gerber bidder is always a sign-off in notrump.) Over 5 the Gerber responder is allowed to bid a grand slam directly with an exceptional hand instead of answering how many kings.

West

1

North

Pass

East

1

South

Pass

All Pass

2 NT

4 NT

5

A J 9 7 A J 8 K 3 A J 8 7

K K 7 A Q 8 6 5 4 2 K 6 2

4

5

7 NT

Responder’s 4 bid is Gerber. Opener shows the three missing aces, so responder asks for kings with 5 . The 5 response shows one king. Responder now can count 13 tricks barring a 4-0 diamond break.

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