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Quiz: Barrier-Reversing

Quiz: Deal # Thursday
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Basic
strategy
0000). How to use 0001). Bidding Objectives = "8 and 25" 0002). 28 for minor 0003). 33 for NT slam 0004). Suit slam 0005). Importance of length 0006). Convention card 0007). ACOL and American Standard, differences 0008). A-Z Glossary 0690). A-Z Glossary
Hand
evaluation
0010). Balanced-Unbalanced 0011). How strong is your hand, HCP 0012). Distribution points 0013). Losing trick count 0014). Barrier-Reversing 0015). Selection of opening suit 0016). Showing shape 0017). 4441 distribution 0018). The skip over principle 0019). Rule of 20 Opening 1 of a suit 0019a). Rule of 25 Opening 2 of a suit 0019b). Rule of 500 Max penalty risk on preempt if doubled 0019c). Law of total tricks 0019d). Rule of Protective bidding
Opening
bids
0020). Plan of attack 0021). Bal, 12 to 19 HCPs, weak NT 0022). Bal, 20+ points 0023). Bal, 15 to 17 HCPs, strong NT 0025). Unbal, 12 to 19 HCPs, 1 suit 0026). Unbal, Strong 2s 0027). Unbal, Pre-emptive 0028). Unbal, Gambling 3NT 0029). Benji Strong 2s
Responder
1st bids
0030). After 1NT, General principles 0031). After 1NT, Weak 0032). After 1NT, Getting out of trouble 0033). After 1NT, 11+ balanced 0034). After 1NT, 11+ 4-card major 0035). After 1NT, 11+ unbalanced 0036). After 1NT, 19+ 0037). After 2NT 0038). After 1NT, and Enemy has interfered 0039). 1 NT responses 0040). After 1 Suit, With fit 0041). After 1 Suit, No fit, but alternative suit 0042). After 1 Suit, No fit, no new suit, probably balanced 0043). After 1 Suit, 6 points, nothing to bid 0044). After 1 Suit, Very strong 0045). After 1 Suit, Weak freak 0047). After 2 Suit, Strong 2s 0048). After 2 Suit, Weak 2s 0049). After 3 Suit, Responding to preempt
Openers
rebid
0050). Unbalanced, The general idea 0051). Unbalanced, You are weak 0052). Unbalanced, You are strong 0053). Unbalanced, Partner replied with 1NT 0054). Unbalanced, Delayed support 0055). Balanced
Responder
rebids
0060). Responder rebids, The general idea 0061). Choice of two suits 0062). Responders reverse 0063). After 1NT rebid
Basic
Convention
0080). Stayman 0081). Transfer 0082). Transfer after 2NT 0161). Minor suit transfer
Slam
bidding
0090). Slam, Spotting the chance 0091). Blackwood 0092). No-trump slam 0093). Gerber 0094). Extra slam techniques
Interfering
bids
0100). Overcalls, the basic idea 0101). Overcalls, in a suit, over a suit 0102). Overcalls, in a suit, over 1NT 0103). Overcalls, in NT, over a suit 0104). Overcalls, Jump overcall 0105). Overcalls, Double then bid a suit 0106). Overcalls, Bidding opponents suit 0107). Overcalls, Balancing (protective) 0108). Overcalls, Overcall a preempt 0109). Overcalls, Preemptive double jump 0110). Overcalls, To overcall, or to double 0111). Overcalls, Response to 1NT after suit overcall (Lebensohl) 0115). Defence after 1NT 0116). Competitive bidding 0117). Be cautious sometimes 0118). Sacrificing Be bold when non-vulnerable 0119). Sacrificing 0120). Doubles, Double a 1NT 0121). Doubles, Double for takeout 0122). Doubles, Doubling after opponent overcall 0126). Doubles, Protective double
Doubles

0120). Doubles, Double a 1NT 0121). Doubles, Double for takeout 0122). Doubles, Doubling after opponent overcall 0123). Doubles, Negative double 0124). Doubles, Double a 1NT overcall 0125). Doubles, Double a suit over 1NT 0126). Doubles, Protective double 0127). Doubles, Responsive double 0128). Doubles, Double then bid a suit 0129). Doubles, Penalty 0130). Doubles, Support double 0131). Doubles, Lead directing double 0132). Doubles, Maximal double 0133). Doubles, Redoubling - coded meanings 0134). Doubles, Forcing Pass 0135). Doubles, Re-opening double 0139). Doubles, Index of doubles
Advanced
Convention
0150). Majors Jacoby 2NT 0151). Majors Splinters 0152). Majors Weak 2s 0153). Majors Weak 2 defence 0154). Trial bid 0160). NT and minors 4th suit forcing 0161). Minor suit transfer 0162). DONT Bidding When Opponents open 1NT 0163). Game tries 0166). Grand Slam Force 0167). Roman Keycard Blackwood 0168). Cue bidding for controls 0170). 2-suited Overcall Unusual 2NT 0171). 2-suited Overcall Michaels cue bid 0172). 2-suited Overcall Landy over 1NT 0173). Overcall Unassuming cue bid 0179). Very advanced

Quiz How much do you know about this page? Quiz

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Quick summary

The 5 keycards are the 4 Aces + King of Trumps.

Got 2 keycards? Find Q !

5=0 or 3
5=1 or 4
5=2 or 5 (no queen)
5=ditto (+ queen)

Bridge Venue

+	West
	Q 10 6 2
	J 9
	Q 7 2
	10 4 3 2

	North
	3
	K 8 5 4
	A K J 10 9 6
	K 5

+	East
	K J 9 8 4
	Q 6
	5 4 3
	9 7 6

+	South
	A 7 5
	A 10 7 3 2
	8
	A Q J 8

Example Deal

You: North
Dealer: East
Vuln: all

# 126032

Sorry partner, we should have been in a Slam…
..
Go to quiz (& full page) of deal # 126032
***

Click the + buttons to peep

Click on "q1" below to see question 1, and on "A1" to see the answer.

Question 1

Your partner at South opens one Heart. What should you now bid in reply? (Just look at those wonderful diamonds !)

Question 1

Your partner at South opens one Heart. What should you now bid in reply? (Just look at those wonderful diamonds !)

Answer

After South opens 1H, North knows the partnership has a Major suit fit and sufficient points for game (26 are guaranteed). Sounds like 4 heart game bid, many might say.

But might it be enough for a Slam? Ideally a pair needs 30-31 points to be in the 'slam zone' and trigger investigating the possibility of bidding six of a suit.

North has 'only' 14 HCP points (so the partnership may have as few as 26 points), but his hand is much stronger than that - for two reasons.

(1): The singleton spade means declarer (will be South) may be able to any ruff any weak losing spades in dummy AND (2): the wonderful diamond side suit is another way South may be able to get rid of losers, as well as make some winners from the length.

So North could bid 4NT (Blackwood) over the 1H opening bid, asking partner how many aces he has. When South replies 5S, promising three aces, North can confidently bid 6H - since we've got all the Aces up our sleeve...

Question 2

How might more advanced players at North-South bid to reach 6H?

Question 2

How might more advanced players at North-South bid to reach 6H?

Answer

After South opens 1H, North should realise (with a trump fit and only five losing tricks) that a Slam is likely to be on.

Some players will bid 4NT, and if you play the Roman Key Card version of Blackwood (you should!) partner will respond 5C (promising zero or three of the FIVE key cards - four Aces and the King of trumps). North, having two of the keycards should smile at this point, knowing that not even one keycard is missing. (Surely it can't be 3 Aces missing, given the bidding!) He raises it to 6H.

If a partnership has Splinters (an invaluable Slam bidding tool) in their bidding armoury, the auction will be different. After the opening 1H, North has the ideal hand for a Splinter bid (promising 4+card support for Partner's Major suit, game values and a singleton or void in the Splinter suit), so bids 3S (the unnecessary jump in the suit signifies it's a Splinter bid). South has the perfect holding in spades to take advantage so bids 4NT to check for Aces / keycards. North responds 5H, promising two key cards but no Queen of Trumps. With all five key cards, South can happily bid 6H - and in fact should make all 13 tricks.

Question 3

For the North-South pair, are there any alternative ways of bidding to 6 Hearts?

Question 3

For the North-South pair, are there any alternative ways of bidding to 6 Hearts?

Answer

Yes. On hearing about the Spade Splinter from North (mentioned in question 2), South could cue bid 4 clubs to announce control of the club suit. North then cues 4 diamonds (having control of the diamond suit).

At this point South now knows that all 4 suits are controlled (i.e. no more than one loser per suit), and could then switch to Blackwood, 4NT, to check for first round controls with the 5 keycards, since a dangerous 2 keycards are missing from his hand. North, who uses RKCB (Roman KeyCard Blackwood), will reply that he has two keycards but lacks the Queen of trumps, by bidding 5 Hearts.

South will smile to himself; all is safe for a Small Slam bid of 6 Hearts.

Grand Slam? ...wonders South to himself. But with the Queen known to be among the enemy's 4 trumps, possibly along with the Jack too, he won't risk a Grand Slam since it would require the good fortune of the trumps splitting 2-2. (And that's quite apart from North having to have the King of diamonds, which he hasn't yet enquired about).

Question 4

After the cue bidding of question 3 gets to the RKCB response of 5 Hearts from North, how could South safely enquire about the missing red King, if South did want to pin his hopes on good fortune and risk a Grand Slam?

Question 4

After the cue bidding of question 3 gets to the RKCB response of 5 Hearts from North, how could South safely enquire about the missing red King, if South did want to pin his hopes on good fortune - and risk a Grand Slam?

Answer

Bidding 5NT to ask about Kings. And the answer that comes back is 5 diamonds.

Question 5

Does that 5 diamond bid from North mean either that he has exactly one King, or that he has the King of diamonds at the least?

Question 5

Does that 5 diamond bid from North mean either that he has exactly one King, or that he has the King of diamonds at the least?

Answer

It could be either! Either way, we don't care, because the only King we care about is the King of diamonds, since we've already worked out the position with the other suits.

(But don't forget to agree with your partner which system you are using when asking about Kings with a 5NT bid. We prefer the "which is your lowest ranking King" version, because we often need to be suit-specific at that stage of the bidding for a suit Slam).

...Now the only question for South, who can only be confident of a lowly total of 28 HCP (15 + 11), becomes whether to risk all those lovely bonus points from a successful vulnerable Small Slam (750 + 500 + 6x30 = 1430), in order to get the North-South hands on even more points, 750 more, for a vulnerable Grand Slam (1500 + 500 + 7x30 = 2210). And he's only sure of 26 HCP in total....

. . . .

Some subjects to follow up on
Majors Splinters
Roman Keycard Blackwood
Cue bidding for controls
Selection of opening suit
Extra slam techniques

#1	+	<-- click the + to show/hide one possible Bidding Sequence
West			North	East	South
-			-	p	1H
p			???
			3S	p	4NT
p			5H	p	6H
p			p	p
-			System: Acol (Benji)
suggest a different Bidding Sequence

bid	explained at....
#2	+	<-- click the + for explanation of relevant Bidding Techniques
1H	Unbal, 12 to 19 HCPs, 1 suit
3S	Majors Splinters
4NT	Slam, Spotting the chance
5H	Roman Keycard Blackwood


			Hand evaluation

#3	+	<-- click the + for ideas on the Opening Lead
Opening Lead: West , 2 Reasons, when playing in Either suit or NT contract: 1. unbid suit 2. 4th highest, so I've got 1 or 2 non-touching honours

« 0167 »

Roman Keycard Blackwood

Two keycards ? Great, find the Queen aswell

So, you've discovered in the bidding that you've got the potential for 12 or 13 winners. "Roman Keycard Blackwood" is a way to find out how many very likely losers you need to worry about. By "very likely", we're just thinking about the 4 Aces and the King of trumps.

But note! It won't tell you how many winners you've got, nor will it tell you how many less obvious losers you may have.

The RKCB convention is a variant on the "Blackwood" conventions for exploring slams, and is a way of asking your partner how many of the 5 Keycards they hold.

It also extends the question to try to find the Queen of trumps, which is helpful when exploring a Grand Slam.

"Roman Keycard Blackwood" has largely replaced Keycard Blackwood, in itself an improvement on standard Blackwood. It's named after the clever Italian teams from the 1960s that invented it.

In standard Keycard, or "5-Ace" Blackwood, the responses to 4NT are these:

5=0 or 4 keycards
5=1 or 5
5=2
5=3

The Standard (0314) "Roman" version gives data on the queen of trumps in the case of 2 keycards being present:

5=0 or 3
5=1 or 4
5=2 or 5 (no queen of trumps)
5=ditto (+ queen of trumps)

Note the change of response required compared with "non-Roman" Keycard Blackwood when replying about 3, 4 or 5 keycards.

Signing off, when not liking the answer to 4NT "How many keycards have you got ?"

A bid of 5 trumps by the senior partner means "Stop bidding! No slam with our cards...".

So the junior partner stops bidding, unless

his first reply meant either 3 or 4 keycards, in which case he can continue to bid like this...
...bid as if he'd been asked about the Queen of trumps, as discussed in the "Queen of trumps" section below. (Basically, 5NT or any suit other than "trumps" means I have the Queen, plus a king in the suit I just bid 6 of.)

5NT - Let's talk Kings

If you want to go for a grand Slam, you'll need to know about Kings too. You've already nailed the King of trumps, and there are 3 others to ask about.

System a. "OK, we've got all 5 keycards. Which exact King have you got?"

Often you need to know which Kings your partner has, more than how many. Therefore I prefer to answer the 5NT question by bidding the suit of my lowest ranked King.

So, for example, a reply of 6 promises the King of , and denies having the King of Clubs. It does not mean "I've got one King". It says nothing about the other higher ranked Kings.

Denial: A bid of trumps from the junior partner means "I have no other Kings".

Note The junior partner should only mention a King which is going to be useful - there's no point mentioning a king opposite a known shortage, for example opposite a splinter. It's better to use your bidding space to refer to the next Kings up the ranks. If junior does bid such a King (from a splintered suit), more advanced players can use this to mean "I do have another higher ranking King". Note that this is a useful partial solution to the "higher-ranking King" problem, where you don't want to bid higher than 6 of the trump suit - for fear of forcing the bidding into Grand Slam against the will of the senior partner.

Any more kings ?

Having told partner about a specific King, Senior partner can sign off, or alternatively ask about more kings, simply by bidding that suit. A responding sign-off in trumps, by the junior partner, means "I don't have it".

System b. "OK, we've got all 5 keycards. How many other Kings do you have ?"

6=0 of the other 3 Kings (excluding King of Trumps, of course)
6=1 of the other 3 Kings
6=2 of the other 3 Kings
6=3 of the other 3 Kings

Asking about the Queen of trumps

The replies to 4NT allows you to say whether you have the queen of trumps. However, if you use the replies, the senior partner doesn't know if you have it or not. If he wants to know, he then bids the next suit up from the previous answer. For example, let's say are agreed as trumps. And let's say that the answer to the Keycard question was "1 King", i.e. 5 . After this reply of 5 to the 4NT ask, the senior partner can bid 5 to ask about the queen of trumps. . . (note that it in this case, after a diamond reply, the "next bid up"bid had to be , because a bid is the trump suit, and thus simply means "Silence! No Slam here". Here are the replies to the 5 "have you got the Queen of trumps" ask:

Trump suit (i.e. 6 in this example). The junior partner DOES NOT have it
5NT. Junior partner DOES have it, but DOESN'T have any more side kings
Any other suit (e.g. 6). Junior partner DOES have it, AND the specified side king, (lowest rank, if more than one).

0314 or 1430 ?

The standard method of playing, RKCB 0314, which is not necessarily the best, treats 5 as meaning 0 or 3 keycards, with 5 to mean 1 or 4. This is known as 0314. Some players reverse the meaning, for good reason, and this is known as RKCB 1430 - which is not standard. It's obviously quite a good idea to agree this with your partner before you start!

When not to use Roman Keycard Blackwood

It's quite easy to make mistakes with Blackwood, and even easier with the Roman version.

Never use RKCB when you haven't agreed clearly a particular SUIT to be Trumps, either directly or very clearly by implication. (Which is the King of trumps? Which is the Queen of trumps? And also, without a trump agreement, 4NT means something quite different).
As with ordinary Blackwood, don't use it if the response might go too high: For instance, if are agreed as trumps, and you need 2 keycards from partner for slam, then a 5 reply showing only 1 key card is a disaster. You are forced to bid 6. In other words, you need to hold 3 keycards yourself to use RKCB 0314 if the agreed suit is , or 2 of them if it's . (The alternatives are Cue bidding and the Losing Trick Count).
Don't use it for a small Slam if you already know there are 4 of the 5 keycards in the partnership;
(you can often work out how many keycards you've got by using Cue bidding);
Unlike RKCB, Cue bidding also tells you in which suit you have an equally deadly void (or singleton);
Don't use it for a small Slam if you need to know exactly which suit needs to be controlled - try Cue bidding;
Don't use it for a small Slam, generally, if you can see that you have 31+ HCP (when there's only a one in 30 chance of lacking 2 Aces);
NEVER use it until you've discussed its "angles" with your partner, and until you are familiar with bidding slams without RKCB;
But, provided the other provisos have been met, DO use it if slam is on but you're point count is obviously low.

Now try the quiz

Can you put all this into action ? Try the quiz for this subject by clicking on the link at the top left of the page, just below the main menu.
(You can try quizzes for any other subjects too while you're there. Look out for the thin red line).

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Quiz: Barrier-Reversing

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