Special Cue Bidding Agreements
We cue bid Ace, King, singleton, or void, up the line, with the following exceptions:
- If you cue bid your first-bid suit, you are showing two of the top three honours.
- If you cue bid partner’s suit, you are showing at least one of the top three honours. In other words, we can cue bid the Queen of partner’s suit.
- You do not cue bid shortness in partner’s suit.
The first member of the partnership who knows that:
- we have the values for slam, and
- we have first or second round control of all suits
must bid RKCB. If the response shows that we are missing only one of the six key cards (including the trump queen), slam must be bid. If the response shows all the key cards and the trump queen are present, you must bid 5NT or make some other try for a grand slam, in case partner can see the tricks for the grand slam.
|
|
| West | North | East | South |
|---|
| |
1♥ |
Pass |
2♣ |
| Pass |
3♣ |
Pass |
? |
|
| 3♦ |
Values or length in diamonds, unlimited, denies 3 hearts. If partner bids 3NT and you continue, this becomes a cue bid in support of clubs. You might bid 3♦ with the above hand because you want to play 3NT with the lead coming up to partner’s heart stopper. |
| 3♥ |
3+ hearts, hearts are trump for cue bidding, Serious 3NT is on |
| 3♠ |
Values or length in spades, unlimited, denies 3 hearts, if partner bids 3NT and you continue, this becomes a cue bid in support of clubs |
| 3NT |
Both unbid suits stopped, minimum hand |
| 4♣ |
Unused |
| 4♦ |
Splinter in support of clubs, denies 3 hearts |
| 4♥ |
Picture Bid: 5 clubs and 4 hearts. Good clubs and hearts, no control in the unbid suits. This hand almost certainly wants to play in hearts, with the lead coming up to partner’s controls in spades and diamonds. |
Note: These auctions apply to all two over ones, with one important exception. After 1♠ - 2♥; 3♥, a bid of 3♠ does not guarantee 3-card support. We already have at least one eight-card major suit fit, so the 3-card support is not as important as being able to show one of the top 3 spade honours, and this is your last chance below game. It is a forced bid if you have the Ace, King, or Queen of partner’s suit.
| West | North | East | South |
|---|
| |
1♥ |
Pass |
2♣ |
| Pass |
3♣ |
Pass |
3♥ |
| Pass |
? |
|
|
| 3♠ |
Any hand with a spade control |
| 3NT |
No spade control, but values for slam (Serious 3NT) |
| 4♣ |
No spade control, Ace, King, or Queen of clubs, a courtesy cuebid, aka “non-serious cue bid” |
| 4♦ |
No spade or club control, Ace, King, singleton, or void in diamonds, a courtesy cue bid |
| 4♥ |
Almost impossible |
| 4♠ |
Unused |
| 4NT |
RKCB for hearts |