Monday, October 23, 2006 9:47 PM

4NT

PITBULLS:

4NT is just too handy a bid just to be reserved for Ace asking. In the context of the appropriate bidding , 4NT is indeed Blackwood but do not be afraid to use this bid as natural and descriptive. Sometimes the auction gets up to the 4 level pretty fast with the annoyance of the opponents pre-empting in your auction. 4NT is the only bid to describe your hand and is far more helpful to partner than an ambiguous Q bid.

Tom Gandolfo had this difficult hand to bid vul vrs NV opponents. ♠x ♥AKxxxx ♦KQ10x ♣Kx . I opened 1♠ and the nv opponent pre-empted 3♦. Tom bid 3♠ and I bid 4♣ . This has now become a misfit auction as I possibly show 10 to 11 black cards and Tom has only 3 black cards. After a minor bid at the 4 level and horrible duplication of value , you want to slow the auction down and describe your hand. 4NT will get passed and you make +660 or +690 depending on the diamond play.

BJ Trelford had this hand where 4NT shines as a bid to show extra. ♠x ♥AJx ♦A1098x ♣AQ10x . BJ opened 1♦ and I responded 1♥. BJ bid 2♣ and I bid 2NT as a “new suit” which could be unlimited in HCP’s. This 4^th suit forcing understanding , gave BJ the opportunity to “pattern out” and show his stiff spade by bidding 3♥. This shows his pattern but it does not show the extra HCP’s and nice controls. Over 3♥ , I bid 3NT which shows spades well stopped. You now bid 4NT to show your extra. If you make another bid other than 4NT , you imply you do not like the NT contract possibly because you are void in spades or a 6-4 or similar hand. Partner has a bad 14 HCP with too many points in spades so 4NT is the resting spot which makes easily.

In your Bridge “puppyhood” , 4NT is Ace asking. As you grow in this game , 4NT has many , many other uses . My default understanding is that 4NT is never Blackwood unless the auction makes it very clear that it is.