Saturday, August 31, 2002 8:34 PM
 
 Hand Evaluation - Exclusion Blackwood

 

PITBULLS:

 

            Time for a review of exclusion Blackwood over the majors and the minors. We have discussed exclusion Blackwood before . With the minors , EKB has replaced the void showing splinter . In addition with minors ,  if one hand is very strong then it is useless splintering to the weak hand . In these cases , the splinter is EKB . ( see Kantars examples with the minors below) I am getting this stuff from Kantars web site and he also plays SSA ( specific suit asks) . Susan & Kiz have a good idea playing Exclusion. They assume there will never be more than 2 controls outside the void suit ( good assumption ) so they play the same responses as over pre-empts and weak 2’s  : 0-0 or 0-1 , 1-0 , 1-1 , 2-0 , 2-2 . I like this treatment so 3-P-4♣   2-P-4♣ and exclusion all have the same responses. Tom & I just reverse KCB ( 0413 ) . Kantar just goes up the line but queen asks get messy.

 

EXCLUSION BLACKWOOD AFTER MAJOR SUIT AGREEMENT

Slam hands with void suits are notoriously hard to handle.   Using Blackwood seldom works unless the Blackwood bidder has three aces or partner has cuebid an ace.    If you use RKB holding two aces plus a void suit, and partner shows one ace, you may have to guess which it is.

There are several ways to go with void suits.   The most common is cuebidding which may lead to a Blackwood sequence.    However, it is dangerous to cuebid a void; partner may think that the king or king-queen of your void suit is golden and go ballistic.

A better way  to resolve this dilemma is to use EXCLUSION KEYCARD BLACKWOOD (EKB) whereby you ask partner for keycards OUTSIDE of the void suit.   EKB is a jump over game in an unbid suit or in a suit bid by the opponents, usually after agreement.   Partner does NOT count the ace of the jump suit in the response.   The responses to EKB are simple.   

1st step= 0
2nd step=1
3rd step=2
4th step=3


An example before we get to some sticky stuff: 

Opener                                Responder 
S. AKQxxx                          S. xxxx 
H. -                                        H. Kxxx
D. Kx                                    D. Axxx 
C. AKQxx                            C. x


Opener                      Responder
2C                               2D(1) 
2S                               4C(2)   
5H(3)                          5NT(4) 
7S(5)                          Pass

(1) Waiting
(2) Splinter
(3) Exclusion
(4) 1 Keycard outside of hearts (must be the DA)
(5) Bingo!

Exclusion responses are rarely lower than five of the agreed suit.    They will usually be higher, though the five level of the agreed suit may be the response.  


Note:  In an uncontested auction a leap over game after partner's response is EKB agreeing partner's suit.

Opener                                       Responder
S. AKxxxx                                  S. -
H. AJxx                                       H. Qxxxx
D. -                                               D AKQxx
C. KQx                                        C. Jxx

Opener                                        Responder
1S                                                 2H
5D (1)                                           5H (2)
Pass (3)

(1) EKB
(2) 0 (DA doesn't count)
(3) 2 keycards missing
 
WHEN AN EXCLUSION ASK IS DOUBLED (THEY'LL BE SORRY)

Opener                                   Responder 
S. AKxxxx                             S. QJxx 
H. KQx                                   H. Ax 
D. -                                          D. Qxxxx
C. KQJx                                C. xx

Opener                                 Responder (you)
1S                                          3S (1)
5D(2)            Dbl.                  ?        

(1) Limit
(2) EKB

 When an EKB ask is doubled, thank the doubler.   You now have TWO extra bids  available, pass and redouble.   It works like this: Pass = 0   Redbl.= 1 1st  step = 2.   If a 2nd step response doesn't bypass the trump suit, it shows 2 with.   With 3, bid use the 3rd step but expect to make 9!

In the example sequence redouble to show "1" and opener bids 6S.    Had you 0 you would have passed and opener would sign off at  5S.

Exclusion Key Card Blackwood (EKB) After Minor Suit Agreement

One runs into a little snag when the EKB ask comes after minor suit agreement. Many jump bids after minor suit agreement are splinter jumps, not EKB jumps.    The recognition problem can be solved by considering the level at which the jump takes place and the strength of the hand making the bid.
 
EKB AFTER TWO LEVEL MINOR SUIT AGREEMENT

Opener                                      Responder 
S. AQJx                                     S. xx 
H. -                                              H. KJx 
D. KJ9xxx                                 D. Axxxx
C. KQx                                       C. Axx 

Opener                                     Responder
1D                                             2D (1)
4H (2)                                       5C (3)
 5S (4)                                      5NT (5)
 6D (6)                                       Pass

(1) Inverted.   Some play "crossover".   Using this method, the single raise is a game force and the jump shift to the other minor, 3C in this case, is considered a limit raise.    The jump to the three level of opener's minor is preemptive.

(2)  EKB.    A jump to 3H would be a splinter and a jump one level higher than a splinter in minor suit auctions is RKB.

(3) 2 keycards.    An inverted raise is presumed to show five cards so the queen is not shown when holding five card support even though partner is known to have five trump in this sequence.    There will be other EKB sequences where partner may have only four trump so to avoid confusion, no queen showing with five card support after making an inverted raise or a splinter jump in response to a minor suit opening which also guarantees at least five card support.

(4) SSA in spades.

(5) A first step response showing third round control which must be a doubleton as opener is looking at the queen; a direct return to the trump suit (6D) would be the weakest response denying third round control (xxx, xxxx).

(6) Bidding a grand on a finesse is a losing proposition unless you "need the points".

Things don't always work out according to plan, of course.

NOT ACCORDING TO PLAN

Opener                         Responder 
S. -                                 S. AKJ 
H. KQJx                       H. xx 
D. AKx                          D. QJx 
C. KQxxxx                   C. Jxxxx

Opener                         Responder 
1C                                 2C (1)
4S (2)                           4NT (3)
?


(1) Inverted.
(2) EKB 3S is a splinter.
(3) 0!

You know you are off two aces and partner has at most 4 points between clubs and diamonds.    Partner must have strong spades.    Playing matchpoints you should pass 4NT in a heartbeat.


EKB AFTER THREE LEVEL MINOR SUIT AGREEMENT BY THE STRONG HAND.

When one hand has overpowering strength, such as an opener who has jump shifted or reversed or a responder who has jump shifted, chances are that hand does NOT want to make a splinter jump after three level agreement.       The strong hand is more interested in asking for information, as opposed to giving it.    Therefore in the example sequences that follow, a jump to the FOUR level of an unbid suit after three level agreement is EKB, not a splinter.

 Opener                            Responder
1C                                     1H
2S                                     3C (1)
4D (2)

(1) A game force.
(2) EKB; 4C would be RKB.

Opener                            Responder
1D                                     1H
3C                                     3D (1)
4S (2)

(1) A game force
(2) EKB; 4D would be RKB


Opener                            Responder
1C                                     1S
2D                                     3C (1)
4H (2)

(1) A game force
(2) EKB;   4C would be RKB.