Wednesday,
September 24, 2003 3:28 PM
Hand Evaluation –Italian Q
Bids ( XX )
PITBULLS:
The
U.S. style of Q bidding is very simple.
Coupled with the principle of fast arrival , it is
also very dangerous. This style of
Q bidding allows Q bids at the 5 level which quite
often put the contract at jeopardy
if the hands did not fit well. U.S. style Q bidding means that 1st
round controls had to be bid first
, 2nD round controls bid second right up & thru the 5 level.
This bidding avoided Blackwood as
we knew the Aces and Kings by Q bidding anyway. Also implied with the U.S.
style of Q bidding was that you had extra
values because you were Q bidding.
The
famous Italian Blue team invented the Italian style of Q bidding where as long
as you obeyed the rule that lowest rank
was bid first , you could bid 2ND round control before 1St round.
This style was way more accurate for slam
bidding but necessitated Blackwood
as you did not know how many Aces you had. Improvements in KCB Blackwood over
the years made that style advantageous
anyway. Q bidding 2Nd round controls make slam tries far easier & more accurate.
The Q bidding inferences that you do not have
2Nd controls avoids dangerous ventures to the 5 level as a one last chance for a slam . This rarified atmosphere of the 5 level often leads to a disaster.
The
principle of fast arrival entailed jammed Q bidding room when one hand was still unlimited. With the majors , the principle of fast arrival has been replaced by the “serious 3NT” among world
class experts. Also adopted was the Italian style of Q bidding rather than the
U.S. style. With this style of Q bidding , you do
require extra to Q bid
if you were opposite an unlimited hand.
3NT was put in the Q bid repertoire
as a Q bid saying I have serious slam interest as opposed to just Q bidding.
Q
bidding at the 5 level is just not done
with these methods . This understanding leads to the
complication of “last train” Q bids .
“Last Train means
you have lower ranking Q bids you could not Q
bid below game level . You make a bid just below game to tell partner that you are still
interested with that lower ranking control but can not
take control of the hand with Blackwood because you have that flaw.
Experts
like Fred Gittleman say that Q bidding at the 5 level
is a sign of something has gone wrong
with the auction. He even goes so far as defining a 5 level Q bid as Exclusion Blackwood ! Playing Italian style Q bids , Q bidding at the 5 level is dangerous as you do not
know how many Aces you have and you may end up in a grand off the trump Ace.
The 5 level is definitely for the opponents ,
if you subscribe to Serious 3NT theory
!
When
the opponents double your Q bids , the meaning of XX , pass & bid must change. With American Q bidding the XX says I have 2nd
round control. With the Italian style ,
the XX says I have 1st round
control. The pass says I lack
a control as that gives partner a chance to XX to show the next
control also. Bidding something freely shows partner that they opponents cannot cash two tricks
in the suit.
Tom Gandolfo & partner
had a bidding misunderstanding based on the above interference over their Q bids . Tom
held ♠Qxx ♥KJ1098xx ♦Ax ♣x & opened 1♥ . His partner bid 2♣
, Tom using “fast arrival” bid 4♥ to show a hand that he would have otherwise
pre-empted but he has an outside Ace. His partner held ♠Kx ♥AQx ♦Jxx ♣AQ10xx so even with this
pre-emptive auction,
there is still a chance
of slam. Therefore, he
Q bid 4♠ & the opponents doubled. Since partner forced Tom
to the 5 level anyway , a Q bid of 5♦ is a courtesy so does not
show extra. However , with the double, the Q bid also
tells partner that do not worry about the spade
suit or I would have passed telling you that I have nothing in spades. Toms
partner bid 6NT to protect the spade king so a 24 IMP swing occurred. 6♥ is cold & was
not reached at the other table ( they pre-empted at
the 3 level with an outside Ace ) , 6NT went down at Toms table.
My partner was in a Q biding
auction with ♠Ax ♥10xx ♦Kx ♣A10987x when the opponents
doubled partners Italian style Q bid of 3♥. He passes as per the above theory to show no control so partner bids 3NT which ends
the auction. Thank you opponents, for keeping us out of a bad slam. J