Saturday, April 26, 2003 1:58 AM

Hand Evaluation – Systemic ( Suit Asking Bids )

 

PITBULLS:

 

            Suit asking bids should be in the established partnerships repertoire . There are six situations where these bids can be very useful .

 

 1) When the opponents have bid a suit & you want to know what partners holding is in that suit . You leap to 5 of your own suit so partner must pass with a doubleton or worse , bid 6 with a singleton , bid 5NT with the king & bid 6 of their suit with 1st round control . This does not show extra values , you are just following orders.

 

           

 

4 pass

 

 

3

 

pass

 

 

1 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

     KQx QJ10xx xx ♣KQJ10         This suit asking bid keeps you out of 6 .

 

     AJx AKxxxx xx ♣Ax     If the opponents are not in the auction , the  suit ask is in Trump following the Grand Slam rules . Pass with queen or less trump honours , bid 6 with Ace or King and bid 7 with 2 out of 3. You use this bid if you are afraid Blackwood will get you too high with two trump losers or more .

 

            2) When partner pre-empts 4/4  any bid by partner is a suit asking bid . Partner opens 4 , you have Axx xxxx AKQ AKQ . You bid 5 as a suit ask in that suit . Partner signs off in 5 with a doubleton , bids 6 with a singleton , bids 6NT with the king and bids 6 with a void or Ace .

 

            3) Strong 2♣ auctions with a self sufficient suit . My partners & I play relays to show the strong two suiters or normal one suiters hands , so a jump by the 2♣ opener sets the suit . Responder must bid their control(s) . After that a suit bid is a “suit ask” in that suit . The responses are real easy on the memory as they are just logical up the line steps . Return to your trump suit with the worst holding xxx , 1st step shows Q or doubleton , next step x or King and the next step Ace or void .

 

A

A

v

A

K

K

o

K

Q

x

i

 

J

 

d

 

x

 

 

 

x

 

 

 

x

 

 

 

x

 

 

 

         You open 2♣ and partner bids 2 showing her nothing . You bid 3 which sets the suit and forces controls . Partner bids 4showing no controls( as expected )  ,  you bid 5 which is a suit ask . Partner bids 5NT showing the queen of hearts !   Victory !

 

 

 

 

 

 

            4) The opponents double an artificial bid or transfer . Tom Gandolfo opened 1NT , I held ♠Ax AQJ10xx QxAxx , I bid 4which got doubled & Tom bid 4 . You have 17 HCP’s & partner averages 16 HCP’s with his bid , so 6 should make. Wait a minute  ! There is a way to check back & ask if you are off two diamond tricks. Bid 5 so Tom will read that as asking in the diamond suit as it has been essentially “bid” in this auction. Tom passes , the opponents cash the diamond AK . Everyone in the room was in 6 down one !

 

5) When you have Q bid or naturally bid two of the other suits . A jump to 5 of the trump suit asks do you have a control in the unbid suit ? Same rules apply as in other suit asking bids. If no other suit bids or Q bids have been made the jump to 5 of the trump suit asks for the quality of your trump suit. This is a rare bid as KCB has improved so much over the years.

 

6) Eddie Kantar recommends suit asking bids as part of the KCB structure for getting to grands. Since you are looking for a grand in these auctions , the steps are a little different then above. You are generally looking for a queen or a king holding in a suit . Kantar as invented his responses around that goal.

The Specific Suit Ask (SSA) (Majors)

After an RKB response, 5NT asks for specific kings.    However the RKB bidder may not be interested in specific kings, he may be interested in what the responder has in a specific suit.    The asker may have losers in only one suit.    That suit may be headed by the AKx(x)(x).    If so, the ask is looking for third round control, a doubleton or the queen, to play in a grand slam.

The asker may have Axxx(x) looking to play in a grand facing a singleton,  Kx or KQ(x).    The asker may have Kxxx (x) looking to play in a grand facing Ax, or  AQ(x).   

In order to ask partner about a specific suit, called the specific suit ask (SSA), you must first go through 4NT.    After the response, a new suit by you that is NOT the queen-ask is the SSA.   In other words, you have decided to forego the 5NT specific king ask to make a SSA.    A  SSA promises at least the ace or king of the ask suit, frequently both.   It also confirms  joint possession of the four aces as well as the KQ of the agreed suit.    The SSA cannot  substitute for the queen-ask, the queen-ask takes  precedence.  

Consider this sequence:

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

(1) RKB
(2) 1
(3) Queen-ask
(4) Yes, with SK 
(5)  SSA  (5NT would ask for another king) 

Responses to the SSA are listed below.   To facilitate memory problems, the return to the trump suit is the death response.    It denies 2nd or 3rd round control in the ask suit and shows (xxx, xxxx, xxxxx).

RESPONSES TO THE SSA IN WHICH THE KING OF THE ASK SUIT HAS NOT BEEN DENIED.

A return to trump suit, as ever, denies 2nd or 3rd round control. it is the weakest response and does not count as a step.      

1st step= 3rd round control  ( xx or the queen)
2nd step= 2nd round control (specifically Kxx or longer) 
3rd step= Kx    
Raise of the ask suit =KQ (x)(x).
Jump in the trump suit = singleton

Say the SSA is 6D, hearts agreed, and responder has  D Qxx,  3rd round control.  The proper response is 6S, a 1st step response (excluding the trump suit, the denial response).   Yes, the response bypasses the six level of the agreed suit, but the SSA bidder is supposedly prepared for that.   He should have the Ace and King of diamonds to make the ask.      


LOOKING FOR GOLD AND FINDING DUST

    West                                 East 
    S. AQxxxx                       S. KJxx 
    H. A                                 H. xx 
    D. AKxxx                         D. xxx
    C. x                                 C. AK10x

West            North             East             South
1S                 4H                 4S                  Pass        
4NT (1)        Pass             5H (2)            Pass        
6D (3)          Pass              6S (4)            Pass
  
(1) RKB
(2) 2 without
(3) SSA in diamonds
(4) Denies 2nd or 3rd round diamond control


NOT WHAT YOU WANTED, BUT NO SO BAD EITHER

    Opener                              Responder (you)
    S AJx                                 S. Kx 
    H. Kxx                                H. AQJ10xx
    D. AJx                                D. x 
    C. QJxx                              C. Axxx 

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

(1) Transfer
(2) RKB (0314 responses- weak asking strong)
(3) 3
(4) SSA in clubs
(5) 1st step response showing the queen or a doubleton
(6) No grand today

Change opener's hand a bit: Say opener has: AJx     Kxx     AJx     Kxxx.     The response to 6C is 6H, a 2nd step response showing Kxx(x) of clubs.   Opener, appraised of a club loser, settles for 6H.

Now give opener: Axxx     Kxx     AJxx     Kx.  Now a  3rd  step response of 6NT shows the Kx leading to a grand in hearts.    Of course you may have to ruff two clubs in dummy.    In my book I gave the opener the K9x of hearts to make things happier for the paying customers.    Here, since you are getting a freebie, realism has set in and opener doesn't have the H9.   


 
IF THE RESPONDER TO THE SSA HAS ALREADY DENIED THE KING OF THE ASK SUIT (AFTER A QUEEN ASK AND A KING SHOWING RESPONSE) THESE ARE THE RESPONSES:

A return to trump suit denies 3rd round control.
1st step response shows the queen or a doubleton.
A raise shows the queen-jack.

A NEAT FIND!

    Opener                         Responder (you) 
    S. QJx                          S. AKxxx 
    H. QJ                            H. AKxx
    D. AKJx                        D. x 
    C. xxxx                         C. AKx 

    Opener                         Responder
    1D                                 1S
    2S  (1)                           3H
    3S                                 4NT (2)
    5C (3)                            5D (4)
    6D (5)                           6H(6)
    7H (7)                           7NT (8)
    Pass (9)

(1) Some would rebid 1NT 

(2) RKB 1430 responses-strong hand asking weak-opener limited by the single raise
(3) 1
(4) Queen-ask
(5) Yes with DK, but no HK (would have bid 5H over 5D).
(6) 3rd round heart control? (I know you don't have the king).
(7) The QJ
(8) Wait till we tell them about this one
(9) You tell them, I'm too exhausted

NOT AS EASY

Returning to the previous hand, If we exchange the queen and king of spades, we have this:

    Opener                           Responder (you) 
    S. KJx                             S. AQxxx 
    H. QJ                               H. AKxx
    D. AKxx                          D. x 
    C. xxxx                           C. AKx 

    Opener                             Responder
    1D                                     1S
     2S                                     3H
    4S(1)                                 4NT (2)
    5H (3)                                ?

(1) Too much hand to rebid 3S
(2) RKB
(3) 2 without

At this point  you have to decide whether it is more important to look for the DK via 5NT or  3rd round heart control via 6H.    There is not room to do both.

If you bid 5NT and get a 6D response, a follow up bid of 6H asks for the HK as it has not been denied.  
YOU CANNOT USE THE SSA ONCE YOU BID  5NT ASKING FOR SPECIFIC KINGS.     

If you bid 6H over 5H, the SSA, you will get a 7H response showing the QJ. So partner has the DA, the SK and the H QJ, 10 HCP and 12 tricks.    If you want to gamble that partner has the DK or the CQ (HIGHLY likely) bid 7NT.    

If you want to play it closer to the belt, bid 7S.    Perhaps partner has a doubleton club and a club ruff in dummy will be trick 13. At tournament bridge in a strong field, chance 7NT; otherwise 7S. 

AN SSA CAN ALSO BE MADE IN A PREVIOUSLY BID SUIT 

The responses are the same except responder cannot have shortness.  

Return to trump suit denies 2nd or 3rd round control.
1st step= The queen
2nd step= The king    
A raise of the ask suit= the KQ(x)    
 

LOOK WHAT I FOUND!

    Opener                             Responder (you) 
    S. Qxxx                             S. Ax 
    H. Axxx                             H. KQxxx 
    D.
A                                  D. xxx  
    C. AQxx                            C. KJx

    Opener                             Responder
    1C                                     1H
    3D (1)                               4NT (2)
    5C(3)                                6C (4)
    6D (5)                               7H

(1) Nobody likes to splinter with a singleton ace, but that's what they dealt you.    If you want to treat this as a balanced hand, jump to 4H. 
(2) RKB (0314) weak asks strong 
(3) 3
(4) You don't have room to ask for the SK and the CQ.   Since finding the SK won't ensure a grand, but finding the CQ will, you  trot out 6C. (If you had any desire to play in clubs, you should have bid 4C over 3D.) More on asks in previously bid suits in  chapter XXI (Second Suit Options). 
(5) 1st step response showing the queen.    (Opener must have at least four clubs so a spade can go off on a club).

Another SSA to keep in practice:

I NEED A NEW PARTNER!

    West                                 East 
    S. x                                   S. Ax 
    H. AQxxx                         H. Kxxx 
    D. Ax                                D. KQJ 
    C. AKxxx                        C. xxxx 

West            North             East             South
  1H              Pass              2NT(1)         Pass        
  4NT (2)      Pass              5H (3)           Pass        
  6C (4)        Pass               6H (5)          Pass
  Pass          Pass
  
1) Jacoby
(2) RKB
(3) 2 without
(4) SSA
(5) Zilch

Hate to end with a signoff response but look at how many slams you have already bid and made!