Friday, January 08, 2010

 

Hand Evaluation -  Q Bids  ( Fundamentals )

 

PITBULLS:

 

          The basic fundamental of Q bidding is the rank order of suits. You Q bid in the rank order of suits to give partner extra information. When you bypass a Q bid playing Italian style of Q bids or even the American style , you simply do not have a control in that suit. Serious 3NT theory & last train slam tries are in part an extension of the rank order of Q bidding basics.

 

    Here is well bid hand commented on by Mike Yuen on his blog .  The two hands are indicated below : 

 

♠

8                   

♠

AQ54

♥

A987

♥

KQJ1043

♦

K953

♦

A107

♣

A642

♣

 

 

        The auction goes 1♥ with a 1♠ overcall & Mike bids 2♠ which shows a limit raise or better & nothing to do with the spade suit. The other hand would love to find out if Mike has a singleton spade . In order to do that,  you try to solicit a Q bid from partner by Q bid in the rank order of suits . Opener Q bids 3♣ so Mike complies with a 3♦ Q bid. Another Bridge principle is in effect here , once a Q bidding auction ensues & neither side makes the "death response" of returning to the trump suit  a game force is established. Opener , upon hearing partner Q bidding diamonds makes a "waiting bid" of 3♥ trying to solicit a 3♠ Q bid from partner. Mike makes a 3♠ Q bid confirming a stiff spade ! Thats all opener needs to hear , so KCB is next so they reach a grand slam. The key to the grand is the stiff spade . Mike could easily hold ♠xx ♥Axxx ♦Kxxx ♣AKx so of course a grand slam is hopeless. Mike might have chosen a jump Q bid going in which would have simplified the auction greatly. Since he did not choose that bid , there is a strong chance that he does not hold  a singleton spade . However partner was careful to get that information from him anyway. The grand slam was a success due to the stiff spade.

 

            Experts have made one exception to “up the line” Q bidding. Whenever you bypass two suits to make a Q bid when partner has announced none, you are showing the two lower ranking controls also. This understanding in effect gives you a 3 in 1 Q bid. The reasoning is simple enough. Why Q bid at all in the highest ranking suit when you are missing both lower ranking Q bids & partner has yet to show either of them ? Bidding space is at a premium when you trying to solicit information from partner which is the concept behind Q bidding in the first place. A 3♠ Q bid is not recommended on this auction unless you have an understanding that 3NT from responder shows a spade Q bid ( what else could it be ? ) . Mike on the auction, should Q bid 4♠ after a 3♠ Q bid as partner is obviously not interested in the minors as he has already announced both controls. Mike’s minor controls can be show later via KCB responses in my opinion anyway.

 

            Another fundamental is that once you are past the 4 level , a Q bid shows 1st round control unless partner has already made a Q bid in that suit directly or implied. Here is an easily bid 7♦ contract showing that principle in action. 3♣-P-P-4♣   ♠AJ ♥AKxxxx ♦AKxxx ♣void . Partner bids 4♦ so a 5♣ Q bid shows both 1st round controls in spades & hearts since we bypassed both of them ! Partner now Q bids 5♠ on ♠K10xx ♥x ♦Qxxxx ♣Kxx & the next bid is 7♦ .

 

         Susan Culham uses the same principle of soliciting a Q bid from partner recently . She held ♠KQxx ♥Q10 ♦A ♣AQJ109x & her partner opened 1♦  . She bid 2♣ & her partner bid 2♥ . This bid  normally means 9 red cards have been identified unless you would bid a 4-4-3-2 by bidding a major ( stopper bidding style ) . Susan now bid 2♠ & partner raised to 3♠ . Susan now deliberately bypassed the rank order of Q bids so Q bid 4♦ . She was trying to solicit a 4♥ Q bid rather than a diamond Q bid. Partner on this auction could be void in clubs or a maximum of a stiff anyway. Actually the 4♦ bid is well chosen as partner is not allowed to Q bid 4♥ without a club control !! Partner could have ♠KQxx ♥Q10 ♦AK ♣QJ1098 & bid the same way . When partner has denied a control & you continue with the Q bidding game , you show a control in the suit that partner does not have. When partners style is to bid hearts ( bidding stoppers ) with a balanced hand ♠AJ109 ♥AKJx ♦J10x ♣xx   over 4♦ he is not allowed to Q bid 4♥ as he knows the partnership is off two cashable clubs. Susan after the 4♥ bid knew partner had both controls.

 

        These hands show one of the advantages of the Italian style of Q bidding. When partner bypasses any control , she does not have it . The partnership can make a death response & a futile slam try of KCB or going to the 5 level is prevented. Perry Khakar bid the same hand well and made a trump safety play in the bidding ! I held the other hand & opened 1♦ with ♠AJ109 ♥AKJx ♦xxxx ♣K  . Perry bid 2♣ so we play a pattern style of bidding rather than showing stoppers so I could not bid 2♥ as that shows 5 or 6 diamonds in our bidding structure. So I chose a bid of 2NT which shows 15-17 HCP's in our weak NT system. Perry bid 3♠ & I raised to 4♠. Perry took control with KCB & I responded 5♥. Perry bid 5NT ( specific kings )  so I bid 6♣ . Perry now makes the master bid of 6♥ asking if I held the heart king. I bid 7♠ saying I indeed held that card. Perry can now count 13 tricks in NT without the spade suit catering to a 5-0 or ♠J109x of spades in an opponent’s hand . The 7NT bid was in effect a trump safety play !! Nicely bid !