Saturday, September 07, 2002 1:06 AM
Hand Evaluation – Q bids ( Definitions )
PITBULLS:
3NT is an important goal in Bridge . We even
define Q bids by whether they are below 3NT or not . Q
bids at the 4 level & above generally are “pure” Q bids which show a control. Q bids below 3NT can be just stoppers ,
a suit & “groping for 3NT” . They can be asking Q bids or telling
Q bids under 3NT. This treatment is in accordance with “game before slam”
philosophy or hand evaluation concept.
ex 1♣ 2♣
2♥ Q bid ? Not necessarily . This could just be
a 4 card heart suit
for 3NT or heart game purposes . When
the bidding subsequently “takes off”, it was a Q bid but assume it was a natural suit or NT try initially ..
Inverted minors need Q bidding understandings . Try this
sequence
1♦-P-2♦-P
3♦-P-3♥
3♥ should be a natural NT grope ( telling)
or a 4 card heart suit so opener will
bid 3NT with a club stopper but not spades stopped. Responder is expected to pull to 4♦
without spades stopped. A 3♠ bid by opener shows spades & denies a
club stopper. A 3♠ grope by responder should show spades , denying one or both of the other suits for NT
purposes. Responder will only bid 3NT with both stopped & 4♦
with only one or none. When opener had both
black suits stopped , the 3♦
rebid initially was questionable.
When the opponents are in the auction , a Q bid of their suit is a grope for 3NT . This is
called the Western Q bid . The Western Cuebid is used in a
contested auction to ask partner to bid 3NT with a stopper in the opponents' suit, for the purpose of
playing that contract. Without a stopper, partner can make a non forcing, natural suit
bid. Western cues are usually used when a partnership are both
bidding different suits in a contested auction but cannot locate a playable
suit game contract. There is usually an implied minor fit somewhere but it is not a requirement . The PITBULLS are already quite familiar with
examples of Western cue-bids where the opponents have overcalled a suit. However .when the opponents have bid 2 suits, this is the
understanding :
1♥ 3♣
1♦ 1♠ 3♥ !
2♦ 2♣
Showing a heart
stopper & asking partner to bid 3NT with a club stopper. When looking for
3NT after the opponents have bid two suits, a cue-bid of either one shows, rather than asks for, a stopper in
that suit.
There are also delicate bidding auctions where partner is in effect making an asking Q
bid with no opponents in the auction !. The inference is that partner would have bid 3NT herself with a stopper
in that suit
Example
1♦ 1♠
2♣ 3♦
3♥! I have limited
my hand with 3♦ invitational , partner
has limited his hand by a 2♣
rebid . When partner has heart values , he would bid
3NT himself so 3♥ asks partner to bid
3NT with a heart stopper !!
1♣ 1♥
2♣ 2♦ It is silly to show a spade stopper
as the wrong side
2♠ is playing the NT . This is steering the NT to partners
hand if there is a spade
stopper & showing a
healthy 2♣ rebid . This is a
stronger auction than
bidding 3♣ again without a spade stopper . A 3 club
bid would just say “ get out of my face “ .
1♥ 1NT
2♥ 3♣ Diamond values heading towards 3NT .
Bid 3NT
3♦ when you have spades . A rubber
player would not bid
this way, instead leaping to 3NT . Opening leader would have to
guess
between spades & diamonds .
1♦ 1♥
2♣ 3♣ Both sides have limited their hands . 3♠ asks partner to bid 3NT with a ♠ stopper .
3♠ 3NT 3 suits bids so 4th suit asks for a stopper !!
Shows a good hand for
previous bidding without a stopper in spades .
There is a generalization
that differentiates between an asking & telling Q bid .
This is based on the number
of suits already bid
. The following is from the net :
Telling and
Asking Cuebids
Cuebids below 3NT are usually attempts to reach 3NT. When two suits have been bid, the cuebid of the third suit is a Telling Cuebid, looking for a
stopper in the fourth suit. When three suits have been
bid, the cuebid of the fourth suit is an Asking Cuebid,
asking for a stopper in that suit.
Opener Responder
1 ♠ 2 ♦
3 ♦ 3 ♥
telling cuebid 3 suits bid
1 ♠ 2 ♥
3 ♣
3 ♦ asking cuebid 4th suit . Responder should bid 3NT with diamonds unless very
strong.
In Q biding auctions when the opponents double
one of your bids , the redouble is a Q bid showing 2ND
or 1st control of the suit .
I think this should be true in auctions above 3NT but when we are groping or
making a Western Q , the redouble can have a different
meaning . Maurice plays the redouble as
a partial stopper Qx or Jxx
or 10xxx . May as well use it for something as a direct NT bid shows
the full stopper .