2008-06-21 13:04

Hand Evaluation – Q bid ( Spade Void )

PITBULLS:

When hearts are the agreed trump suit , a problem that crops up time & time again is showing a spade void. Due to the rank of the “bully suit” , jumping to show a spade void is bad because you are past game. In the rare occasion you do not care if you are past game, a jump in spades should be interpreted as exclusion KCB. It is important to remove the ambiguity between showing a spade void as opposed to a spade Q bid . Showing the spade Ace or King sends a drastically different message than showing a void. Duplication of value can be assessed.

Here is a hand held by Kiz Fung recently ♠void ♥KQ109x ♦AJ109x ♣xxx . Partner opens 1NT so you transfer to hearts & partner super accepts by jumping to 3♥. When no spade duplication of value , there could be a grand slam with this hand. Some examples ♠xxx ♥AJxx ♦KQx ♣AJx or many many other hands. How do we just make a slam try in hearts with your void in spades ? In Bridge theory it’s sometimes best to fight fire with fire. Spades are the highest ranking suit in the deck but NT is even higher ranking. With a super accept in hearts this means hearts are trump. It is silly to suggest an alternative contract of NT when you have a super fit already & this contradicts serious 3NT theory. Therefore , 3NT in these auctions is the serious 3NT. There is a rule playing the serious 3NT that a spade control has precedence over a serious 3NT . Failure to Q bid spades denies a spade control as you are Q bidding up the line with the 3NT Q bid so to speak .

What happens when you deny a spade control with a serious 3NT bid , followed by a Q bid in spades ? This is a contradiction so define this sequence as showing a spade void. However, there is another good way to find out duplication of value with serious 3NT theory. This concept is using the “serious 3NT” to force a Q bidding auction so you just listen to find out if partner Q bids spades. Kiz bids the serious 3NT with this hand. Partner Q bids 4♣ so Kiz bids 4♦. Partner now retreats to 4♥ denying either the ♠A or ♠K !!!! 6♥ is a simple bid now & investigation for a grand slam should follow. With the actual hand Susan held , she bids 4♦ denying a club control so you sign off in 4♥. Susan had horrible spade duplication of value so no slam.

In the Red Deer Calcutta playing with the same Kiz Fung , I got pushy with my spade void & lost 12 IMPS. ♠void ♥KQ109x ♦Qxx ♣AQ10xx . Kiz opened 1NT & I transferred to hearts. Kiz bid 2♥ so I bid 3♣ which was followed by 3♥ which confirms hearts as trump . I now bid 3♠ & Kiz bid 4♦. I now plowed the hand to 6♥ & we went one down. The problem was that Kiz liked her ♠KQJ because I Q bid spades. The KQJ of spades just turned out to be horrible duplication of value rather than a good thing. Ambiguity between a void & an Ace reared its ugly head.

Lets back up & over 3♥ , I know “Q bid” 3NT instead showing a serious slam try. Kiz bids 4♦ as ordered & I now bid 4♠. This is a contradiction as I could have Q bid 3♠ over 3♥. I must have a spade void on this sequence so Kiz now makes the “death response” of 5♥ & we obtain +650 instead of –100. The serious 3NT brought partner into the picture instead of me “taking a shot” & hoping there was no serious spade duplication of value. The serious 3NT can be used to handle the difficult spade void situation when hearts are trump. Alternatively , you could define 3NT is these particular ♥ fit auctions to show a spade Q bid ( specifically a void ) when 3NT would make no sense otherwise. Why are you making a belated serious 3NT anyway ? A belated 3NT with hearts agreed should be a spade void.