COMPETITIVE BIDDING

• Responding to partners major and RHO has over called - a cue bid indicates 10+ points and support. 
• Partner overcalls with a major, you can cue bid with 10+ points and support. NOTE if partner overcalls with a minor, you should bid your 5 card major or think about NTs before cue bidding

If you do not cue bid it means that you do not have a fit or are weak 

• new suit or NTs - no fit
• 2 of partners suit 3 cards and 6-9 TPs
• 3 of partners suit 4 cards and 6-9 TPs
• 4 of partners suit 5 cards and 6-9 TPs

PARTERS RESPONSES

• Minimum hand - bids the suit, inviting to game
• Better than minimum hand -bids the suit in game
• Slam interest, can bid controls or blackwood

Use the cue bid to show a good raise and save the jump raises for weak hands

• one level above with 3 cards and 6-9 TPs (with 4 cards bid at 3 level)
• jump if you have 5 cards in the overcalled suit

A new suit by advancer shows 5 cards and 10+ HCPs

• consider passing if partner has done a single raise as you may not have the points (Consider Law of Total Tricks)
• raise in suit only if you have 6 cards
• If 16+ HCP double or change suit
• BUT if they are likely to make and you are not consider a sacrifice
• OR consider a penalty double

• If partner raises the suit over opponents raise they are not asking you to bid game if you are at the top of the range, they are more likely to be forcing opponents up a level
• If partner has changed suits to minor from a major only chose the major if you cannot support the minor

• Jump only with 1 card in opponents suit

An immediate cue bid is made directly over opponent's opening bid. Traditionally, it denotes a hand unsuited for a takeout double. For example, after RHO opens 1♠, a hand such as ♠ — ♥ AKQ10985 ♦ AQ6 ♣ K85 would prefer not to double for takeout, because partner might make a penalty pass.

Some players still use this bid to show a strong one-, two-, or three-suiter. 

 When your partner makes an overcall, it can be anywhere from 8 to 14 points and you often cannot decide whether to invite to game or how far to bid on. The “Unassuming Cue Bid” allows you to ask your partner how good their overcall is. To do this, you bid the “enemy's” suit !

A jump cuebid of the opponent's 5+card suit, usually a Major suit. It indicates that the player has a "source of tricks", typically a strong minor. 

Used to indicate a good hand with a fit. 

This bid has a specific meaning. It usually indicates a long, solid minor with stoppers in the other two suits. 

Used to indicate two 5-card suits. 

After a splinter bid partner can cue bid your splinter bid showing controls and asking to explore slam, 

After partner has doubled the opener, advancer can cue bid showing 12+ points (1S):X:(P):2S (see notes on doubles)

• If partner opens and opposition bids a Michael’s Cue Bid you can cue bid the other major 1S:(2S-Michael’s):2H

you and partner do not have a fit and you want to bid NTs but the opponents have interfered and you do not have a stopper, you can Cue bid asking for a stopper in that suit. You should have other suits covered, because if partner has a stopper they will bid NTs.

When the opponents have bid TWO suits, and you end up looking for Notrump, a cuebid presumably SHOWS a stopper in the suit bid.

A “cuebid” should be NATURAL if the bidder passes originally over a opponent’s bid of a suit, then bids that suit later, without partner having bid.

SPLINTER BID:

• Signals bid of a singleton or void - never show a splinter bid with a A or a K
• Promises 4 trump support (unless a splinter after 1C/1D, need 5), and is game going (8-11 or 13-15 by partnership agreement, more for a minor) eg 1H -> 4D!
• MUST be a double jump except:

                   *if it will take the pair past game 1S -> 2H -> 4D!

                   *if the intervening bid is a reverse 1C ->1S -> 3H! (2H is a reverse)

                   *if bidding is 2/1 game force - a double jump is not required

• Can be done by opener 1H -> 1S -> 4D!. Opener must have 19+ points as responder may only have 6
• Can be done over a minor eg 1H -> 2C -> 4S! or 1D->3S->3NT if opener has the stoppers in spades
• Can be done over interference by partnership agreement
• partner reassess's hand  - if the hands match well, opener would start the process of bidding up the line, showing controls and an interest in slam but if partner's singleton is in a suit that you have wasted values (ie lower ranked honors) then you should sign off in game
• Shows game going values but can help partner evaluate chances for slam, if the hands match (ie no wasted values opposite the announced shortage)
• Splinter bids are forcing 

CONTROL CUE BID 

• Only use control cue bids if you are interested in slam.
• Once the suit is agreed, bid the next highest suit that you have a A,K, singleton or void (first or second round control).
• partner bids the next suit with a control and this way you can decide if you are missing control in one suit
• if you think slam is possible, bid 4NT and the answers together with the control bidding helps you work out Aces. 

Italian method:

Bid suits up the line (whether first or second round) - if you skip one it means you do not have first or second round control

American method:

First bid of a suit means first round control in that suit – i.e. an ace or a void. A second bid of the same suit shows second round control of the suit (i.e. king or singleton). Skipping a suit the first time means does not mean you do not have second round control. 

Using first round control bids then Blackwood can show which Aces partner has

THERE IS NO NEED TO ALERT BIDS OVER 3NT

Below 3-of-your-major, there are no control-bids. Above 3-of-your-major, once a fit has been found (a suit has been agreed), a new suit is a control-bid (ace, king, void, or singleton).

Check your hand and bid the suit that you need help in. You can still bid 3 trumps, this just means you need help in trumps.

Expect opener to have no more than 1 top honor. To accept invitation to game responder must have one of:

• two top honors
• two outside aces
• one outside ace and one top honor

Expect opener to have one of the top honors in a 3+ side suit . Responder needs a way t limit openers in a side suit by having one of:

• 2 top honors in the side suit
• One honor and shortness
• a singleton or void in the suit AND an outside Ace OR a top trump honor
• One top honor WITH at least 4 cards in that suit AND maximum points (9 or 10)

Responder can tell partner about help in an alternative suit as long as this does not raise the bidding about 3 in the major.

If you have opened 1 of a major and your partner has responded 2 of a major and you count your losers, if you have:

• 7 losers - PASS
• 5 losers - BID GAME
• 6 losers - INVITATIONAL BID this is where the help suit game try comes in. 

If you have 8-9+ HCPs and a 5 card suit then bid it.

If no 5 card suit then DBL (X)

BALANCED?

• 9-12 HCPs, Balanced and stopper in opponents suit - 1NT
• 13-16 HCPs, balanced and stopper - X, then bid 1NTs
• 17-18 HCPs, balanced and stopper - 2NT
• 19-21 HCPs, balanced and stopper - X, then bid 2NT

5 card suit?

• 4-11 HCP - bid the 5 card suit at the cheapest level
• 12-15 HCPs - jump and bid the suit
• 16-18 HCPs or 6 loser hand and a strong 6 card suit - X and double jump to bid the suit (3 level)
• 16-18 HCPs 5 cards in the suit (5 loser hand) X and double jump to bid the suit (3 level)
• 4 loser hand - bid at 4 level
• 3.5 loser and 5/5 in the majors - Michael’s at the 4 level

 WEAK HAND

• Pass if your LHO’s contract will not make or if you have nothing to bid
• Less than 10HCPs bid a 5 card or 4 card suit at the 1 level (if have 15-17 HCPs double first - see below)

NOTE: Bidding at 2 level over 1H/S can be done but check vulnerability and assess hand - the longer the better.

STRONGER HAND

• 1NT with a balanced hand and stoppers in LHO’s suit and 10-14 HCPs
• DOUBLE with 10+ HCPs and no long suit
• JUMP in your suit if you have an opening hand (or better) and 5 cards
• If you have genuine 1NT hand DOUBLE first then rebid 1NT.

After X and then 1NT - Stayman and transfers are on 

• Recognise partners bid as weak because did not jump or DBL
• Count on them having less than 11 HCPs
• No need to bid too high unless opponents bid again or you have close to 15 HCPs, in which case you raise partners suit inviting to game, or bid a 5 card suit of your own
• If you cannot support partners suit you can double, or if you have stoppers you can bid no trumps

•  If partner jumps in pass out seat they have an opening hand, so if you have 13 HCPs bid game
• If partner doubles they they have 10+HCPS and are short in opponents suit. Bid your best suit and jump if you have more than 10 points except if you are long and strong in opponents suit then pass and leave double in for penalties. If no doubt take it out.
• A bid of 1NT in the pass out seat promises 10-14 HCPs. You can transfer and bid stayman (but you need 13 HCPs as they may only have 10, if you have 15 jump to 3NT)