SLAM BIDDING

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For a grand slam in trumps you need:

• 9 card fit
• 1st round controls in all suits
• 1st, 2nd and 3rd round control in the trump suit

OR

• 10 card fit
• 1st and 2nd round controls in all suits

CHECK:

1. Does the partnership have sufficient strength for slam?
2. Do we know if it is NT or in TRUMPS?
3. Do we have controls in the side suit - if it is a suit contract?
4. Only use Exclusion Blackwood with a void
5. Do not use if you cannot tell what to do after partner answers - use control (cue) bidding to show this first

It is best to have the stronger hand (not necessary the opening bidder) bid 4NT as this hand can use the information better

SMALL SLAM requires 33-36 points

GRAND SLAM requires 37+ points or 13 tricks

IN NO TRUMPS

If partner has bid 1NT (15-17) and responder has:

• 16-17 HCP, bid 4NT - QUANTITATIVE to invite 6NT
• 18-21 HCP bid 5NT to invite to 7NT, opener may not pass - bids 6NT with a minimum and 7NT with 16-17
• 22+ HCP bid 7NT

If partner has bid 1NT/2NT (11-17 HCPs) after a minor/major opening:

• must have 20-22 HCP bid 4NT - QUANTITATIVE to invite 6NT (can be as low as 17 if playing 1NT cannot contain a 5 card major)
• must have 23-26 HCP bid 5NT to invite to 7NT, opener may not pass - bids 6NT with a minimum and 7NT with more
• must have 27+ HCP bid 7NT

If partner has jumped to 2NT (18-19 HCPs) after a minor/major opening:

• must have 14-16 HCPs to bid 4NT - QUANTITATIVE to invite 6NT
• must have 17-20 HCP bid 5NT to invite to 7NT, opener may not pass - bids 6NT with a minimum and 7NT with more
• must have 21+ HCP bid 7NT

If partner has opened 2NT (20-21 HCPs) and responder has:

• 12-15 HCP, bid 4NT - QUANTITATIVE to invite 6NT 
• 16 HCP bid 5NT to invite to 7NT, opener may not pass - bids 6NT with 20 HCPs and 7NT with 21
• must have 17+ HCP bid 7NT

IN TRUMPS

If partner has opened, responder needs 17+ HCP and all side suits with first or second round control to ask for aces

• To make a Small Slam you should have first round control of three of the suits and second round control of the fourth suit
• To Make a Grand Slam you must have first round control of every suit

 If previous bid was in a suit - 4NT asks ‘How many Aces do you have”:

• 5C shows 0 Aces (or 4)
• 5D shows 1 Ace
• 5H shows 2 Aces
• 5S shows 3 Aces

After 4 NT - if all 4 Aces are held can check for Kings with 5NT:

• 6C shows 0 Kings
• 6D shows 1 King
• 6H shows 2 Kings
• 6S shows 3 Kings

Never use Blackwood after partner has called no trumps for first or second bid unless you have settled on a suit. In these cases 4NT is a quantitive raise. 

In this case use Gerber.

Also never use Blackwood if you do not have a stopper in a suit such as if you have a void or 1 or 2 low cards

If you are going to go too high (ie biding in clubs -> 4NT -> 5D and 6C is too high do not bid 5NT but 5S (unbid suit or makes no sense in bidding sequence) asking partner to bid 5NT. 

If you have all the outside suit scovered but are not sure about the quality of the trump suit - use grand slam force

  Using a bid of a jump in clubs (4C min) to ask how many Aces are held. To answer:

• 4D shows 0 Aces (or 4)
• 4H shows 1 Ace
• 4S shows 2 Aces
• 4N shows 3 Aces

5C (or higher) can then be used to ask ‘How many Kings’

 Bid 4NT - asks how many key cards do you have - 4 aces and King of trumps:

• 5C shows 1 or 4 key cards
• 5D shows 3 or 0 key cards
• 5H shows 2 (or rarely 5) without Queen of trumps
• 5S shows 2 (or rarely 5) with Queen of trumps

QUEEN OF TRUMPS?

If the answer is 5 Hearts or 5 Spades, the queen of trump has been taken care of. But, what if the answer is 5 clubs or 5 diamonds? 

The 4NT bidder can still ask about the  queen of trump by bidding the next higher suit available that is not the trump suit. That is, if responder answered 5 clubs, the asker can now bid 5 diamonds to ask about the queen of trumps. 

• Has the queen, partner bids the cheapest king. 
• Has the queen, but has no kings, partner bids 5NT. 
• No queen, partner bids 5 of the trump suit.

OTHER KINGS?

Bid 5NT - asks for kings (only do this if you have 4 aces and K & Q of trumps) count excludes King of trumps

• 6C shows 0 Kings
• 6D shows 1 King
• 6H shows 2 Kings
• 6S shows 3 Kings

• 4NT asks for Aces when there is a suit in discussion
• 4C asks for Aces when NT has been bid and 4C is a jump bid
• 4NT is quantitative when NT is the denomination and one hand has been limited
• 4NT asks for keycards when a trump has been set and both players know it 

LAST BID SUIT applies:

• when 2 suits have been bid and raised
• when there is no room to set trumps and ask for keycards

BUT if there is room to set trumps and trumps are not set then 4NT may be straight Aces (by partnership agreement)

 NOTE - by partnership agreement 

1. 4NT over a single suit bid can be RKCB by inference. 
2. Also 4C can be an Ace ask after suit agreement except when clubs have been agreed as trumps

• If the partnership is missing 2 (or more) keycards, slam should be avoided
• If the partnership is missing one keycard and the trump Q, then slam is a judgement call:

                     - Holding 8 trumps - sign off below slam

                     - Holding 9 trumps - close call (do I have the J?)

                     - Holding 10 trumps bid the slam

SIGNING OFF:

When your partner responds 5C or 5D, showing 1/4 or 0/3 keycards:

• if you do not hold the key cards presume that partner has 0 or 1 and sign off at the 5 level (unless a previous control bid sequence has told you otherwise)
• Once you sign off, if your partner has 3 or 4 keycards, then or she continues by responding as though you had asked for the trump Q or bids the slam

Partner asks for aces (4NT)

• 5NT - An even number of key cards and a USEFUL VOID (ie not in partners first bid suit)
• 6C - An odd number of keycards and a void in clubs (unless clubs are trumps in which case it is in another suit)
• 6D - An odd number of keycards and a void in hearts or spades if diamonds aer trumps
• 5H - An odd number of keycards and a heart void if spades are trumps or a spade void if hearts are trumps

Bidding 5NT without bidding 4NT (Blackwood) first

Ask to bid grand slam (7) with 2 of top 3 honours or to bid 

If you have used Blackwood (4NT) you can bid 6 of a new suit as grand Slam Force (also called Josephine)

Josephine - 5 of a major

Bidding 5 of a major when a major as been agreed as trumps or supporting partners major at the 5 level

RESPONSES:

Pass: when have 0/1 top honor in trumps

6 of the major: 2 top honors

7 of the major: 3 top honors

Josephine - 5NT

A jump to 5NT after a trump agreement asks about the high honor cards in hte trump suit

RESPONSES:

Bid 6 of the trump suit denies 2 of the top 3

Bid 7 of the trump suit shows 2 of the top 3

A jump in a new suit after the trumps have been agreed on show a void and asks partner to show keycards excluding this suit.

RESPONSE

1. First step - no keycards
2. Second step - 1 keycard, no trump queen
3. Third step - 1 keycard plus the trump queen
4. Fourth step - 2 keycards, no trump queen
5. Fifth step - 2 keycards plus the trump queen

Losers are defined as the AKQ missing in the suits in your hand. Counting all the missing honours in each suit up to the number of cards in that suit gives your total losers. A suit of three or more with no A, K or Q counts as three losers. A suit of two with no A, K or Q counts as two losers.

18 minus (openers' losers + responders' losers) equals the maximum level of a contract in an agreed suit.

The calculation assumes in the first instance that an Opener has 7 losers and the Responder has 9 losers.

i.e. 18-(7+9)=2. The maximum level is 2.

However if the Responder has 8 losers, 3 can be bid in the agreed suit.

i.e. 18-(7+8) = 3. The maximum level is 3.

If Responder has 7 losers then 4 can be bid in the agreed suit.

i.e. 18 - (7+7) = 4. The maximum level is 4.

After the response, the Opener knows the number of losers in partners hand and can add her own losers. If the total of losers is 14 or less then game in a major suit must be bid.

i.e. 18-(6+8)=4 Or 18-(9+5) = 4

If the total losers are 12 or less then Blackwood can be used to evaluate a slam.

If there is a fit in a minor suit, counting losers is less valuable because making game requires 11 tricks. If responder has a fit with opener's minor suit it is often better to explore NTs.

NB. COUNTING LOSERS ONLY APPLIES WHEN THERE IS A FIT IN AN AGREED SUIT. If you are responding and you have a balanced hand do not use it. Value your hand using HIGH CARD POINTS (HCP) instead.

• you have a large (but <22 HCP) unbalanced hand and are thinking 2C
• you have a void and 7+ hand and thinking how high to pre-empt
• you are borderline and trying to decide which level
• opposition is pushing you do go higher - should you?

HCP high card points 4321 (AKQJ). 

Discount:

• K
• Qx
• Jxx
• 3444 suits

• Void - 5 points
• Singleton - 3 points
• Doubleton - 1 point

NOTE: it is best not to count shortage points in a 4:4 fit

• Void - 3 points
• Singleton - 2 points
• Doubleton - 1 point

1. Use when responding to partner with a change of suit - for any suit more than 5 cards you can add a point for each extra card
2. Use when overcalling - for any suit more than 5 cards (need 5 cards to overcall) you can add a point for each extra card

NOTE: Do not add long suit points and shortage points to HCPs. Use one of the other

AK = 2 quick tricks

AQ - 1.5 quick tricks

A = 1 quick trick

KQ = 1 quick trick

Kx = 0.5 quick tricks

AKQ = 2 unless it is trumps OR playing in NTs

KJ = 1 quick trick

Best not to open if you do not have 2 quick tricks

WHEN OPENING:

• Best not to open with 11/12 HCPs if you do not have 2 (some use 2.5) quick tricks UNLESS you have a 6+ suit or a 2 suited hand so you have a rebid
• Standard 2C opener should contain 4 QTs

WHEN BALANCING

• You need QTs to do a balancing double, or else you run the risk that they get pushed up and can make game
• If your HCPs are softer and the hand is more distributional then overcall

DEFENCE:

• QTs are good in defence

FORCING

• Any new suit by an unpassed responder at the cheapest level is forcing, unless it is at the game level 
• 2C by opener must not be passed
• A new suit at the 3 level (unless responder has previuosly limited their hand eg. bid 1NT)
• A reverse is a one-round forcing bid
• Watch out for 4th suit forcing - partner wants to play in game, and may be asking for help in that suit
• Never pass a CUE bid or one that you do not understand especially if you have agreed on a suit
• Playing Jacoby 2NT - 2NT is always forcing
• Splinter and control bids are forcing
• If responder bids at the 2 level and opener changes suit under 2NT, this is forcing on responder
• A new minor by responder after 1NT by opener is forcing (1C->1S->1NT->2D) This is probably signalling 5 spades
• If responder rebids a suit after opener has jumped with a repeat bid, this is forcing i.e. (1C->1S->3C->3S)
• Any bid by responder after opener has jumped is FORCING TO GAME- the only bid that responder can make that is not forcing is PASS
• If the opener jumps in NTs then a new suit by the responder is forcing
• After a weak 2 opening, 2NT by responder is forcing (2S->2NT)

NOT FORCING

• An openers new suit may be passed if you are absolute minimum except for 2C
• A repeated suit is not forcing
• A NT bid is not forcing

• 1S -X-2C is not forcing as the responder should XX if they have more than 10 HCPs

• Knowing when to bid game or slam is important
• if you opened - let partner decide whether to ask for Aces
• Notice where values are eg shortage opposite partners second suit
• Add extra points for extra length
• Having honor cards in your long suits is a plus
• Bid more with a fit and less without a fit
• Exclude shortage points for non working honors
• After an opening in a minor - all other bids show 4 card suits
• If you open in a major and if partner changes suit to a minor do not rebid the other major unless you have 5 cards
• Bid four card suits up the line, five card suits down the line and if different lengths bid the longest first (except if 6 in a minor and 5 in a major)
• Partners bids 1S then 2H after your 1C/1NT - partner has 5 spades and 4+ hearts (and less than 16 HCP)
• Partners bids 1H then 2S after your 1C/1NT - partner has 5 hearts and 5 spades and 16 HCP (reverse)
• Bid 4 card suits up the line and 5  card suits down the line unless 16 HCP (then reverse)
• A 5 card suits and a lower raking 4 card suit - open 5 card suit then bid the 4 card suit ie 1S -> 2D
• A 5 card suit and a higher ranking 4 card suit - open the 5 card minor and show the 4 card major if possible ie 1D -> 1S (2S if interference)
• 4-4-4-1 pattern: Open 1C if your singleton is a diamond. Open 1D if your singleton is a club, heart or spade

• Don't bid thin slams
• 4333 shapes
• Aceless hands
• Too many Q's and J's
• Honors in short suits
• If partner bids but was a passed hand assess why partner has bid
• Don't re-bid if you have done a pre-empt
• Aces and spaces in NT
• Not enough 10's and 9's

• Especially if not vulnerable
• if they definitely will win
• if you have a good chance of winning and not vulnerable - BID  

• Alert all non natural bids except Stayman or Michael's Cue bid
• Give number of clubs for 1C
• Give point count for 1NT and 2NT bid  

• push more in your bidding especially if game/slam is on
• extra tricks do not matter but making your contract does so if the contract could be in doubt do not play for extra tricks
• be careful of doubling a lower contract  as it will push opponents into game points
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• extra tricks do matter - it is no good if you make game but everyone else gets an extra trick you will still get a bottom score

• be a little conservative when bidding