4015 6-pac Roman Keycard Blackwood By Neil H. Timm
After a major suit bid, the response of 2NT* is the 4015 6-pac Roman Keycard Blackwood (RKCB) Convention and replaces the Jacoby 2NT bid. The 2NT bid promises 3/4+ card trump support and 13+ dummy points and must be alerted (hence the asterisk). The convention assumes 6 Keycards: AKQ of trumps and 3 Aces, the 6-pac. The responses are similar to 3014 since the weak hand is usually asking; however, the convention will allow you to determine the number of keycards for the trump suit and all your Kings and Queens before you commit to a slam or grand slam.
The asking sequence is initiated by the cheapest jump shift (either 2NT* or the cheapest kickback suit KBS). For example, for Spades the bid is 2NT*, for hearts it is spades, for diamonds it is hearts, and for diamonds it is clubs.
The responses after 2NT* are:
3♣ =0 or 4 Keycards (the 40 step)
3♦= 1 or 5 Keycards (the 15 step)
3♥= 2 or 6 (usually unlikely)
3♠ = 3 with /without the Queen
The bid of the major by the opener at the 4-level is sign-off and is used when the opener determines that there are 4 or less keycards.
When there are 5 or more key cards, one initiates the Specific King Ask (SKA) bid. There is NO Queen ask bid with this approach!
3NT = SKA (always ask with 5/6 Keycards) Note that it is the 5th Step
With no (zero) kings return to the major at the 4-level and with one/two kings bid the cheapest; then the next step is the second king ask.
Skipping the SKA step and having/assuming the trump Queen
4NT = SQA – Note that it is the 6Th step
With one/two queens bid the cheapest, then the next step is the second queens ask and with all 3 bid 5NT. And with none (zero), bid five of the agreed upon major (5♥/5♠).
The above bids are used when opening a Major (playing 2/1 or Precision, for example).
If responder signs off after asking for Kings, knowing there are at least five keycards, partner may now use 1430 RCKB to find 5/6 keycard information. And may use the Specific Suit Asking bid instead of the Queen ask bids. If Hearts is the agreed suit, instead of using 2NT*, you may make the cheapest kickback bid of spades (2♠). This initiates the 4015 Kickback 6-pac sequence (e.g. 1♥ - 2♠ = kickback)
2NT =0 or 4 Keycards (the 40 step)
3♣= 1 or 5 Keycards (the 15 step)
3♦= 2 or 6 (usually unlikely)
3♥ = 3 with /without the Queen
The bid of the major by the opener at the 4-level is sign-off and is used when the opener determines that there are 4 or less keycards.
There is again NO Queen asking bid with this approach!
3♠ = SKA (always ask with 5/6 Keycards) – Again the 4th Step
With no (zero) kings return to the major at the 4-level and with one/two kings bid the cheapest; then the next step is the second king ask.
Skipping the SKA step and having /assuming) the trump Queen
3NT = SQA – Again the 5th Step
With One/Two queens bid the cheapest, then the next step is the second queens ask and with all 3 bid 5NT. And with none (zero), bid 5♥.
At times the bid of 3♠ may also initiate the Kickback sequence, for example playing Reverse Bergen where the bidding may go: 1♥-3♣ (limit raise in Hearts – 10-12 Dummy points) - 3♠- 4015 Kickback with hearts agreed. 3NT and 4NT are the SKA and SQA, respectively.
If Diamonds is the agreed upon suit then the cheapest kickback bid in hearts initiates the 4015 Kickback 6-pac sequence (e.g. 1♦- 2♥ = 4015 Kickback 6-pac for diamonds). Again the SKA is the 4th step and the SQA is the 5th step. Again at times it may be a 3-level bid (e.g. 1♦-2♣ (2/1 bid)- 2NT-3♥ = 4015 Kickback 6-pac for diamonds). Again 3NT and 4NT is the specific King and Queen asks, respectively.
Not playing Precision, the bids may also be used for Clubs; then the cheapest kickback bid in diamonds initiates the 4015 Kickback 6-pac sequence. Be careful now 1♣ - 2♦= kickback.
The primary advantage of the 4015 approach is that there is No TRUMP QUEEN ASK BID since many partnerships that play 1430/3014 do not use the queen ask responses. Not playing the queen asks bid, I call that approach the 3014/1430 Blackwood Convention with 5 Keycards or the 5-Pack Convention!
How do you respond with voids?
Following the 1430/3014 approaches one may use the following bids.
Over the bid of 2NT* or a Kickback 6-pac bid, one bids:
3NT = an even number of keycards 2,4, or 6 with an unknown void.
3X = an odd number of keycards with a void 1,3, or 5 and a void in the bid suit.
However with the 4015 6-pac Roman Keycard Convention this approach is not recommended. Why? Because the keycard bids are at a very low level it is better to show keycards first and to ignore all voids. Only show a void if partner signs-off in the agreed upon suit in game; then with a void show it at the 5-level/6-level when the rank of the void is below the agreed upon suit.
For example if hearts or spades are the agreed upon suits a 5-level bid shows a void in the bid suit. Partner now may sign-off or bid slam. With a minor the bid, it is at the 6-level bid!