play bridge Keeping Up With Conventions Slam Bidding — by David Lindop

This series of articles looks at how SLAM CONVENTIONS Gerber □: 4NT: Blackwood □ RKC □ 1430 □ to fill out the standard convention card. Previous articles can be found by visiting the Better Bridge News section at www.AudreyGrant.com. vs Interference: DOPI □ DEPO □ Level: ROPI □ Diagram 1 - The area on the convention card covering slam bidding t’s time to look at a small but important area of the convention Gerber 13 tricks: one spade, two hearts, card, the section on SLAM seven diamonds and three clubs. I Now suppose ♠ 6 CONVENTIONS (see Diagram 1). have none. Of course, you might partner opens ♥ K 4 A lot of points are at stake when the hold your breath for just a moment, 1NT and you ♦ K Q 10 9 7 5 3 partnership is considering whether hoping you haven’t miscalculated! have this hand. ♣ KQ 5 to bid slam, so you want to have If partner were to reply 4NT, You only have 13 high-card points firm agreements in this area. showing three aces, you would know but 3 length points for the seven-card only one ace is missing and could Slam Bidding on Power suit puts you in the slam zone. When jump to 6♦, expecting to have a good bidding slams with unbalanced As a guideline, the partnership chance at 12 tricks. If partner were to hands, where you are adding points needs about 33 or more combined reply 4♠, showing two aces, you for length or shortness, it is usually points to consider bidding to a small would settle for 5♦, knowing the best to check for controls — aces and slam and about 37 or more for a partnership is missing two aces. kings. You don’t want to get to a grand slam. Suppose ♠ K 10 5 What if partner replied 4♥, partner opens 1NT, ♥ small slam missing two aces, even if A 8 3 you have enough combined strength. showing one ace? Since the partner- showing 15-17 points, ♦ A 10 7 ship is missing three aces, 5♦ is likely and you have this hand. ♣ A J 6 5 The standard way to ask for aces to be defeated. You should sign off What do you respond? after a natural 1NT or 2NT bid is to in 4NT, hoping partner can take 10 With 16 high-card points you use the Gerber convention. A jump to ♣ tricks. That’s likely. With only one have too much to settle for game 4 asks partner to reply as follows: ace, partner must have all the since the partnership could have the Responses to Gerber missing kings, queens and jacks! magic 33 points if partner has 17. 4♦ 0 or all 4 aces If you use Gerber, check the However, you don’t have enough to 4♥ 1 ace appropriate box. The standard commit the partnership to slam 4♠ 2 aces agreement is that 4♣ is Gerber only because partner may have only 15 4NT 3 aces after a natural 1NT or 2NT opening or 16. The solution is to make a bid, response, or rebid. If you have quantitative — invitational — jump You reply in steps “up the line” — some other agreement you can to 4NT. With a minimum, 15 or 16 the more aces you have, the more you explain it on the additional lines. points, opener can pass and stop bid. The only wrinkle is that the reply safely below slam. With 17 points, of 4♦ shows either zero or four aces. Blackwood or 16 points and a good excuse such The reason is to keep 5♣ available to You’re sitting South ♠ K 7 3 2 as some 10s and 9s, partner can ask about kings. There’s little danger with this hand. Partner ♥ accept the invitation and bid slam. in using the same reply to have two opens 1♠ and you make 8 6 2 ♦ A9 2 The raise to 4NT has nothing to do possible meanings. There’s a 16-point a limit raise to 3♠. ♣ A 6 5 with asking about aces. You don’t difference between zero and four aces. Partner now jumps to care whether partner has an ace. You For example, when you bid 4♣ 4NT. What call do you make? are simply asking whether partner is with the above hand and partner WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH at the minimum or maximum end of replies 4♦, you can assume the 1♠ Pass 3♠ the range for 1NT. When both partnership has all the aces. There Pass 4NT Pass ? partnership hands are balanced, aren’t enough high cards in the deck Once the trump suit has been slam is typically bid on power: with for partner to open 1NT without an agreed, most partnerships use 4NT 33 or more combined points you bid ace when you have this hand. You can as the artificial bid to ask about aces. a slam; with less you don’t. jump to 7NT, expecting to take all This is the Blackwood convention. PB-4 August, 2003 play bridge If you would reply 5♥ with this The trump queen can also be a DOPI, DEPO and More hand, you’re using the convention in critical card, especially when you Suppose you have ♠ K 7 3 2 have only an eight- or nine-card fit. its original form. Check off the box agreed on standard ♥ 8 6 2 So, this card is also taken into marked “Blackwood”. The standard Blackwood and the ♦ A9 2 account in the responses to 4NT. replies to 4NT are: auction goes this way: ♣ A 6 5 Blackwood Responses to 4NT Keycard Responses to 4NT WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH 5♣ 0 or all 4 aces 5♣ 0 or 3 key cards 1♠ Pass 3♠ 5♦ 1 ace 5♦ 1 or 4 key cards Pass 4NT 5♥! ? ♥ 5♥ 2 aces 5 2 or 5 key cards without the East’s interference took away your 5♠ 3 aces trump queen ♠ intended reply. You can double for 5 2 or 5 key cards with the penalty since there’s no way East is As with Gerber, you reply in steps trump queen “up the line” with the first step going to take 11 tricks, but the having two possible meanings. Using this set of responses, you penalty will be insufficient compen- If North now bids 5♠, you would would check the box beside “RKC” sation for a small or grand slam if pass. North is saying the partnership (Roman Key Card). Returning to that is what partner was planning to ♠ the example hand, you ♠ K 7 3 2 bid if you showed two aces. is missing two aces. If North bids 6 , ♣ you would also pass. North is saying would respond 5 to ♥ 8 6 2 Many partnerships agree to play the partnership is missing an ace, or North’s 4NT, showing ♦ A9 2 DOPI in this situation. This is a three key cards: the that there isn’t enough combined ♣ A 6 5 mnemonic for Double = 0 aces; ♦A, ♣A and ♠K. strength to consider a grand slam. Pass = 1 ace. With two aces, as in The challenge of using Roman the example hand, you bid the next Asking for Kings Key Card Blackwood doesn’t stop available step, 5♠, and so on. ♣ ♦ If North knows the partnership holds with replies to 4NT. The 5 and 5 If the interference prevents your all the aces and is interested in reach- replies don’t say anything about the side from stopping at the five level ing a grand slam, North can continue trump queen. Dealing with this and — if East bid 6♥, for example — with 5NT over the 5♥ response. asking for kings outside the trump most partnerships switch to DEPO: With the example hand, you would suit is beyond the scope of this arti- Double shows an Even number of now bid 6♦, showing one king. The cle. Suffice it to say that the part- aces (0, 2 or 4); Pass shows an Odd nership needs lengthy discussions standard responses to 5NT are: number (1 or 3). The line beside before adopting this convention. Blackwood Responses to 5NT “Level:” lets you clarify when you 1430 Responses would switch from DOPI to DEPO. 6♣ 0 kings 6♦ 1 king If the partnership does decide to By the way, if you use 1430 6♥ 2 kings adopt key card responses to 4NT, responses, be sure to agree on what 6♠ 3 kings many players like to reverse the DOPI means. Does double show 6NT 4 kings meaning of the first two steps: zero key cards or is it the first step, 1430 Responses to 4NT showing one or four? There’s no need to give a double If East had doubled 4NT in the meaning to the 6♣ response. 6NT 5♣ 1 or 4 key cards ♦ above auction, you could ignore the doesn’t need be reserved to ask for 5 0 or 3 key cards 5♥ 2 or 5 key cards without the interference or you might agree to queens since you’d be committed to a use ROPI: Redouble = 0 aces; Pass grand slam whatever the response! trump queen 5♠ 2 or 5 key cards with the = 1 ace; next step (5♣) = 2 aces. If Roman Key Card Blackwood trump queen so, check the appropriate box. When considering slam in a suit, the There are theoretical reasons Other Slam Conventions trump king is as important as an ace. behind this, but one advantage is If you use such things as the Grand If your side doesn’t have it, there’s no that many players find it easier to Slam Force — a jump to 5NT to ask way around it — it’s a potential loser. remember because the mnemonic about top honors held in the trump The kings in other suits aren’t quite as 1430 — 1 or 4, 3 or 0 — covers the suit — enter it on the available lines. important, since you may be able to first two steps and is the same as the Note that the slam area is in black, avoid a loser if you have a singleton score for making a vulnerable small not red. You don’t Alert Gerber, or can discard some losers. slam in a major suit, 6♥ or 6♠. Blackwood, or the variations and As a result, some players prefer a If you use this variation, check the responses discussed here. You do, more complex set of responses to box beside “1430” and reply 5♦ however, have to Alert a pass, dou- 4NT which include five “key” cards: with the previous hand, rather than ble or redouble if you use DOPI, the four aces and the trump king. 5♥ (Blackwood) or 5♣ (RKC). DEPO or ROPI. Vol. 7, No. 8 PB-5