This tells partner you have five spades and a five-card minor. What if partner doesn't have a fit for spades and wants to know what your minor is? He bids 2NT (con- ventional) to say, "Bid your minor." You can then bid 3 + . Important point: Don't tell your story twice Your RHO opens 1+ and you hold .KQ643 .J10764 +A4 ~8. You bid 2+ (Michaels) and LHO passes. Partner bids 2. and RHO bids 3~. What now? When you bid 2. , you told part- ner that your hand was 5-5 in the Michaels Cuebid majors and that you had a limited hand (6 to 11 points) or a very good hand (16-plus points). Since you he Michaels cuebid - brain- RHO You LHO Partner have the weaker range, and partner child of the late Mike Mi- 1+ 2+ has already chosen the suit and level T chaels - allows a player to show a major two-suiter, Put another he prefers, you should pass. Part- describe a two-suited hand in one way, a direct cuebid of an oppo- ner already knows what you have bid in competitive auctions. It is nent's opening bid of one-of-a-minor - don't compete to 3.! Partner typically reserved for hands with a shows the majors, 5-5 or longer. might have been forced to bid 2. 5-5 (or longer) pattern. An important question, however, with a hand such as When a player bids a suit which is how strong a hand does the .107 .86 +Q876 ~KI0932. has originally been called by the Michaels cuebid promise? This is He won't like your 3. bid (and opponents, that player has made a a matter of partnership style, but you won't like the result). cuebid. A Michaels cuebid is almost many expert partnerships prefer that Let's change your hand to this: always used in the direct position, Michaels be used to show either a .AKQ43 .AKJ62 +6 ~J7. i.e., immediately after an opponent weak hand (say, 6 to 11 points) or After a 1+ opening by RHO, you has made her bid. For example if a strong hand (a good 16 or more bid 2 + . LHO passes and partner your right-hand opponent opened high-card points). Hands with inter- bids 2 •. RHO bids 3~. Should l~ and you bid 2~, your 2~ call mediate strength should simply over- you bid again? Yes. This time you would be a cuebid. Further, if you call at the one level, with the hope have a very good hand and could and your partner agree to play Mi- that the second suit can be shown make game if partner has as little chaels cuebids, your 2~ call would later in the auction. Why do this? as Q-x-x in hearts. Many players have a specific meaning. It's to give partner some indication would simply jump to 4 •. Remem- Major two-suiters of our strength and involve him in ber, however, that you should only Let's say you hold a hand with the decision process as to how high make another bid if your hand has two five-card majors such as we compete . extra values or is very unusual. For • AKQ43 .AKJ62 +6 ~J7 Major-minor two-suiters example, holding or Michaels can also be used to show .KJ8743 .AQ10952 +- ~8, .KQ643 .J10764 +A4 ~8. certain major-minor two-suiters after this hand could easily produce a If your RHO opens I ~, the an enemy I. or I. opening. The major-suit game opposite mild sup- Michaels cuebid allows you to auctions port from partner. After this auction describe these hands nicely. Bid RHO You LHO Partner RHO You LHO Partner 2~ with either to tell your partner 1. 2. l~ 2~ Pass 2. you have a major two-suiter. If your and 3~ ? opponent had opened I + instead, RHO You LHO Partner bid 4 •. With this 6-6 freak, high- you would have bid 2 + to give the 1. 2. card points are irrelevant. Just bid same message. show five or more cards in the other the game. The opponents may well PlayingMichaels cuebids,the auctions major and an unspecified five-card bid more, but the point is that you RHO You LHO Partner minor. The strength requirements are should bid again after the Michaels I~ 2~ the same as for minor-suit cuebids. cuebid when your distribution is and After a 1. opening, bid 2. with wild or when you have a very .AQ765 .8 +KJ1073 ~104. strong hand. 0 44 The Bridge Bulletin RESPONDING TO A MICHAEL'S CUE BID After partner has made a Michael's cue-bid, responder should assume that it shows a weak two-suiter and bid accordingly. It is responder's duty to select the trump suit or to inquire about partner's unknown minor after a major-suit cue bid. The following responses apply with or without further enemy competition: TAKEOUT TO A SUIT SHOWN BY PARTNER indicates a preference for that suit with no interest in game. Opp. Partner Opp. You Spades 954 Hearts K7 ID 2D P 2S Diamonds J83 Partner has 5 spades, so show the 8-card fit. Clubs K1754 * * * Opp. Partner Opp. You Spades KJ96 Hearts Q63 IS 2S P 3H Diamonds J5 Clubs 9874 You don't know partner's 2nd suit, but a heart fit is present, so sign off in 3H. TWO NOTRUMP AFTER A MAJOR-SUIT CUE BID asks for partner's MINOR. You may intend to drop partner in 3 of his minor, or perhaps make another bid to invite game. Opp. Partner Opp. You Spades 3 Hearts K10975 IH 2H P 2NT Diamonds 1765 You will pass whichever minor partner bids. Clubs Q83 * * * Opp. Partner Opp. You Spades J986 Hearts KJ8 IS 2S P 2NT Diamonds AJ97 Clubs 87 If partner bids 3C, you will bid 3H to invite game. However, if partner bids 3D, you should jump to 4H. * * * In a competitive auction, if2NT is unavailable, responder may (a) bid 4C, which is not forcing; or bid 4NT, which is forcing, to locate the unknown minor. 3NT IS NATURAL AND IS TO PLAY. Opp. Partner Opp. You Spades Q4 Hearts 9752 IH 2H 3H 4C Diamonds K986 Clubs Q17 You want to compete to four of partner's minor. Without clubs, partner must correct to 4 diamonds. If you want to play five of his minor, you would bid 4NT, which IS NOT Blackwood. A JUMP IN A SUIT SHOWN BY PARD shows good support for that suit. If below game, it is not strength-showing-it is preemptive. Ajump to game may be either to make or preemptive. Opp. Partner Opp. You Spades K763 Hearts 42 1C 2C P 3S Diamonds 97 (not vul) Clubs 110532 You are trying to complicate the opponents bidding, but partner may now bid 4S with a good hand. * * * Opp. Partner Opp. You Spades A975 Hearts QI074 IS 2S P 4H Diamonds 6 Clubs K1074 You expect to make 4H, so just bid it. A CUE BID OF OPPONENTS SUIT is a game or slam try, and is forcing for one round. If partner has a minimum, he bids the most economical of his two suits. With a maximum, he makes any other descriptive bid. Opp. Partner Opp. You Spades KQ96 Hearts 74 ID 2D P 3D Diamonds Q74 Clubs AJ54 If partner bids 3H, showing a minimum, you will correct to 3S. Otherwise, you will reach 4S. NEW SUIT NOT SHOWN BY PARTNER describes an independent suit and is not forcing. THREE NOTRUMP is a place to play. REBIDS BY THE MICHAEL'S CUE BIDDER BID OR RAISE ONE OF YOUR TWO SUITS IS NATURAL AND NOT FORCING. This indicates more extreme shape (greater than five-five), not additional high cards. When a STRONG TWO-SUITER is held, the Michael's cue bidder follows the same practices as the unusual notrump bidder. ANY STRANGE-SOUNDING ACTION denotes strong two-suiter. The Michael's cue bidder with a strong two-suiter may, after the cue-bid; (a) cue-bid the enemy suit, again (forcing); (b) bid notrump (not forcing); © bid a suit he cannot possibly have (forcing); or (d) double (for penalty) in a competitive auction (not forcing). As long as the Michael's cue-bidder's minor suit is unknown, the first duty of 4NT is to ask for that suit. When BOTH ofthe Michael's cue-bidders suits are known and both partners know that they are known, then 4NT is Blackwood..