Cue-bidding 2 by Paul Bowyer

We return to the idea of cue-bids as an aid to bidding slams. Later you may see that cue-bids may be used in more prosaic ways for locating the best game contracts but here we are still bitten by the slam bug.

The principle is that when a trump suit has been agreed a bid in a new suit is a cue-bid, showing control of that suit and inviting partner to participate in a slam hunt.

As such, your hand has got to be of sufficient strength to justify the action; there is little point in making a cue-bid just to see the wheels go round. You have to be genuinely interested in better things.

Question 1

Your Hand
♠ A Q 10 6 5
♥ K J 9
♦ Q J 9
♣ A Q

Q: 1 - In these uncontested auctions what is your next call?

South	West	North	East
1♠	pass	3♠	pass
?

A: 4♠. This may seem a trick question, given that this is a quiz on cue-bids, but it is important to be able to value hands accurately. 5.3.3.2 hands contain a lot of losers and it's difficult (very difficult) to construct a deal where partner's 10 points (give or take) will offer a play for twelve tricks.

Only look for a slam via a cue-bid when you think there is a genuine chance of avoiding two losers.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 2

Your Hand
♠ A Q 10 6 5
♥ 8
♦ K Q J 9 7
♣ A Q

Q: 2 - In these uncontested auctions what is your next call?

South	West	North	East
1♠	pass	3♠	pass
?

A: 4♣. Now, with one point less than the hand of Question 1, you have a genuine chance of making a slam. Indeed, if partner were to have the ♠K, the ♥A and the ♦A you might make a grand slam.

4♣ invites partner to make a return cue-bid of 4♦ or 4♥ with the appropriate red Ace.

Consolation marks to 4NT (Blackwood) but you don't really want to play this in 5♠ if partner shows no Aces.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 3

Your Hand
♠ A K Q 9 6
♥ 8
♦ K Q J 9 7
♣ A 5

Q: 3 - In these uncontested auctions what is your next call?

South	West	North	East
1♠	pass	3♠	pass
4♣	pass	4♥	pass
?

A: 6♠. You know you are missing the ♦A (partner would have cue-bid his lower Ace had he held two) so a grand slam is out of the question.

A Club lead might beat the slam (and might not - it depends on North's Club holding) but if you bid it immediately the hand on lead will be on a blind guess. Certainly 6♠ is a reasonable shot.

4NT (Blackwood) is just plain silly. You know partner has precisely one Ace - why ask him again?

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 4

Your Hand
♠ A K Q 9 6
♥ 8
♦ K Q J 9 7
♣ A 5

Q: 4 - In these uncontested auctions what is your next call?

South	West	North	East
1♠	pass	3♠	pass
4♣	pass	4♦	pass
?

A: 4NT. One of the rare times that Blackwood is appropriate. If partner shows one Ace (you know he has the ♦A) you will settle for 6♠.

If partner shows two Aces you should bid 7♠, trusting that you can pitch all of dummy's Club losers on your long Diamonds.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 5

Your Hand
♠ A K J 10 8 7 5
♥ K 10 8
♦ A K
♣ A

Q: 5 - In these uncontested auctions what is your next call?

South	West	North	East
2♣	pass	2♦	pass
2♠	pass	3♠	pass
?

A: 4♣. Partner's 3♠ is encouraging (4♠ would have shown Spade support and absolutely no desire to bid onward). We can afford to take this slowly - 6♠ wouldn't be unreasonable but you can find out if partner has the ♥A by making a cue-bid of 4♣.

If partner bids 4♥ we must be very close to a grand slam.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 6

Your Hand
♠ J 9 7
♥ Q 3
♦ A K 9 8 6 3
♣ A 4

Q: 6 - In these uncontested auctions what is your next call?

South	West	North	East
-	-	1♠	pass
2♦	pass	3♠	pass
?

A: 4♣. This is now a question of system. When partner announces a powerful suit (and 1♠ followed by 3♠ virtually fixes the trump suit) then bids in a fresh suit agree partner's suit by inference and are cue-bids.

What else are you supposed to bid if 4♣ is not available as Ace-showing? 4NT is cloven-hoofed (you might be off the ♥A K) and 4♠ is just too feeble for words.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 7

Your Hand
♠ A K Q 8 6 4
♥ K J 5
♦ 10
♣ K J 9

Q: 7 - In these uncontested auctions what is your next call?

South	West	North	East
1♠	pass	2♦	pass
3♠	pass	4♣	pass
?

A: 4♠. Partner's 4♣ is unequivocally a cue-bid agreeing Spades. That's nice to hear but we have no red Ace for a reciprocal cue-bid. As such, we have to sign-off in game, allowing partner to make the running if a slam is still in his sights.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 8

Your Hand
♠ A K Q 8 6 4
♥ K J 5
♦ 10
♣ K J 9

Q: 8 - In these uncontested auctions what is your next call?

South	West	North	East
1♠	pass	2♦	pass
3♠	pass	4♣	pass
4♠	pass	5♦	pass
?

A: 6♠. Partner is still making slam tries, despite our sign-off (5♦ is certainly not an attempt to play there). Having cue-bid Clubs and Diamonds it is likely that he is worried about Hearts. Well, with second round control (we have denied the ♥A, don't forget) we can take a pot at slam now.

We could bid 5♥, it is true, but partner (missing three top trumps) is sure to bid 5♠ over that. Let's take the pressure off North.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 9

Your Hand
♠ A 10
♥ A K J 10 7 4
♦ K Q 9
♣ 10 6

Q: 9 - In these uncontested auctions what is your next call?

South	West	North	East
1♥	pass	1♠	pass
3♥	pass	4♣	pass
?

A: 4♠. Partner's 4♣ bid is, again, a cue-bid agreeing Hearts. Although 4♠ takes us above the comfort zone of 4♥ it is merited - the Ace is always a useful card to have in partner's suit. North will realize that we don't have the ♦A (or we would have preferred to bid 4♦).

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 10

Your Hand
♠ A Q 10 6 5
♥ A Q 8
♦ Q 10
♣ J 10 5

Q: 10 - In these uncontested auctions what is your next call?

South	West	North	East
1♠	2♣	4♣	pass
?

A: 4♥. Quite what partner's exuberant jump in the opponent's suit is meant to mean will be revealed when dummy goes down. One thing's for sure, partner is certainly agreeing Spades by inference and has a control (a void?) in Clubs. Whatever he has it cannot be wrong to cue-bid the ♥A and see what is going on.

Maybe partner's focus is purely on whether we have a Heart control or not. Who knows?

Your result so far:

Open Question

Overall Results

Your results: out of Average:

What next? You may enjoy playing our prepared hands series.
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