[jerdonald]

BBO forum,

Had a bidding problem where we didn't have a partnership agreement.

I opened 1NT and partner transferred me to hearts and then bid 4NT
which is standard Blackwood. I bid 5D showing 1 ace and partner
bid 5NT. I have 3 kings so my response should be 6 spades but now
partner will be forced to bid 6NT or 7 hearts. I had the bare 15
points and only 2 hearts. I know "trust your partner" but also there
are different ways to show kings when hearts are the trump suit. Any
suggestions on how to handle this situation?

Jerry D.

[Vampyr]

If your method is to show the number of kings, then partner will be prepared for your response. It is difficult to imagine that she is making a grand slam try and three kings will not be enough!

You could change your methods, for instance play kickback or,show specific kings or whatever (and actually for most this 4NT is quantitative) but on this particular had you are OK.

[jerdonald]

Vampyr,
Thanks for the reply.

In this case I just bid 6H rather than bidding the correct 6S.

If we don't play keycard what other methods are available to safely
show kings when hearts is the trump suit.

Jerry D.

[nekthen]

Jerry

I think you are missing the point of Vampyr's reply.

5NT does not just ask for kings. It confirms all the Aces are held and that partner is interested in a grand slam. It is not possible that partner has bid like this missing all four kings. So you can bid 6S with confidence. In fact, you may as well bid 7N as you can see no extra chances available playing 7H. If 7N is not making then your partner is at fault for bidding 5N when 6 was the limit.

I would love to know how many tricks were actually available

[Vampyr]

jerdonald, on 2015-October-18, 21:50, said:

If we don't play keycard what other methods are available to safely
show kings when hearts is the trump suit.

The simplest way, since you are not asking for the trump queen, is to use the lowest available suit that is not the trump suit.

[fromageGB]

The scenario is 4NT ace asking, with hearts trumps and a reply of 5♦.
5♥ from opener is a signoff, and any other bids commits to a small slam so by definition must be checking for grand slam. Asker will not be doing this unless he can see all the aces, so the first question is "is the first available asking bid an ask for the trump Q, or is it an ask for side Kings?"

There is really only one answer - Kings. You can't look for a grand slam without being able to find Kings, so you lose the ability to ask for the Q - which will often be held, and may not be necessary if there are ten trumps between you. Whatever, you have lost the ability to show the Q by your choice of asking methods.

What is the first available asking bid? It has to be one higher than a signoff in trumps, so in this case, 5♠ is the King ask. 5NT (without any other agreement) would be to play.

Over 5♠ King ask, you reply to show your specific King(s). There are 3 such Kings, ♠, ♣, ♦. Remember you are committed to 6, and partner is looking for 7. You show specific Kings because it may be just one (or two) that will let partner be able to count 13 tricks, while the wrong one is useless. You can easily do this.

• No kings, sign off in 6♥. You obviously do not have what partner is looking for.
  
• All 3 Kings, bid 7♥. You obviously have what asker wants.
  
• With 1 or 2 kings, bid your CHEAPER king.

You bid a specific King by bidding that suit, such as 6♦. To show the club K you bid 6♣, and this is "cheaper" (a lower level of bidding) than 6♦, so if you have both minor Kings, you bid 6♣. To show the spade K, if you bid 6♠ this takes it above the level of 6♥, so you can't do that. You show the spade K by bidding 5NT. This is the general rule, you show the King of the asking bid suit by bidding NT. Note that 5NT is cheaper than 6♣, so with both black Kings you show spades first, as it is cheaper even though it is higher ranking.

Having shown your single K or cheaper of two, that may be what partner needs to know, and he can bid 7♥ (or 7NT), but if he also needs to know if you have a more "expensive" King, he bids that suit.
5♠ = "What Kings?" : 6♣ = Club K, denying spade K.
6♦ = "Do you have this one as well?"

6♥ = "No, sorry"
7♥ = "Yes, we are in luck". You do have what partner wanted, so bid the grand slam.
Asker can of course convert a heart contract to a NT contract if he wishes.

Note that in the above example, if asker was really interested in the spade King, over your 6♣ he would simply sign off in the small slam as you have denied the cheaper spade King.

Discuss this with your partner, and I hope you get a hand soon to put it into effect. The key is that a bid "one step" up from the trump signoff after aces have been shown, is the specific K ask.

[fromageGB]

Jerry

My previous reply is based upon your ace asking being "5-ace" asking, where the King of trumps counts as an ace. If you don't already do this, then I suggest you do so immediately, as it is so important.

If you are not playing RKCB because you do not like the ambiguity of the condensed replies, such as "1 or 4, I leave you to make this vital guess" then there are other 5-ace methods that do not have any ambiguity at all, and show the exact number.

[Lovera]

Hello. I can suggest, if you and partner play the (classical) 4 - 5NT Blackwood to use (for this aim) roller-Blackwood (IL 4 SENZA A RULLO in "Il libro completo del Bridge" by Guido Barbone). This conv. ( that fourthemore doesn't required to have partnership all four Aces when query for Kings) is usefull when (and expecially in minor suit) trump is already agree. After answer to 4NT Blackwood it is necessary skip trump suit (because this meaning sign off) and bidding next step you query for Kings (i.e. 1♦-3♦, 4NT(=?)-5♦(=1Ace), 5♥(=? for Kings)-6♣(=2 Kings), 6♦(=end)-p. In your case: with heart agree 4NT-5♦, 5♠(=? for Kings skipping 5♥ as sign off)-6♥(=3 Kings), ... (Lovera)

[billw55]

The simplest approach: when partner asks, I answer.

Trust partner not to ask a question if the answer puts us too high. If it does, that is his error, not yours. But if you answer falsely and miss a good grand because of it, that is your error.

[ggwhiz]

billw55, on 2015-October-19, 08:36, said:

The simplest approach: when partner asks, I answer.

Trust partner not to ask a question if the answer puts us too high. If it does, that is his error, not yours. But if you answer falsely and miss a good grand because of it, that is your error.

Yes in fact it is a must in f2f bridge. My opponents once had this type of auction with clubs agreed as trump, the guy hesitated over 5nt and bid 6 clubs with a 6 diamond response. Raised to the grand, rolled back, appealed and they lost their deposit.

Even a slight flinch that partner MAY read followed by the wrong answer is bad news. You did nothing wrong under the circumstances but I give you the Scottish verdict: Not guilty but don't do it again.

[rmnka447]

If partner can't handle a 6 ♠ response showing 3 Ks, then partner asked the wrong question. Trust your partner and answer the question asked truthfully.

The problem with not doing so is that it erodes partnership confidence and trust. You don't know with which hand partner is asking the questions, so have no reason to assume that you will get too high if you answer correctly. If you fudge now, will partner have any reason to believe your answers in the future? It can become a big partnership issue.

As billw55 says, if you answer truthfully whatever happens isn't your problem. But if you go down, it might enable you and your partner to analyze how to bid the hand better and avoid future problems with similar hands.

[neilkaz]

Lying about having 3 kings is positively egregious. Partner took complete control of the auction and 5NT confirms that he knows you hold a combined 4 aces, and now he asks for kings looking for a grand. You hold THREE of them! Not one nor two, but THREE. But that is beside the point. Just answer his Blackwood honestly.

[zillahandp]

You must show the true answer, if you start imagning p has made a mistake the whole disciline of partnership bridge vanishes, take up darts at least you are on your own

[case_no_6]

Whenever partner follows up an ace askin 4NT with a king asking 5NT, it guarantees no aces are missing and invites a grand slam. Partner could hardly be unhappy with 3 kings and is surely prepared for that response. Regardless, 5NT is a grand slam invite, so if you have something good that is unexpected - e.g., a long and strong side suit that will produce extra tricks, you are free to bid the grand even with a king or two fewer.