Precision - Slam conventions

Kickback/Redwood

After partner preempts

Quantifying Quantitative

Some Special Bids and sequences

Slams should be explored slowly - ensure suit fits, learn about shortages, cue bid controls, etc.

Roman Key Card Blackwood is used to ask for Key cards and the trump Queen.
If the response to a Key Card ask is 5C or 5D, the next suit (space permitting) is used to ask for the Trump Queen.
When a 4NT bid is followed by a 5NT bid, it assures of the presence of all the Key Cards and the Trump Queen and asks for Kings;
In response partner bids the lowest suit with the King, the 5NT bidder bids the next lowest King, and so on.
(A different scheme is suggested in the last section below)

Gerber is used over first and last No Trump bids only. Gerber has been extended as follows:

4 D	0 or 3 aces
4 H	1 or 4 aces
4 S	2 aces with no slam interest
4 N	2 aces with slam interest

If there is intervention, DOPI and DEPO are used.
If the intervention is below the 5 level of the Trump suit, DOPI is used, else DEPO is used.

An advanced version of the Grand Slam Force is used.

If the agreed suit is a minor or hearts, a variation of RKCB called Kickback or Redwood is used.
In this method, when Clubs are trumps, 4D is used to ask for keycards
and when diamonds are trumps, 4H is used to ask for key cards.
The obvious advantage of this system is that you will be able to stop below slam if you do not have enough keycards.
You need to be careful about using Kickback and have a clear understanding
with partner as to which sequences are Kickback and which are not.
To start with you may use the following:
1. After a minor suit has been agreed upon, a jump to 4D/4H is Kickback.
   e.g. 1S-2D-3D-4H; 4H is Key card asking for diamonds
2. After a minor suit agreement at the 4 level, the next bid is Kickback.
   e.g. 1S-2H-3C-4C-4D; 4D is Key card asking for clubs
3. If the agreed suit is hearts, only a jump to 4S is Kickback.
   e.g. 2N-3D-3H-4S; 4S is Key card asking for hearts

The responses follow a pattern similar to that of RKCB.
If 4D has been used for Kickback, a subsequent bid of 5D asks for Kings.
In response,
5H shows the Heart King,
5S shows the Spade King, but no Heart King,
5N shows the Diamond King, but no Heart or spade Kings,
6C shows no Kings

If the opponents double the Kickback bid, the response is as follows:
   Pass - no first or second round control ;
   Redbl - second round control;
   other bids - first round control in the kickback suit (included in response);
If responder passes, asker can re-double to ask again.

A specialized Key Card asking bid of 4C after preempts of 2H/2S/3D/3H/3S is used. The responses:

4 D	0 Key Cards
4 H	1 Key Card, no Trump Queen
4 S	1 Key Card with Trump Queen
4 N	2 Key Cards, no Trump Queen
5 C	2 Key Cards with Trump Queen

(Over 3C preempt, the asking bid is 4D)

When a Quantitative 4 NT is bid, there are methods to elicit information to land in the best strain.
This is useful in team games and even in matchpoints when close slams are bid.
The scheme:

5 C: 0 or 3 Aces
5 D: 1 or 4 Aces
5 H: 2 Aces, minimum
5 S: 2 Aces, maximum
5 N: Asks for a 4 card minor; usually bid with both minors
6 C, 6 D: Undisclosed 5 card suit or additional card
6 H, 6 S: Undisclosed support or additional card; see examples
6 N: Life is short; Carpe diem

Some examples:
1. After 1 N - 2 H (transfer) - 2 S, 4 N is Quantitative. Some responses:
   5 N: Asking for lowest 4 card minor
   6 D: 5 card diamonds
   6 S: 3 card spade support
2. After 1 C - 1 H - 2 N, 4 N is Quantitative. Some responses:
   5 N: Asking for lowest 4 card minor
   6 C: 5 card clubs
   6 S: Excellent 4 card spades; minimum A K 10 x

K J 10 8 5 3

A K 10 7 2

1. An opening bid of 4N is Blackwood. After that 5N asks for the number of kings.
This is also true if the opponents have preempted at the 2 or 3 level.

2. After 1^st RKCB bid, a new non-queen asking suit asks for control
1^st step: no control
2^nd step: 3^rd round control
3^rd step: 2^nd round control

An example:

			North
			9 8
			A Q
			K 9 8 2
			A Q J 4 3

			South
			A 10 4 2
			K 3
			A Q J 7 5 3
			7

		North		South

		1 C		1 D
		3 D		4 H (1)
		4 S (2)		5 S (3)
		6 C (4)		6 D

(1) Kickback
(2) 3 Keycards
(3) Spade control ?
(4) third round control

3. If there is a double fit, there are 6 keycards. On Queen ask
1^st step: No Queens
2^nd step: Lower Queen
3^rd step: Higher Queen
4^th step: Both Queens

4. After second RKCB bid instead of bidding Kings "up the line", new suit asks for control.
Since the first round control is guaranteed, bid the grand with second round control.
Some examples:

	West		East

	1 C		1 S
	3 S		4 N (1)
	5 H (2)		5 N (3)
	6 C (4)		6 H (5)
	7 S (6)

(1) RKCB
(2) 2 Keycards, no trump Queen
(3) King asking (guarantees all Keycards and trump Queen)
(4) Club King
(5) Do you have second round heart control?
(6) Yes

	West		East

	1 C		2 C (1)
	4 D (2)		4 S (3)
	5 D (4)		5 H (5)
	5 N (6)		7 C (7)

(1) Inverted; 10+ points, 4 or more clubs
(2) Kickback for Clubs
(3) 1 Keycard
(4) King asking (guarantees all Keycards and trump Queen)
(5) Heart King
(6) Do you have second round diamond control? (NoTrump substitutes for diamond ask)
(7) Yes

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