VA Slam conventions


A variety of Slam bidding tools and techniques is used.

The system ie geared to explore slams 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 bid 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.

Gerber is used only in the following 4 cases:
1N - 4C; 2N - 4C; 2C - 2D - 2N - 4C; 1 suit - 1 suit - 2N - 4C
Below is an advanced version of Gerber:

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.

An advanced version of the Grand Slam Force is used.

Kickback/Redwood

If the agreed suit is a minor or hearts, a variation of RKCB called Kickback 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.

After partner preempts

There is a specialized Key Card asking bid of 4C after preempts of 2H/2S/3D/3H/3S. 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)

Some Special Bids and sequences

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

An example:

      North  
    S 9 8  
    H A Q  
    D K 9 8 2  
    C A Q J 4 3  
         
      South  
    S A 10 4 2  
    H K 3  
    D A Q J 7 5 3  
    C 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
1st step: No Queens
2nd step: Lower Queen
3rd step: Higher Queen
4th 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  
  S A 7 6 2   S K J 10 8 5 3  
  H K 7   H A J 4 2  
  D 9 7   D A 4  
  C A K 10 7 2   C 6  
             

  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  
  S A   S 5 3 2  
  H A Q 3   H K 7 5  
  D A Q 9 6   D K 7  
  C K Q 10 6 3   C A 7 5 4 2  
             

  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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