rkc misadventure

[HeartA]

Have to disagree with my friend Matt... asking for keycards doesn't agree a suit, it just agrees which suit it's keycard for. When partner bids 6C it clarifies what is happening. Certainly in many auctions 6C would ask for third round control, but when partner hasn't even made a bid other than 4N yet that shouldn't apply. Asking for keycard in one suit then bidding a slam in a different suit is somewhat common especially in auctions like this.

 

By the way if you thought he was asking for third round control why didn't you bid 7?

I totally agree with Justin.

[kenberg]

As I said at the beginning, given our agreements and lack thereof, I should have passed 6C. No quarrel here on that point. I am thinking we need to improve our agreements however.

 

Mostly I like the idea that when trumps could have been set first but partner goes directly to 4NT then, if it is ace asking at all, it is standard Blackwood. The problem I see, with a less than expert partnership, is confusion over whether trumps could have been set. I was watching a strong game recently, strong enough to have a good size group of kbs ( I know, there are various reasons a table might have many kibs, but this was due to the quality of play). They reached 6S (hopeless) rather than 6H(cold) due to a mix up as to whether trump had been set.

 

So I am thinking a short list of specific situations might be the way to go. In the case at hand, partner could have set trumps with 2S. An early on cue bid would indeed set trumps, or so I think and so we could agree. I think my partner and I, and I think many pairs, just are not detailed enough in our partnership to know always when trumps have been set. But we could probably make a short list, and probably even remember it.

 

For the folks who said pard should have first bid 3C, there is a problem. He has to worry that I might bid 3NT. Even if 4NT would then be rkc for clubs, he really doesn't want to hear 5D (0/3). What he wants is to find out how many aces I have and then place the contract. Playing that an immediate 4NT is ace asking, not keycard asking, allows this and would allow it even if partner did not have the king of hearts. As long as we can define clearly when it's rkc and when it is blkwd, I think it's the way to go.

 

By the way, Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Best Holiday Wishes, to all.

 

Ken