Fake Cue?

[kayin801]

No bidding by the opponents:

1♥-2♣

2♠-3♠

4♣-?

 

1♥ was limited to 15 pts

2♣ was GF balanced or clubs

With a balanced GF and 4 spades we would respond 1♠ to 1♥, so 3♠ should show an unbalanced hand.

 

4♣ = ?

[ggwhiz]

This might be a minority view but my partnership prefers to pattern out in auctions like this.

 

That makes 4♣ typically a big 4-5-1-3 or 4-6-0-3 or so and mandatory cue-bidding starts now.

 

I'm playing partner for the shape above but they can have have anything they want, often a minor suit void trolling for a ♦ cue or lack of in order to take charge. We cue 1st round, not 1st or 2nd.

 

EDIT: This WILL be the minority view. I just remembered patterning out like this in the ACBL It's Your Call last month and getting the goose egg. Oh well, at least we're all cue-bidding, I just start one bid later.

[Phil]

Definitely a cue: A/K or Q.

 

Good thing we have definition about 3♠; I'm not sure others would be on solid ground here.

[hanp]

Definitely a cue. Whether you allow shortness and/or the queen is up to agreement.

[gnasher]

I'd like it to be shape-showing - from partner's point of view, there's a big difference between Kxx and Kx.

 

However, you can only do that if you have some other way to bid the hands that want to start cue-bidding but don't have any particular shape to show. I used to use 3NT for that, but 3NT is more useful as a non-serious slam try. Hence I'm stuck with having to play 4♣ as a cue-bid.

[Phil]

I'd like it to be shape-showing - from partner's point of view, there's a big difference between Kxx and Kx.

There's also a big difference between xxx and Kx.

[Fluffy]

what han says. In my methods it is specifically club shortness given that we'd bid 3NT if no shortness avaible and 4♦ with the shortness there. More or less what gnasher plays but reversed I guess.

[kayin801]

Secondary vote then: do you like bidding 4♣ with Qx(x) here, or do you prefer it to be A or K?

 

RE gnasher: 3NT would be serious for us (though, once again, opener is limited to 15, so serious in context), or in other words slam related but says nothing about shape. Opener hasn't shown any extras yet, so they'd just raise to 4♠ on trash, but maybe try a cue with an okay hand.

[Codo]

To me this would be a top honour in clubs, never the queen.

[gwnn]

Ace or King.

[P_Marlowe]

Cue, showing a top honor, if 3S promised 5 clubs, than the Queen is possible.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe