Minor Suit RKB Ask

[laughter]

Just reading Eddie's latest book on RKB.

 

Let share with you most of the minor suit asks first:

He suggested that the RKB ask in minors should be determined by the level of agreement (2 level, 3 level, or 4 level) and whether it is GF agreement or NF agreement.

 

Some general rules:

 

1) When it is 2 level agreement, jump to 4m is RKB.

 

2) When it is 3 level agreement, first determine it is GF or NF.

 

3) If it is GF, then a bid of 4m by either unlimited partner is RKB.

 

4) If it is NF, then a jump to 4m+1 (exclude a possibly natural first bid M) is RKB when there is 0 or 1 (unbid suit); a raise is RKB when there is 2 or 3 (unbid suit).

 

The reason for 4) is that when there is 2 or 3 unbid suits, you have plenty of game tries and 4m can be left idle for RKB ask. When there is only 0 or 1 unbid suit, then a raise has to be reserved as game try.

 

5) When it is 4 level agreement, see whether it is after a 3NT bid.

 

6) If it is after 3NT bid, then the 3NT bidder cannot immediately ask (limited hand), he can cue bid, sign off in 4M/4NT or leap to slam. After cue bidding, later 4NT is RKB.

 

7) if it is not after 3NT bid, then the cheapest bid should be ask, barring that it has to be natural. (4NT is a cue bid in ask suit, and after cue bidding, later 4NT is RKB)

 

The Non-agreement sequences (direct RKB ask before agreement) are skipped here as they are infrequent and not very useful (you can always try to agree suit first).

 

Any opinions?

 

If you are interested, maybe you should buy one copy.

[pclayton]

I've never been crazy about Kantar's rules on RKCB and minorwood. For instance, he used 1430 and 0314 interchangably, depending on who the strong hand was. Seems to me that kickback solves the problem easier. I don't care for the 'rules' for the minor suit ask either; it adds unnecessary confusion.

 

I do like a lot of his treatments on jumping to a new suit directly over a response to 4N to ask for 3rd round controls and the like. His book nicely codifies a lot of the sequences for a serious partnership too, although a lot of the treatments would hardly be considered 'standard'.

 

I notice that the 25 or sections on RKCB have been taken off his web site. Bummer - it was a nice reference.