Keycard Gerber

[nige1]

I agree kickback is superior, but minorwood is less prone to mishaps.Btw - I would not suggest playing kickback or minorwood as a beginner or intermediate - if your memory can tolerate additional conventions, there are more important (i.e. occurring more frequently for more gain) conventions to try.

If a partnership like simple, consistent, memorable methods, then they should consider Keycard Gerber. If possible, in context, over a natural suit bid or when a suit is agreed, 4♣ is initially Keycard Gerber. It sets the obvious suit as trumps. But it has RKC replies and continuations i.e.

• 4♦ = 0/3 keycards. Then 4♥ asks for trump Q, 4NT for Ks.
• 4♥ = 1/4 keycards. Then 4♠ asks for trump Q, 4NT for Ks.
• 4♠ = 2 keycards. Then 4N asks for Ks.
• 4NT = 2 keycards + trump Q. Then 5N asks for Ks.

When available, this replaces 4N (RKC), to which you can assign some other meaning. A disappointed Keycard Gerber bidder can sign-off in a minor-suit game (or 4♠, sometimes).

[smerriman]

If a partnership like simple, consistent, memorable methods, I prefer "4C is not Gerber" ;)

[pescetom]

If a partnership like simple, consistent, memorable methods, then they should consider Keycard Gerber. If possible, in context, over a natural suit bid or when a suit is agreed, 4♣ is initially Keycard Gerber. It sets the obvious suit as trumps. But it has RKC replies and continuations i.e.

• 4♦ = 0/3 keycards. Then 4♥ asks for trump Q, 4NT for Ks.
• 4♥ = 1/4 keycards. Then 4♠ asks for trump Q, 4NT for Ks.
• 4♠ = 2 keycards. Then 4N asks for Ks.
• 4NT = 2 keycards + trump Q. Then 5N asks for Ks.

When available, this replaces 4N (RKC), to which you can assign some other meaning. A disappointed Keycard Gerber bidder can sign-off in a minor-suit game (or 4♠, sometimes).

 

I don't like the idea of generalising this to situations where a suit is agreed, it gets in the way and clubs could usefully mean something else.

But playing 4♣ over any 2 or 3 level preempt of ♦♥♠ as a RKCB fixing trumps makes a lot of sense (over 3♣ use 4♦ instead).

I call this 'Preempt Kickback' (to emphasise the distinction from the similar but superfluous and misleadingly named convention 'Preempt RKCB').

[nige1]

I don't like the idea of generalising this to situations where a suit is agreed, it gets in the way and clubs could usefully mean something else.But playing 4♣ over any 2 or 3 level preempt of ♦♥♠ as a RKCB fixing trumps makes a lot of sense (over 3♣ use 4♦ instead).I call this 'Preempt Kickback' (to emphasise the distinction from the similar but superfluous and misleadingly named convention 'Preempt RKCB').

The conventional use of a call deprives us of other natural and conventional meanings for the call. Whether some of them may be more effective, is a matter of judgement. SMerriman and Pescetom may well be right.

Over pre-empts, for me, It would be simple and consistent to play Keycard Gerber. But my partners prefer Half-key Gerber, where the steps are

 

• 4♦ = ART Trump Q or less.
• 4♥ = ART 1 keycard.
• 4♠ = ART Trump Q + 1 keycard.
• 4N = ART 2 keycards.
• 5♣ = ART Trump Q + 2 keycards.

Also, like Pescetom, some of them prefer to use 4♦ rather than 4♣ over a 3♣ pre-empt.