Keycard Blackwood

[relpar]

My partner responds 2NT (Jacoby) to my 1 Spade opening bid. I rebid 3 Clubs with my singleton. Partner now bids 3 Hearts, showing first round control. I know he must have a void because I have the Heart Ace. I now bid 4 Diamonds showing first round control. Partner now bids 4NT, RKC in relation to Spades. This is my hand: S. ATxxx, H.AJxx, D. Axx, C.Q. Knowing my partner has a void in Hearts should I show 3 Keycards or 2?

[smerriman]

For one, it would be better if you play that a control bid promises first OR second round control; it makes cuebidding far simpler.

 

However, whatever you play, you must answer truthfully. While you know your partner has a void, your partner also knows their own hand, and should only be bidding 4NT if they know what to do with a truthful response. If it were vital to distinguish keycards inside/outside of hearts, they could either continue control bidding, or use voidwood.

[Vampyr]

My partner responds 2NT (Jacoby) to my 1 Spade opening bid. I rebid 3 Clubs with my singleton. Partner now bids 3 Hearts, showing first round control. I know he must have a void because I have the Heart Ace. I now bid 4 Diamonds showing first round control. Partner now bids 4NT, RKC in relation to Spades. This is my hand: S. ATxxx, H.AJxx, D. Axx, C.Q. Knowing my partner has a void in Hearts should I show 3 Keycards or 2?

 

Are you absolutely certain that your partner’s below-game control bid shows first-round control? Is there no possibility that partner has the K or a singleton?

 

EDIT: Crossed above post. Voidwood gets you a little high; perhaps precludes sensible grand-slam tries if continuations unclear.

[relpar]

Are you absolutely certain that your partner’s below-game control bid shows first-round control? Is there no possibility that partner has the K or a singleton?

 

EDIT: Crossed above post. Voidwood gets you a little high; perhaps precludes sensible grand-slam tries if continuations unclear.

Yes my partner's 3H bid shows either the Ace or a void. This was his hand: S.Qxxxx, H.--. D. QJ9x, C.AK98. Is there a consensus recommendation about bidding this hand IF the partnership is not playing Exclusion Blackwood?

[akwoo]

I think, with your agreements, the auction should start:

 

1S 2N

3C 3H

4D 4H

4S 5C

 

When someone bypasses RKCB, there is always a reason for doing so, and in this case, it should be pretty clear that the reason is the heart void.

 

Also, 5C has to show first round control, since, given that you have a singleton, a second round control isn't all that useful.

 

Now look at it from opener's point of view. Partner knows we have first round control of all side suits, is interested in slam, but can't bid it. Partner is looking for one of two things, either the diamond K or top trump.

 

So I think opener's bid here should be 5H, which supposedly shows first round control of hearts and denies the diamond K, but more importantly shows continued slam interest. Since responder knows opener knows what responder is looking for, this must be based on a high trump. Without the diamond K, responder can't really go looking for a grand here, but they can easily bid 6S. (With the diamond K, I think the right bid for responder is 5N - normally that is "pick a slam" but in this case it is the old fashioned grand slam force since I don't think any other strains are possibly in play - and if opener gets it wrong and picks diamonds, they will get the message after responder corrects to 6S.)

[relpar]

I think, with your agreements, the auction should start:

 

1S 2N

3C 3H

4D 4H

4S 5C

 

When someone bypasses RKCB, there is always a reason for doing so, and in this case, it should be pretty clear that the reason is the heart void.

 

Also, 5C has to show first round control, since, given that you have a singleton, a second round control isn't all that useful.

 

Now look at it from opener's point of view. Partner knows we have first round control of all side suits, is interested in slam, but can't bid it. Partner is looking for one of two things, either the diamond K or top trump.

 

So I think opener's bid here should be 5H, which supposedly shows first round control of hearts and denies the diamond K, but more importantly shows continued slam interest. Since responder knows opener knows what responder is looking for, this must be based on a high trump. Without the diamond K, responder can't really go looking for a grand here, but they can easily bid 6S. (With the diamond K, I think the right bid for responder is 5N - normally that is "pick a slam" but in this case it is the old fashioned grand slam force since I don't think any other strains are possibly in play - and if opener gets it wrong and picks diamonds, they will get the message after responder corrects to 6S.)

[relpar]

And if I could convince my partner to play Exclusion Blackwood then 1S - 5H, 6C - 6S. Quite easy.

[smerriman]

And if I could convince my partner to play Exclusion Blackwood then 1S - 5H, 6C - 6S. Quite easy.

You'd probably need to convince your partner to relearn it if he tried that and got a 5N response :) Taking it slowly and cuebidding is the best way to go.

[Zelandakh]

There are other methods around too. I like to play that 1♥ - 3♠ shows a void splinter in an undisclosed suit. A subsequent 4♠ from Responder is then Voidwood. Similarly, the sequence 1♥ - 2♠; 2NT - 3♠ is used as a void macro-splinter (ie extra strength splinter) in any suit. The same rules apply here except that Opener needs less to cooperate. Methods such as this (and there are also other alternatives if you look around) can save space and add safety over a simple XRKCB sequence.

 

In any case, as others have already mentioned, without special methods the answer to almost any slam investigation with a void is to cue bid until one of other partner has enough information to place the contract.