Friday, August 19, 2005 10:14 PM
Exclusion Blackwood
PITBULLS:
Exclusion Blackwood is a new tool for us. Whenever you are thinking
about Q bidding a void , think
Exclusion Blackwood instead. The
trouble with Q bidding a void is that partner thinks it is a king or an Ace so
he does not discount terrible duplication of value and continues to make
encouraging noises. BJ held this hand
Void Q10987x Jxx AK10x and I opened 1NT. BJ transferred to hearts and then
bid 3♣. I bid 3♥ confirming hearts as the trump suit. If I have
nothing in spades , a grand slam in hearts is possible xxxx AKx AK Qxxx . If I have horrible
duplication of value in spades , 6♥ would be very iffy. A void showing bid is exclusion
Blackwood so 4♠ asks for Aces. Partner with AKQx
Kxx Axxx xx shows two outside the spade suit (5♦) so you sign off in 5♥ . With the other hand you give a 5♥ response and 6♥ is a baby bid.
BJ
had a hand that “exclusion” would have kept us out of a bad slam. He held AQ10xx
void Axxx AJxx and opened 1♠ getting a 1NT response from me. BJ bid a quiet 2♣ (
what else ?) and I showed a limit raise in spades by bidding 3♠ Given
the parameter of the forcing NT where my maximum is in the 11 HCP range we are
in the 26 HCP range. Having said that , if there is no duplication of value in
hearts, a grand slam is possible !
Kxx xxxx Kx KQxx are the magical cards where 13 tricks are a
possibility. Anyway BJ decided to Q bid 4♣ to test the waters and I replied 4♦ which obviously says I like my hand on the auction.
What next ? 5♥ exclusion by BJ is a two way bid. It asks me to show
controls omitting the heart Ace but it obviously tells me that he is void in
hearts. I held the wrong hand for him as I held the heart Ace instead of the
spade king making slam a bad contract. I respond no Aces and BJ now realizes
that we are in the 26 HCP range with possible duplication so he passes my 5♠ response ( zero aces ) . My hand was Jxx Axxx Kx K10xx but what if my hand was Jxx xxxx KQx KQxx . In light of his non
forcing 2♣ bid and his slam aspirations I would just bid 6♠ ! . There is no
hand that he could hold that he bids 2♣ with a void in hearts that slam can not make . He needs around 16 HCP
outside the heart suit so “filling in the blanks” 6♠ must be cold ! Exclusion Blackwood is a two way bid on some auctions !!
2/1
auctions when there is a void in the majors
is exclusion Blackwood so do not Q bid
the void. You hold void xx Axxx AQJ10xx and
partner opens a heart. You bid 2♣ and partner raises to 3♣ . Do not even think of
Q bidding your spade void. Jump to 4♠ which is exclusion Blackwood for clubs !
. With minors agreed , you can get away with Exclusion Blackwood at the 4 level in the major. Here is another
auction . I held AKxxxx void Axxx Kxx
and partner opens 1♦. I respond
a spade and partner bids 2♦. 4♥ to play is an impossible bid as you have a million
other bids to show spades and hearts. 4♥ is exclusion KCB with diamonds as the agreed suit.
Opening
2♣ is where exclusion Blackwood could be a very frequent bid. If you have found
a minor fit early jump to 4 of a major is exclusion Blackwood. 2♣-P-3♣-P 4♦ is not splintering to the
weak hand. Clubs are agreed and we have a void in diamonds and
exclusion KCB . With a major fit after two clubs , a jump to the 5 level is an
obvious Exclusion Blackwood bid. 2♣-P-2♦-P
2♠-P-3♠-P
5♣-P-?
OK
what about the strong distribution 6-5 hands ? X AKJxx AQJ10xx x you
open 1♦ and partner bid 1♠. Do not be a kangaroo and jump to 4♥ . That is exclusion Blackwood with spade support !!
Bid 2♥ as a quiet reverse or 3♥ as a jump shift reverse if you are weaker. What
about the strong two suiters with the spade suit. Here is where I think
exclusion Blackwood is silly. Exclusion Blackwood forcing the auction to the 5
level when there is a threat of serious duplication of value is bad Bridge. A
leap to the 4 level in spades is natural and not Exclusion Blackwood. AKQxx x x AKxxxx 1♣-P-1♥-P
4♠ as
Exclusion Blackwood is too risky and will put the heart contract in jeopardy if
severe duplication of value in spades. Comments ?