Saturday, August 16, 2003 1:49 AM

Exclusion Blackwood

PITBULLS:

A hand at the Red Deer tournament really shows the need for the “Exclusion Blackwood” convention . The characters involved are the Butcher/Flock combo vrs yours truly and Vish . First seat not vul against vul I held x 10987xx AQxx xx and decided it was time for a weak 2 in hearts. Mr. Flock made a vulnerable overcall 2S . Vish leapt to 4H and Butcher held the following:

A	v	x	A
K	o	x	K
x	i	x	Q
x	d		J
			x
			x

Opposite a vul 2S overcall there has to be a good chance for a vul grand. Butcher with his void in hearts trotted out Blackwood . I thought it was time to help partner out on lead so I backed in 5D . Doran responded with 1 Ace and Butcher went into a huddle. Surely with the opponents bidding hearts they have the Ace of hearts . What is Crosby’s bid of 5D ? Is it a lead directing void or the Ace of diamonds and partner has the heart Ace ? Butcher puts the 7S card on the table and all pass . Vish leads a diamond and I cash the Ace for +100 .

I think a Q bid at the 5 level should be Exclusion Blackwood by partnership agreement. Q bids at the 5 level are ambiguous enough so having it be defined as Exclusion Blackwood is a logical treatment.

With this auction , should we heap all the blame for the result on Butcher . Can my 5D bid be a psyche to keep them out of 7 ? Do you believe the opponents ? I think the problem with Butchers bidding is that he has to blast if he wants a chance at 7 . Bidding 7S from the shoulder keeps me from bidding 5D. I will double 7S telling partner not to lead a heart but Vish only has a 50-50 chance of finding the diamond lead . Hence we have a 50 % grand. The way Butcher bid it , I feel it is a zero % grand slam.