Sunday, March 09, 2003 3:12 AM

Exclusion Blackwood - 4 level

 

PITBULLS:

 

          Exclusion Blackwood is an excellent bidding tool . When splinters were first invented , the idea was that a jump to the 3 level shows a singleton and at the 4 level a void . Exclusion Blackwood has made the void showing splinter extinct in my opinion. Why tell partner and the opponents you have a void when you have a tool that ignores her duplication of value in that suit ?  When you are showing a void its for slam purposes anyway , so taking control via Exclusion Blackwood makes a lot more sense to me.

 

          Established partnerships should play that all void showing jumps either at the 5 level or lower is Exclusion Blackwood . Tom and I had an auction last Thursday night . I held

 

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        I opened a spade and Tom surprised me by bidding 2♣ . A 3♠ bid by me is close but it shows a solid or semi solid suit . I chose to bid 4♦ which is an obvious void in diamonds. Tom took it as Exclusion Blackwood and he ignored his AK of diamonds in his response . Although he had 19 HCP we stayed out of 7 as we were off the king of clubs . Tom had a stiff spade so we were missing 5 spades to the queen which makes a grand in spades not very likely . 6♣ won us 7 IMPS .

 

 

          I think direct 4 level splinters should be extinct in favour of Exclusion Blackwood . If it is clear that partner is showing a void , it is Exclusion Blackwood .  

 

          Partner opens a diamond and you have

 

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    this hand . You respond a heart and hear partner rebids her diamonds. Exclusion  Blackwood is not 5♠ but 4♠ . Three spades is a singleton & 4 spades is a void so why waste a level ?  You are past 3NT and having partner bid 4NT over your  4♠ void showing bid seems kind of weak . Have your void showing bid always be Exclusion Blackwood and you save a level . If the auction is complicated , jumping to the 5 level certainly is Exclusion Blackwood and can not be misinterpreted . With minors as trump , jumps at the 4 level in a major is Exclusion Blackwood.

 

          Scientists might want to have all 3 bids available . 1♠   3/4/5 ♦ being a singleton , a void and then Exclusion Blackwood . The 4♦ bid would invite slam only if partner has no duplication of value in diamonds . I do not buy into that treatment. The first two steps in Exclusion Blackwood could still keep you under game and why broadcast a void if you do not have serious slam interests ?  If you are that weak , treat your void as a singleton and just splinter at the 3 level. You might be able to re Q bid later to indicate a void. A splinter would be defined as a singleton or void at the 3 level , if you do not have serious slam aspirations. 1♥/♠-P-4♣/♦  is Exclusion Blackwood so there is no need to go to the 5 level.

 

          Your partner opens 1♠ and you hold x x xx KQJ109xxxx . You can now leap to 5♣ and it is not Exclusion Blackwood but a plethora of clubs . 4♣ would be Exclusion Blackwood in support of spades if you do not play “flower bids”  . If you chose to bid 1NT with this freak and partner bids 3♥ , 4♣ is a Q bid and 5♣ is not Exclusion Blackwood as you did not bid 4♣ going in - ergo you must have clubs .

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