Saturday, August 16, 2003 1:49 AM

Hand Evaluation - 5 level Q Bids ( EKCB )

PITBULLS:

Q bids at the 5 level should be extinct playing the Italian style of Q bidding. Q bidding is finished once game is reached & KCB takes over. This treatment means we can redefine the meaning of Q bids at the 5 level. Fred Gittleman suggests all Q bids of the opponents suit that commence at the 5 level should be defined as Exclusion Blackwood. This is similar thinking to jumping to the 5 level to define exclusion KCB. What does a Q bid of their suit at the 5 level really mean ? Partner says he is supposed to like or dislike his hand after a 5 level Q bid without having a clue what the other hand consists of. In other words , a blind guess. Why not do as Gittleman suggests and use the bid as Exclusion Blackwood ? Alternatively , have a suit bid ( other than their suit ) at the 5 level defined as an asking bid in that suit rather than a telling bid. Normally suit asking bids kick in after KCB though. You could have any bid other than trump as exclusion KCB at the 5 level.

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 & decided it was time for a nv vrs vul weak 2 in hearts. Mr. Flock made a vulnerable overcall 2♠ . Vish leapt to 4♥ 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 2♠ overcall there has to be a good chance for a vul grand. Butcher even with his void in hearts trotted out Blackwood . I thought it was time to help partner out on lead so I backed in 5♦ . Doran responded with 1 Ace so Butcher went into a huddle. Surely with the opponents bidding hearts they have the Ace of hearts . What is Crosby’s bid of 5♦ ? Is it a lead directing void or the Ace of diamonds so partner has the heart Ace ? Butcher puts the 7♠ card on the table and all pass . Vish leads a diamond , 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 defined as Exclusion Blackwood is a logical treatment.

With this auction , should we heap all the blame for the result on Butcher ? Can my 5♦ 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 7♠ from the shoulder keeps me from bidding 5♦. I will double 7♠ 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.

Tom Gandolfo held this hand ♠AKxx ♥void ♦Jxx ♣KQ1098x , LHO opened a weak 2♥ & I overcalled 2♠ with ♠QJ109x ♥Axx ♦Q1098 ♣A . Tom’s RHO jammed to 4♥ so Tom bid 5♥ . I feared duplication of value in hearts with my ♥A so I signed off in 5♠. Tom took a guess at 6♠ but they failed to cash their ♦AK so I made the contract. What if I held the same HCP’s , same shape but switch the red Aces. Tom through exclusion Blackwood could find that out , even ask for the trump queen. He can count 13 tricks and claim before the lead. In the era of Exclusion Blackwood , Q bidding their suit at the 5 level is archaic.

Ilya Kuzkin opened 1♠ & I merely held a black 6-6 ♠AJxxxx ♥void ♦x ♣AK1098x so I bid 2♣ . Ilya bid 3♣ so I bid 3♠ & partner carried on to 4♠. Ilya plays standard Russian Q bidding understandings so he may hold the ♦ Ace . So I bid 5♥ which can never start a Q bidding sequence at the 5 level. The bid must be exclusion KCB. Partner bids 5NT showing 2 Aces outside of the heart suit so I bid 7♠ which partner claims.