Friday, October 15, 2004 6:00 AM

 Jump Cue Bids

 

PITBULLS:

 

          There are not enough bids in Bridge to describe solid suits. The gambling 3NT opening or overcall is a good descriptive bid. If opened , there is a solid suit with no outside  controls. If overcalled there is a solid suit with a stopper in the opponents suit. What are some other  bids that show solid suits ? At unfavourable vulnerability ( vul vrs nv ) a normal pre-empt shows a solid or semi-solid suit or else bidding to the 3 level would be suicidal against nv opponents.

 

          What if you had a solid suit but no stopper in the opponents suit ? This is where the jump Q bid comes into play. In the balancing , direct or sandwich position a jump Q shows a solid suit and asks partner to bid 3NT if he holds a stopper in that suit. Partner can have outside cards for this bid and quite often does. If you do not have a stopper in that suit and a natural major to bid you can introduce that suit. The reason is that you are forced to the 4 level anyway so you might as well describe your hand along the way.  Part of this jump Q bid  treatment is to play “coded minors” to show controls in your hand. Since you are not playing this hand in 3NT and are going to the 4 level in a minor anyway ( sometimes even a major)  the lower ranking minor shows zero or one controls and the higher ranking  minor 2 or more controls. This assists the jump Q bidder in making a game or slam decision. It is like a “pre Blackwood” and sets the stage for partner to use Blackwood.

 

          1♠-3♠-P-?             xxx Axxxx xxx xx       You bid 4♦ to show your 2 controls and partner with x Kx AKQJxxxx Kx  bids 5♦ or even Blackwood. Over 4♣ showing  zero controls he just retreats to 4♦ .

 

          When the opponents open a weak 2 bid , a direct Q bid follows the same principles directly or in the balancing. Bid 3NT with a stopper but if you do not have a stopper show your controls via coded minors.

 

          Showing a solid suit is the best way to get to 3NT . The auctions goes 1♥-P-1♠-? And you are in the sandwich position with QJx x AKQJxxx Jx  . You have a choice of jump Q bids.  Make a jump Q in the suit that you require the stopper and partner will bid 3NT .  The make quite often or end up being a cheap sacrifice. In the balancing spot , the jump Q bid can be a very good hand with 9 tricks available if partner has a spade stopper. Vulnerability dictates how close to 9 tricks the jump Q bidder has. If favourable vulnerability , the jump Q bidder can just be describing a solid suit for pre-emptive reasons.  At unfavourable vulnerability there is usually 9 tricks available if partner has a stopper in the opponents suit.

 

          If partner has initially bid a suit and the opponents have bid a suit , a jump Q bid is of course a splinter.  1♦-1♥-3♥ is a singleton heart . If we had wanted to grope for 3NT,  the western Q bid would be used after making a natural bid of some sort.  The THRUMP double is another way of showing a solid suit .  1♥-3♠-X         x xx AKQJ10xx Jxx   . The 3NT double invented by Bergen asks partner to bid 3NT with a spade stopper. A 4♦ bid with these hands is lame and drives you to an 11 trick contract going down when 3NT is cold.

 

          Bridge is a game of suits . A solid long minor equates to excellent 3NT games making. The more bids you have that describe solid or semi-solid suits the better off the partnership will be. Sometimes the opponents open and you have a long solid major too strong to pre-empt to 4 of a major. Having a jump Q bid as natural in a major is a waste of a good bid. You need a bid to describe a super jump to game in a major. I held AKQ1098xxx x xxx void and they opened 1♣. Leaping to 4♠ pre-emptive is a silly bid. You bid 3♣ and partner bids 3NT. You bid 4♠ and that describes a NAMYATS type 4♠ bid.

 

          What are jump Q bids after a T/O double either at the one level or two level ? The same thing as the bid describes a solid suit somewhere. Experts add a wrinkle that the jump Q bid denies a control in the bid suit. 1♠ by the opponents and you double with ♠Ax ♥QJxx ♦xxx ♣AKxx  and partner holds ♠xx ♥Ax ♦AKQJ10x ♣QJx so she bids 3♠. Partner bids 3NT with a stopper and you bid 6NT.