Friday, April 25, 2003 4:34 AM
KCB - NT Hands
PITBULLS:
Latest from Kantar site on NT & KCB . You may not
agree with all this but it should get you thinking …
WHEN
NO TRUMP REARS ITS UGLY HEAD.
Notrump bids are limit bids and the partner of the
notrump bidder is usually the one who makes the keycard ask.
However, if the partner invites SLAM, or the notrump bidder has an incredible
fitting hand facing a known two-suiter,
the notrump bidder can break rank and ask for keycards.
In addition, after notrump has been bid and a
MINOR suit fit uncovered in a slam headed auction, 4NT is not used to ask
for keycards. It is considered natural. Either a lower
ask or a cuebidding sequence must develop.
A. After a 1NT opening
bid.
It is not the scope of this book to present
methods for responding to a 1NT or 2NT opening bid. However, if the
responder has some way to show the minors and the opener agrees a minor
at the three level, responder should be able to ask for keycards.
If the partnership is in a game forcing
auction the raise of the agreed suit is
RKB. If the partnership is not in a game-forcing auction, a leap to 4D over 3C or a
leap to 4H over 3D is keycard for the agreed
minor.
WHEN TWO ARE MISSING
Opener
Responder
S.
KQx
S. x
H.
Q10x
H. x
D. AJxx
D. KQ10xx
C.
Kxx
C. AQJxxx
Opener
Responder
1NT
2S (1)
3D
(2)
?
(1) Minors (not everybody plays this way).
(2) Four or five diamonds.
Say the responder wishes to ask for
keycards. If the sequence is considered game forcing, 4D is RKB. If the
sequence is not considered game forcing, then 4H is RKB. Whichever ask is used,
responder shows two keycards (including the CK) and responder signs off in 5D
knowing two keycards are missing.
WHEN OPENER HAS AN END
OF THE WORLD FIT
Opener
Responder
S.
AJx
S. x
H.
AQx
H. xx
D. Q10xxx D. Kxxxx
C.
Ax
C. KQJxx
Opener
Responder
1NT
2S (1)
3D (2)
3S (3)
4D
(4)
4H (5)
6D
(1)
Minors
(2)
The agreement
(3)
Singleton
(4)
RKB
(5)
1
When the opener has a phenomenal hand for one of
the minors, he does best to agree the suit and find out more about
partner's hand (singleton?) before launching into RKB which is the four level
of the agreed suit. Here, one keycard is missing, so opener
bids 6D after the ask.
AGREEMENT MAKES THE WORLD GO ROUND, THE
WORLD GO ROUND.
Opener
Responder
S.
Kx
S.
AQxxx
H.
AQxx
H.
x
D.
xxxx
D.
A
C.
AKxx
C.
J10xxxx
Opener
Responder
1NT
2H (1)
2S
3C
(2)
4C
(3)
4D
(4)
4S
(5)
7C
(6)
All Pass
(1) Transfer
(2) Natural and forcing
(3) The agreement, not the ask
(4) RKB. After 4 level club
agreement, 4D is the RKB ask. After 4 level diamond agreement, 4H
is the RKB ask unless responder's other long suit is hearts.
In that case 4S is the ask.
(5) 4- (0314) The SK is counted as a
keycard
(6) Knowing partner has the AKxx of
clubs makes the grand odds on.
Turning the tables, opener is also allowed to
ask for keycards after responder shows a major-minor two suiter via a transfer
sequence. But the opener, limited, needs an unusual hand to do
this.
2.OPENER JUMPS TO 2NT AND RECEIVES GAME-FORCING THREE LEVEL PREFERENCE TO
HIS FIRST BID MINOR
Opener
Responder
1D
1S
2NT
3D
(game force)
?
?
In this sequence 4D by either player is RKB. Opener is
limited, but has a very strong hand that may have improved considerably.
Nevertheless, it is rare for opener to take charge at this point. Had responder
wished to relinquish control, he could have bid 4D over 2NT, a jump
preference slam try.
PLAYING IT COOL
Opener
Responder
S.
Kx
S.
AQxxx
H.
AKQ
H. xxx
D. AK10
xx D.
Qxxx
C.
xxx C.
x
Opener
Responder
1D
1S
2NT
3D
3H
(1)
4C (1)
4D
(2)
4H (3)
4S
(4)
5D (5)
6D
In this sequence, if responder wishes to ask for keycards in
diamonds, he must agree the suit at the three level (a game force) and then
rebid the suit at the four level
A PLANNED SEQUENCE
Opener
Responder
S.
AKx
S.
x
H.
xx
H.
AQxxx
D.
AQxxx
D.
J10xx
C.
KQx
C.
A10x
Opener
Responder
1D
1H
2NT
3D
(1)
3S
(2)
4D
(3)
5C
(4)
6D
All Pass
(1) Game-force
(2) Not sure what responder has in mind,
but it can't hurt to show where you live.
(3) RKB (0314) Responder had to plan
this auction and decide which way to go. A direct jump to 4D,
a jump preference, would be a slam try, not the ask. If responder
wants to take control (use RKB), he bids 3D and then 4D. If
responder wants to cede control, he jumps to 4D directly.
(4) 2 with
3.OPENER REBIDS 1NT OR 2NT AND RESPONDER
WISHES TO ASK FOR KEYCARDS, HIS OWN SUIT AGREED, HELLO KEYCARD
GERBER.
KEYCARD GERBER IN
ACTION
Opener
Responder
S.
Qxx
S.
Axx
H.
AQxxx
H. x
D. xx
D.
AKQJxxx
C. KQx
C.
xx
Opener
Responder
1H
1S,
2C, or 2D
1NT or
2NT 4C?
After a 1NT or 2NT rebid by the opener, a second round leap to 4C by responder,
regardless of what suit responder has bid, is Keycard Gerber, RESPONDER'S suit
agreed. In the above sequence, 4C is keycard for whatever suit responder
has bid. Note: Gerber sequences presume a long suit in the asker's
hand.
Responses to Keycard Gerber, (responder has
bid a suit before leaping to 4C after a notrump rebid, are 1430 if
the opener has rebid 1NT or 2NT after a two level response. However, if opener
has jumped to 2NT, 0314 responses.
The responses to Keycard Gerber (KCG)
playing 1430 are:
4D= 1 or 4 4H= 0 or
3 4S= 2 without 4NT= 2 with
The first two responses are inverted
playing 0314.
WHEN NO SUIT HAS BEEN BID PRECEDING A LEAP
TO 4C
It is difficult to agree a minor suit after
a 1NT or 2NT opening bid and then ask for keycards. (In the majors you can
transfer to the four level of your major and then bid 4NT).
The simple solution, but not necessarily
the best, with a mile long minor is to jump to 4C directly over the 1NT
or 2NT opening bid. When there is no agreed suit, the response
just asks for aces. The asker can't pinpoint the king or queen of
his long suit. Hopefully the asker will have those cards and be content
to discover out how many aces partner has like in the good old
days.
Opener
Responder
1NT or 2NT 4C (Gerber, no agreed
suit) 0314 responses.
These are the responses:
4D 0 or
3
4H 1 or
4
4S 2 with a minimum
4NT 2 with a maximum
4. OPENER MAKES A NON-JUMP REBID OF 2NT, SHOWING A MINIMUM, AND
RESPONDER HAS SLAM ON THE BRAIN IN OPENER'S MINOR.
Opener
Responder (you)
1D
2C
2NT
?
Say responder has: x
Axx KQxx AKJxx
To be consistent with similar sequences, 3D, a game force, followed by 4D is RKB
for diamonds;
RESPONDING TO A 2NT OPENING BID WITH BOTH MINORS, A KEYCARD ASK IN THE
AIR
It's easy enough to agree a minor
when partner's response has shown both minors in response to a 2NT opening bid.
If you use a response of 3S to show the minors,
you could have sequences like this:
Opener
Responder
2NT
3S
(1)
4C/4D (2) 4H
(3) 4S (4)
(1) Minors, game forcing
(2) Agrees the minor
(3) RKB clubs
(4) RKB diamonds
After opener agrees a minor (2), responder may wish to ask
for keycards. After 4C, 4D is RKB clubs, 4H and 4S show shortness and 4NT
is a natural balanced slam try.
After four level diamond agreement, 4H is the ask, 4S shows
shortness and 4NT shows a balanced hand. You lose your 4H shortness cuebid. You
can't have everything. No method is perfect, or haven't you
noticed?
WHAT A FIND!
Opener
Responder
S.
AKx
S.
x
H.
Qxx
H.
x
D.
KJx
D.
AQxxx
C.
AKxx
C.
Qxxxxx
Opener
Responder
2NT
3S
(1)
4C
(2)
4D
(3)
4S
(4)
6C
(1) Minors
(2) The agreement
(3) The ask RKB (0314)
(4) 4 including the DK
WHEN FOUR LEVEL AGREEMENT COMES AFTER A 3NT BID.
When four level minor suit agreement comes
directly after a 3NT bid, it is KCB.
Again, consistency in the meaning of the rebids
by the 3NT bidder is imperative.
Let's look at some sequences:
Opener
Responder
(you)
1H
2C
2D
3NT
4C (KCB)
5. AFTER A MINOR SUIT OPENING AND A 2NT
RESPONSE
Opener
Responder
Opener Responder
1C
2NT
1D
2NT
4C
4C
In both of these sequences it makes sense
(and saves room) to play the jump to 4C as RKB, opener's suit agreed
(1430).
GET A LOAD OF THIS
Opener
Responder
S.
x
S. Axx
H.
AJxx H. KQx
D. AKQJxxx D. xxx
C.
x C. AJxx
Opener Responder
1D
2NT (1)
4C (2)
4S (3)
5H
(4)
6H (5)
7NT (6)
(1) 12+ to15-) Some play 11-12
(2) RKB, diamonds agreed (1430) opener
unlimited.
(3) 2 without
(4) SSA
(5) The KQ
(6) Can count 13 top tricks