Monday, March 29, 2004 9:57 PM
PITBULLS:
Fred
Gittleman feels that Q bidding at the 5 level is a sign of desparation. A sign
of something gone wrong in an auction because you have gone past Blackwood. I feel that this stance is a little too
general . I advocate that after a fit or an implied fit , the first new suit bid at the 5 level
is not a Q bid but Exclusion Blackwood. Why would you be starting a Q bidding auction at the 5 level
when you had Blackwood at your disposal unless you had a void ? If you have a
void , define the 5 level bid as
Exclusion Blackwood !! Exclusion Blackwood
is a powerful bid and it should make the 5 level Q bid extinct if introduced at that level. Q bidding at
the 5 level is a dangerous practice playing
Italian style Q bids where 2nd round controls could have
been bid previously . Doubt whether our side has all the Aces creeps in when Q
bidding continues to the 5 level.
Laura
Mooney had this hand at a Calgary sectional KQJxxx x AKQJxx void and
it went 1♥-p-p-2♥ p-2NT-p-3♠
p-4♠-p-? 5♣ has to be exclusion on this auction . Partner has the
inference that she bypassed Blackwood and why initiate
a Q bidding auction at the 5 level when Exclusion Blackwood would
work better an any case ? Partner
had the spade Ace and 6 spades can be confidently bid.
Dave
Smith and Doran Flock had this hand in Red Deer. AKxx void xxx AKQJxx I opened 2♥ and Doran overcalled
2♠ vul . My partner bid
4♥ and Dave Smith had a decision to make. 4NT with a
void does not work but he bid it anyway . Doran showed an Ace and Dave assumed
it was the diamond Ace on the auction and bid 7 spades. Wrong as we cashed the
ace of diamonds ! Why not use the sanctity of the 5 level as a non Q bid and
bid 5♥ Exclusion Blackwood ? Why would you ever
want to initiate a Q bidding auction at the 5 level when you have Exclusion
Blackwood as a tool ? You then
arrive at your sane +1430 .
You
hold QJ10xxx KQxx Ax A and you open 1 spade and partner bids 2NT . RHO
comes in with a 5♣ bid . Now what ? Has the opponent shut you out of your Ace
asking bid ? No , Exclusion Blackwood to the rescue. You make a phony exclusion Blackwood bid of 5♦ ! . Partner shows 3 Aces and you ask for a specific
King . Partner shows the diamond King and you bid 7♠ . Try getting there any
other way ? Think about it . 5♦ as a Q bid is silly as you will never have enough
room to Q bid your way to seven spades.
Here
are Fred Gittlemans thoughts on the subject from an article on his Web site.
“It is
almost never necessary to cue-bid at the five level. In case you haven't
noticed, cue-bidding at the five level is usually a sign of desperation - you
don't know what to do so you cue-bid at the five level to transfer the decision
to your partner. “
“Whenever
a major suit is agreed, a bid of five of any other suit is "Exclusion
RKCB". This means that you have a void in the bid suit and you want to
know how many Keycards your partner has, not counting the ace of your void.
Before you make this sort of bid, make sure none of the possible responses will
get you too high if you are off two keycards.
Always
remember WE NEVER CUE-BID AT THE FIVE LEVEL. “