Kickback RKC Note: Using 1430 Responses
General: try to cuebid to set the suit before bidding kickback, or it may be taken as natural or something else.
There are never two trump suits. Keycard IF AND ONLY IF:
Suit is bid and raised
Jump to one-over (onto 4-level)
Support has been implied (preference, guaranteed 8-card fit) We have introduced suit for 1st time at 4-level
We takeout double and then bid 4NT over partner’s response
When hearts are agreed, 4♠ is always kickback and 4NT is a spade cue-bid. This applies to (1m)-2m-(3m)-4m-4H-4S.
In auctions involving hearts and diamonds, 4D is RKC for diamonds and 4H is natural. If we are on 3-level, with agreed trump suit, jump to 4NT is never ace asking … must Q- bid and then bid 4NT. Immediate jump to 4NT is quant.
If one player voluntarily bypasses BW, he can no longer bid BW … his BW sounding bids become replacement cuebids or D-I.
Responder can never bid past 6NT on his own.
Six of unplayable suit after KCB asks for 3rd round control for grand.
K asks, Q asks: return to trump suit denies.
Fake queen ask, followed by one over, is very serious try for seven (failure to fake ask for queen is just a “courtesy” try)
With clubs trump, after 4♦ Kickback, 4NT is a queen ask unless there is another available.
Over (0,1)/(3,4) responses and signoff, responder must bid on with 3 or 4 (except 2NT opening).
If responder has a void, he may only show it if Blackwooder will know where it is. He shows a void by making his normal response 1 level higher … next step is then an invitation to 7.
Do not treat singletons as kings when responding to KB. When they double 4NT: XX = business
Pass = extras, then XX re-asks
Slam Conventions
After NT, in competition, 4♣ is Gerber if they bid 2NT or lower, otherwise 5♣ is Gerber.
Preempt Keycard
4♣ after preempts except 4♦after 3♣, 4NT after 3NT.
STEP 1 0 keycards
STEP 2 1 keycard, no trump queen
STEP 3 1 keycard, trump queen
STEP 4 2 keycards, no trump queen
STEP 5 2 keycards, trump queen
After which one over the trump suit is “back on track” for king ask. Not on in any competition.
Grand Slam Force must be a jump to 5NT.
6 of trump suit = no honor
The more you have, the less you bid. If in doubt, 5NT is pick-a-slam, not GSF
Exclusion BW
Must be a jump above game, or any ace-asking bid by the person who voluntarily made a splinter bid as his previous call and heard a sign-off. If the splinter bidder hears
encouragement, his ace-asking bid is not exclusion.
4NT replaces Kickback calls as Exclusion: 1D-2C-2D-4N is Exclusion keycard in hearts.
Responses are 0,1,2 keycards … no queen. Why? 5NT Pick a Slam
Used frequently, try to be careful and logical in responding. Assume 5NT is “always” pick a slam, “never” GSF.
4NT Quantitative
Bids over this are forcing to at least 5NT … if 4NT’ers next bid is 5NT that’s pick-a- slam. Bids over 4NT are natural … 5X then 6X shows 5 cards, 6X directly shows 6 cards.
Soloway Jump Shifts (only 1♦/♥-2♠)
Responder’s second new suit shows shortness with fit for opener’s suit. If opener raises responder’s major, then new suit is Q-bid not splinter. Opener should not rebid NT at his first turn with a singleton.
DOPI (D=1,4 P=0,3 Bid=2, etc.) through and including 5♦
Slam Conventions
Our Jumps to 5-level
Jump to new suit above game is exclusion RKC Jump to 5 of trump suit asks for control in unbid suit
5NT = guarded king 6 of trump suit = stiff
other responses show 1st round control and show #KC outside asked suit
(0-3, 1-4, 2)
Nonjump raise from 4 to 5 shows worry about their suit
4♣/4♦ RKC
Usually used over 4x1 with known HCP Not used over unlimited hands
4♣ forces 4♦to make a natural slam try
4♦ forces 4♥ to sign off
4♥ is RKC in lowest suit partner has shown
4♠ is RKC in middle suit
4NT is RKC in highest suit
5 level shows # of keycards and desire to play in singleton suit
Follow-up If possible to get “back on track” (i.e. bid one over the trump suit) then that
asks for specific kings. If not possible to bid one over, then repeat of the RKC ask suit asks for plain # of kings.
Example 1♣-3♣-3♦-3♥ shows 4-4-4-1, so 3♠ is natural F, 3NT is natural, 4-level is
these RKC asking methods.
CRASH for Aces, Kings and Queens after relay sequences
1st step 1 or 4
2nd step 0 or 3
3rd step 2, same color
4th step 2, same rank (i.e. majors or minors)
Slam Conventions
Not playing Serious 3NT Cuebidding
Never bypass a control when cue-bidding at the 4-level or higher. If a suit is bypassed, partner will sign off when lacking a control in that suit. If we do bypass and then bid again, the focus is on the first suit cue-bid.
Cuebids of their suits when it is definitely our hand:
Usual priority is assumed to be stopper search for 3NT
If in a GF, do not make advance cuebids … just raise the suit immediately
If in a GF, the “advance” cuebid followed by support denies primary support … it shows a “futzing around” type of hand.
In GF fit situations, cuebid your cheapest A or K (not shortness). Later cuebids in a suit, if available, can show the shortness.
In the middle of a cue-bidding sequence, when 4NT is obviously not blackwood, 4NT is D-I meaning continue cue-bidding as cheaply as possible.
Other
Jumps to 4M in auctions where we have already bid the major are always fast arrival, denying slam interest.