Saturday, October 21, 2017

To Bid or Not to Bid Blackwood

Here is your hand:
♠J
AQ932
AJ72
♣AJ4

Your Partner opens the bidding 1♠. Your RHO (Right Hand Opponent) says "Pass". You decide to bid 2. This bid is perfect! It shows 10 HCP (High Card Points) and at least five . The Opponents Pass throughout the bidding. Partner responds 4. Partner has extras! What do you do?

Well at the supervised I was called over. "Should I ask for Aces?" they inquire.

"Are you going to bid 7 if Partner has one Ace?" I ask.

"NO!!!"

"Are you going to stop in 5 if Partner does not have any Aces?" I ask.

They think a little on this. "I have a really nice hand. I think we should be in a slam!"

"So, are you going to stop in 5 if Partner does not have any Aces?" I persist. (Notice how they did not answer my question at all the first time...)

"No. I'm going to bid 6 anyhow. I should, shouldn't I? I have enough for a slam, don't I?" (Here I sense they want a little reassurance. Which I don't give them. Instead I counter with some logic.)

"If you are always going to bid 6 and never going to bid 7 then why are you asking for Aces?"

AHHHHH! That makes sense!

You ONLY ever ask for Aces if the partnership could be off two Aces and you will stop at the 5 level OR the partnership is interested in bidding a grand slam. If you are always going to be in 6 and never in 7 then why ask for Aces? This does not help AT ALL. It just wastes everyone's time and allows the opponents to stick in a lead directing double.

P.S. Slam bid and made. Nice. This hand matches the one from the past 2 days.

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