Signing off in 5NT

Question

Is there a way to signal to partner to not continue the Blackwood and close the bidding at 5NT after starting the 4NT Blackwood?

Answer

There IS a way!

After a partnership starts to ask for Aces with 4NT, a bid of 5NT then asks for Kings. Which is great on the majority of auctions where we want to explore further possiblities. We want to play at the 7 level perhaps.

But what about those auctions where you got too high? You find out your partnership is missing two Aces! Now you CAN'T play at even the 6 level! You instead want to SIGN OFF at the 5 level.

This is all sunshine and unicorns IF you have agreed to play in a suit contract. You just sign off in (say) 5♠ or 5♥ and Partner says "Pass".

But what happens if you wanted to play in 6NT and NOW (since you discovered you were off two Aces!) you want to sign off in 5NT? 5NT would be asking for Kings. You can't do that.

No you can't. So what do you do?

You "sign off" in a suit at the 5 level that you DO NOT want to play in.

Partner is now supposed to know to bid 5NT and now you can "Pass".

Hmmmmmm.

Sounds a little complicated.

Let's see this in action:

N	E	S	W
1♦	Pass	1♠	Pass
2♣	Pass	4NT	Pass
5♣	Pass	5♥	Pass
???

What does this auction mean?

North opened 1♦ and rebid 2♣ to show at least an opening hand with the minors.

South first showed ♠ and then got a little excited and asked for Aces.

North told South how many Aces they had. Playing normal Blackwood they have no Aces.

South has discovered they are missing two Aces!

What can South do?

South should learn a valuable lesson about taking things a little slower so they don't get into this perdicament again.

But that is for a later time. RIGHT NOW South has to get them out of the trouble they are in!

South wants to sign off in 5NT. But bidding 5NT right now asks for Kings! Ahhhhhhh!

So here's where the trick comes in. South bids 5♥.

5♥?!?!? What the heck is that?

Can South want to play in 5♥?

No. This is the first time anyone in the partnership even suggested ♥. That can't be where South wants to play.

So THAT is the tip off to North. North should know NOW to bid 5NT. South will breathe a sigh of relief and "Pass".

Auction to "Sign Off":

N	E	S	W
1♦	Pass	1♠	Pass
2♣	Pass	4NT	Pass
5♣	Pass	5♥	Pass
5NT	Pass	Pass	Pass

How often does this bid occur?

If everyone is bidding properly this bid does not occur often.

However I do play with one Partner who likes to overbid. I haven't quite figured out why since I like to bid slams and then I get excited and we get too high.

This happens quite a bit with him.

Here's an example. Your hand:
♠K983
♥AQJ3
♦Q2
♣AQ2

You hold 18 HCP! Nice! Partner opens the bidding 1♦! Even nicer!

So you respond 1♥. It's a forcing bid.

Partner now bids 3♦! Holy Smokes! This is supposed to show 16 to 18 HCP. (We do play a good 15 HCP with a really good suit.)

So I get excited. I bid 4NT. Partner shows me zero Aces.

How is that even possible?!?

So right now I could just sign off in 5♦. That would be the safe thing to do.

But it's matchpoints. Playing 5♦ and making 5♦ is going to get me a big fat zero matchpoints.

I want to get us to 5NT. Now we will be tied with all the people in 3NT making 11 tricks.

So I bid 5♠. It seems like I am signing off in 5♠ but I can NEVER want to play in ♠. Neither of us have bid ♠! That CAN'T be the place to play.

Partner should get tipped off and bid 5NT.

I will "Pass".

So our auction would be:

N	E	S	W
1♦	Pass	1♥	Pass
3♦	Pass	4NT	Pass
5♣	Pass	5♠	Pass
5NT	Pass	Pass	Pass

P.S.
Turned out Partner overvalued his 14 HCP with no Aces because he had seven ♦.

We made 5NT.