Slam tools

• Control-bids
  • Last Train
• Splinters
• Void-showing cue
• Exclusion-showing cue
• Anti-splinter (Bluhmers)
• Mathe asking bid
• Keycard inquiries
• Spiral Scan
• Simple Blackwood
• Exclusion 0314
• No jump Exclusion 0314 after Texas
• Optional Minorwood
• 5NT RKC1430
• 5NT Pick a slam
• 5NT Grand Slam Force
• 5M Trump control ask
• CONFI and SUPERCONFI
• Against control-asking and ace-asking interferences

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Control-bids

One of the few S/T actions which partner can refuse to take part in.
A player who has some slam interest can show it by a control-bid.
No more than 2 trump losers should be seen by the one who initiates control-bidding.
You should choose the cheapest control-bid possible.
We start control-bidding at the 3rd lvl w/serious control bid/non serious slam try.

In any F sequence w/M explicitly supported:

Control-bidding 4NT or higher promises first round control, under 4NT including second round control. Exceptions:

1. After 2/1GF opener rebids 2M, then re-rebids over 4M fast arrival with huge extras and poor suit
2. 4♥-5m
3. 4♠-5m and 5♥

You can skip control-bid and then bid it on the higher level. This would show that control-bid to be first round control whereas the control-bid(s) you bid before were second round control only.

Beware of control-bids on the 3rd lvl w/supported minors - see GBS principle.
We often play advanced control-bids. We switch control-bids w/Kickback.

When they double our slam seeking control-bid

pass

at most Q (sbsq. reopen XX asks for Q (negative = trumps))

XX

1st round control

bid

2nd round control

Last Train

Used when there’s not much room for control-bids, i.e. when a control bid is skipped, leaving one call between the trumps and the control bid used. The in-between call is the Last Train - promises a control in the suit that partner has skipped, but doesn’t necessarily promise a control in the Last Train suit.
If they double our Last Train, it goes same as if they would double our control bid.

Splinters

Explicit sequences
SPL shows 4+ card support and around 14-16 (around 11-13HCP).
SPL by opener forcing responder to the third lvl is INV+, to the fourth lvl always w/void and GF.

Void-showing cue

Used in high level competitive auction, where anything else would have been bid by non-space-consuming methods (3♠/cue). On the fifth level it should function as an optional Exclusion. Also used on the sixth level.

Exclusion-showing cue

Shows four or five small hearts. We can end up in a good small slam.

Anti-splinter (Bluhmers)

Constructive auction where partner has bid shortness – now the bid of his short suit shows exclusion (at most J), also applies when we have bid the suit before.

Mathe asking bid

When at 3M after a limit raise by responder, the call of 3M+1 is ask for shortness (natural responses).

Keycard inquiries

Kickback 1430 Asks for 5KC, switch w/control-bids. After one of us has shown a void, asks for 4KC.

4♦

for clubs

4♥

for diamonds

4♠

for hearts

4NT

for spades (don’t jump (only in 3♠-4NT), use adv. control then Kickback - jump is a nat INV or a simple BW)

Do not use Kickback prematurely holding 2+losers in an UNBID suit,use control-bids instead.

Spiral Scan

After a response to Kickback, the asker can scan for important cards in the partners hand.

The priority is like this:

1. trump Q
2. K in a 5+suit bid by the asker
3. K in any 4+ or more suit bid by the Kickback responder
4. K in a 4-suit bid by the asker
5. other kings (the priority is: ♣→♦→♥→♠)
6. queens in a suit bid (priority as in 2, 3 and 4)
7. other queens (♣→♦→♥→♠)
8. trump J
9. other Js

Not taking the normal sign off bid to the account, the asker uses a set of cheap available calls:
First asks for P1,
Second asks for P3,
Third asks for P4,
Fourth asks for P5, etc.
If you need to ask for a P2 while having the trump queen yourself, just ask for a P1 and subsequently (after a negative response) for a P2 by the cheapest call available.

The answers are:
Step 1) no P1
Step 2) has P1, but not P2
Step 3) has P1 and P2, but not P3 etc.

Simple Blackwood

Only used as a straight ask after partner’s PRE, answers: 0/1/2/3 aces, then the next cheapest rebid by responder (not opener’s suit) is ask for kings (0/1/2/3), 5NT by responder is to play

Exclusion 0314

Jump suit (5th lvl) when we both see we are supported, or a new suit after partner has accepted Texas.
Also used in competitive auctions – control-bid of opponents suit on the 5th lvl.
Can be a jump to 4M if we supported the minor on the 3rd lvl and 3m is GF (not +1, that is still Kickback)
Asks for 4KC and the trump queen.

No jump Exclusion 0314 after Texas

2NT-4♦-4♥

4♠

Kickback

4NT

spade Exclusion

5m

Exclusion

2NT-4♥-4♠

4NT

Kickback

5x

Exclusion

Optional Minorwood

Use the Kickback scheme for responding, just bypass one call and use it as a signoff.

And other similar sequences after 1M-2m
(or 1♦-1NT-2♣-2♦-3♦ and 1♦-1NT-2♣-2♦-3♦-4♦)

Optional Minorwood is used only in explicit sequences!
Other sequences when support has been shown: 4m is F1 (not if both hands limited after failed stopper search).  

5NT RKC1430

When we control on the fifth level and can’t trigger a Kickback, we can use 5NT RKC (no jump). Use the Kickback scheme

5NT Pick a slam

Used every time they do NOT consume the bidding space to trigger Kickback.
When at most one suit has been bid by us, partner can introduce a new natural suit on the sixth level. When two or three suits have been bid by us, partner simply picks one of his suits w/unbid extra length (or rarely strength).
5NT says „pick my suit if you already showed the potential of your suit.
5NT Pick a slam is forcing and denies interest in a grand slam.
If partner has nothing to show or is positive about the hand belongs to 6NT, he can bid it.

5NT Grand Slam Force

Used in competitive bidding when opps consumed the space to trigger Kickback.
Controls all side suits three times or some probably twice when holding a side source of tricks.
Promises exactly 1 tophonor in trumps and partner is forced to bid:

6♣

w/ the trump queen

6 in trump suit

w/ A or K

7 in trump suit

w/ two of the three tophonors

Also used in our one-way auction after we have found support and 5NT pick a slam would make no sense.

5M Trump control ask

1. We have bid exactly three 3 natural suits, then it is lacking a control in the unbid suit.
2. Competitive auction and opponents bid only one suit, then it is lacking control in opponents’suit (but if we showed that we have it before, it is lacking controls in the unbid suits).
3. All other situations: 5M is a trump control ask, answers: 6NT w/all three tophonors, 6M w/two of the three.

CONFI and SUPERCONFI

CF is used instead of regular balanced INV. SCF is used instead of Gerber. Asks opener for controls - depends on the opener’s strength:

Now if responder identifies 10+ controls combined, he proceeds by bidding the cheapest natural 4+ suit headed by at least Q (if he identifies 9- controls, he signs off in NT).

If opener has fewer controls than expected for the 1st step, he now signs off in NT.

If opener shows his number of controls, responder proceeds by bidding his cheapest suit, and now opener has no suitable suit bid, he must bid NT. Id that would be a sign off without the default number of controls promised, he must jump in NT. Both of those calls are non-forcing.

If both opener and responder make a positive call of support search after the opener has shown his controls, responder can bid 4NT, which is not forcing. It means a fear from a misfit hand, but opener may rebid his 5-suit, if he has one. If responder jumps to 5NT instead of 4NT, it is forcing, and the responder wants partner to describe his hand more (when already shown-out, a 6NT response must be bid by opener).

When opener or responder support any suit on the fifth level, it is an invitation promising exactly zero honors in trumps, and the partner should be warned by this.

A five-card suit not headed by at least Q is considered a four-card suit.

CF and SCF were designed by Mexican international George Rosenkranz.
It avoids missing slams when opener passes 2NT-4NT w/minimum when the unknown, mostly minor fit is present. It also leads the pair into a good suit slam more than a poor 6NT more often than the standard methods.

Against control-asking and ace-asking interferences

After they consume up to two calls

Pass

1st step

X if possible

2nd step

next bid

3rd step etc.

XX

always to play proposal

After they consume 3+ calls:
Double odd, pass even