HomeIntermediate @enEverything's under control — Part 1 by Marty Bergen

Everything’s under control — Part 1 by Marty Bergen

Source: ACBL

Marty Bergen
Marty Bergen

Cuebids are bids in the opponent’s suit, such as Michaels. There is also a second category of cuebids, however, that are slam-try cuebids. These bids promise a control in the suit named as well as interest in slam. It’s unfortunate that these two share a common name while representing two very different types of bids.

Jeff Rubens, the long-time editor of The Bridge World, has proposed a solution. Bidding a suit as a slam try promises a control in that suit, so he suggested calling it a control bid.

“Marty, why do we have to bother with control bids? We love Blackwood.”

Whenever I hear that complaint, I always reply with “The Great Debate.” The participants: On one side, we have the reigning champion 4NT. On the other, the challenger the control bid.

Degree of difficulty: Bid 4NT now and worry later. No thinking required! Advantage: Blackwood.

Democracy or not? 4NT is like a dictatorship. With control bids, however, both partners are involved in the evaluative process. Advantage: control bid.

Level: 4NT forces you to the five level. Control bids can be made at the four level or lower, and allow you to stop in game if you decide to. Advantage: control bid.

Flexibility: After Blackwood, no more control bids can be made. After control bidding, you can still bid 4NT. Advantage: control bid.

What you find out: 4NT: number of aces (or key cards). Control bid: location.

Game, set, and match to the control bid. The moral of the story: Don’t just close your eyes and bid 4NT. Instead, give control bids a try.

Take a look at this uncontested auction:

aa

Regardless of whether you call it a control bid or a cuebid, everyone agrees that 3spade suit:

  • does not indicate length in spades,
  • shows interest in a heart slam,
  • promises a control in spades.

What kind of control does 3 show? There are two distinct points of view. Some players answer, “It shows first-round control,” meaning the ace or a void. Others would answer, “first- or second-round control,” which means either the ace, king, void or singleton.

Do I have a decided preference on this topic? Yes.. Let’s look at this hand:

spade suit KQ6  AKQ987  9  762.

aaOnce opener showed 17-19 dummy points, you have points galore. So, what would you bid?

I know that many players would bid 4NT. Suppose partner bids 5. Then what? If you bid 6 because your side has a lot of points and you’re only missing one ace, you won’t be happy when your left-hand opponent leads a club, and partner tables:

spade suitA  J632  AK876  QJ4. But if you passed 5, you deserve a dummy where 6 is cold, such as:

spade suit 872  J632  AKQ86  A.

What should you do? Try making a 3spade suit control bid, promising a control in spades, and interest in a heart slam. Easy as one, two, three.

I’ve always believed that when you wanted to make a slam try, you showed a control. It didn’t matter whether the control was an ace or a king. If or when partner wanted to know what you have, that’s what Blackwood is for. When I began teaching, I taught that second-round controls were okay to show. Some of my students, however, reported that they were told to “only cuebid aces.”

In Part II we’ll examine control bidding with either first- or second-round controls as this series continues.

Esta entrada también está disponible en: Spanish

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