Report this Page
502

Slam Bidding - Simple Blackwood Convention

It is easy to count your partnership's total points from your opening and responding bids at the beginning of the auction. To determine the amount of controls in your partner's hand, however you must ask it with special "asking" bids and the 4NT bid now means something different rather than just inviting partner to bid Slam

Asking Your Partner About Their Aces

4 NT is an artificial bid asking your partner to tell you about the number of Aces held in their hand.

You can only use Blackwood Convention if a notrump bid has not been used in your current auction and if you have decided that the contract will be a Suit Contract. So you and partner have shown good points either your partner has opened or pre-empted and you have a fistful of points in your hand but not enough aces to control all the suits. 1.) Firstly you usually make a jump bid of 4NT. This is saying to partner please tell me how many Aces (or sometimes a void can count as an Ace if you are going to be in a suit contract).


Replying To Partners Ace Ask

Your partner is asks about your aces by bidding 4 NT, your response will be as follows if you are using Blackwood Convention:



Table of Responses to Partners Blackwood Convention Asking Bid

Partner Bids    You Bid With All or No Aces  With 1 Ace With 2 Aces With 3 Aces
4NT 5C 5D 5H 5S


North

West

East

South



Partner Opens 1S

The opposition overcall 2C - You respond 2H partner rebids 2S - What Should You Bid Next?

  • K Q 9
  • K T 6 5 3
  • 7
  • K Q T 2

Revalue your hand with a spade fit remember partner has shown 5+ spades) So 13 HCP plus 3 points for the diamond singleton (using short suit distribution points) 16 points, make an exploratory 4NT Ace Ask planning to sign off in 5S if partner has less than 3 Aces.