13th December 2001

There isn’t a perfect bid for every hand in bridge otherwise bridge would not be as popular as it is. However if you were to pick up 12 top tricks and one small card would you know what to bid. This hand came up last week on OK Bridge an online bridge game and North picked up the following hand :-

 

ª AKQJ97

© AKQ974

¨

§ 4

This is not a high frequency bid but it is nice to know about the following clever little convention. When you have 11 or 12 top tricks and all you want to know about is specific Aces you immediately open 4NT  and partner answers as naturally as possible in the following manner :-

5§   = No Aces (since it’s the lowest possible bid to completely deny partner)

5¨   = Diamond Ace (natural)

5©   = Heart Ace (natural)

5ª   = Spade Ace

5NT = 2 Aces (miracle of miracles)

6C    = Clubs Ace (since we used 5§ to show no aces)

 

On the above hand if partner bids 5NT or 6§ opener can then bid 7ª  and if partner bids anything else he just settles for 6ª

 

At the time on OK bridge his partner held

 

ª T654      

© T5                    

¨ AJ93       

§ K53  

 

and of course the Diamond Ace was no use to him !! 

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