| Responding Partner |
Explanation |
5 |
0 or 3 Key Cards |
5 |
1 or 4 Key Cards |
5 |
2 or all 5 Key Cards without the trump Queen |
5 |
2 or all 5 Key Cards with the trump Queen |
After explicit agreement, some play "1403 RKC":
| Responding Partner |
Explanation |
| 5 |
1 or 4 Key Cards |
| 5 |
0 or 3 Key Cards |
| 5 |
2 or all 5 Key Cards without the trump Queen |
| 5 |
2 or all 5 Key Cards with the trump Queen |
As you can see, the 5 and 5 responses are the
same regardless of whether you play the "0314" or the
"1403" version; only the order of the first two responses
is switched. Of these two methods, "0314" is the standard.
"How do I find out about the trump Queen if partner
doesn't have 2 (or 5) Key Cards?"
Often you can't. But if there is a non-trump
"in-between" suit you can bid it to ask for the trump Queen.
| Opener |
Responder |
Explanation |
| 1 |
3 |
Limit raise. 10-12 points, 3+ Hearts. |
| 4NT |
5 |
0 or 3 Key Cards. |
| 5 |
--- |
"Do you have the Heart Queen?" |
5 now denies the Heart Queen, while
5NT and higher
rebids show the Heart Queen.
"But if a suit hasn't been explicitly raised, how do
we know what trump is so that we can discern which King is a
Key Card?"
Good question. Often we can't raise Partner for
fear that Partner may pass. In such a case there are
two philosophies. One school allows trump agreement
"by implication". These pairs simply agree that whatever
suit was last bid naturally is the trump suit.
| Opener |
Responder |
Explanation |
| 1 |
4NT |
Roman Key Card Blackwood with Clubs as trumps. |
If Responder wanted another suit to
be trumps, s/he should have bid that other suit.
| Opener |
Responder |
Explanation |
| 1 |
3 |
Jump shift, 16+ HCPs, 5+ Hearts. |
| 3 |
4NT |
Roman Key Card Blackwood with Spades as trumps. |
The latter auction (1:3:3:4NT) is the raison
d'etre for a second school of thought, which does NOT
permit trump agreement by implication. After all, what
if Responder has semi-solid or solid Hearts and a stiff
Spade? Responder wants to hear about Aces, not the
King of Spades! These pairs play RKCBw only when trumps
are explicitly raised, and revert to normal (Aces only)
Blackwood if no trump has been firmly established. To
these pairs, both 4NT bids above would ask for Aces, not
Key Cards.
Of these two approaches, the former is the more
common. Most pairs do allow trump agreement by
implication.
A non-trump suit bid can also be a preface to
a signoff in 5NT--especially if the suit is a higher
ranked suit than trumps. 1:4NT:5:5, then, asks
partner to rebid 5NT--often to play there--since 5NT
by Responder here will ask for Kings. If, after
forcing Partner to bid 5NT, we then bid 6-of-our-trumps,
we are asking Partner to bid seven if holding the trump
Queen. 1:4NT:5:5:5NT:6, then, asks Opener to bid
7 if Opener holds the trump Queen.
"What do I do with a void when Partner bids 4NT?"
First, it should be a "useful" void and not a void
in Partner's suit. While there is no standard agreement
on how to show a void, here is the most popular method:
| Responding Partner |
Explanation |
| 5NT |
0, 2 or 4 Key Cards. |
| 6 |
Club void, 1 or 3 Key Cards. |
| 6 |
Diamond void, 1 or 3 Key Cards. |
| 6 |
Heart void, 1 or 3 Key Cards. |
| 6-of-our-agreed trump suit |
Void in a higher ranked suit, 1 or 3 Key Cards. |
Remember: you NEVER bypass the agreed trump
suit at the 6-level to show your void with 1 or 3 Key Cards.
| Opener |
Responder |
Explanation |
| 1 |
4NT |
Roman Key Card Blacwood with Diamonds trump. |
| 6 |
--- |
1 or 3 Key Cards, void in a major. |
"How do I know if Partner has 0 as opposed to 3 Key Cards?"
The simple answer is that sometimes you don't. If Clubs are
trump and you are playing 0314, you must guess: 1:4NT:5.
If Diamonds are trump and you chose to play 1403, you
must also guess: 1:4NT:5. If any higher ranked suit
is trump, though, 4NT bidder can stop in the agreed trump
suit, after which Partner must bid on with 3 Key Cards.
If 4NT bidder stops in 5 of our trump suit and we do have
3 Key Cards, we will cuebid a King directly or bid 5NT to
show the Queen of trumps en route to a slam.
| Opener |
Responder |
Explanation |
| 1 |
4NT |
Roman Key Card Blacwood with Hearts as trump. |
| 5 |
5 |
"Stop here if you have zero Key Cards, Pard." |
| 5NT |
--- |
3 Key Cards and the Heart Queen. |
In the above auction, 6 would deny the H-Queen or
any non-trump King, while showing 3 Key Cards.
If you are going to play Roman Key Card
Blackwood with a new partner, ask these two questions:
"0314 or 1403?"
Trumps established by implication or only when bid and raised?"
In the absence of such
agreement, assume 0314 and that trumps can be established
by implication.
The Grand Slam Force
The Grand Slam Force ("GSF") is a bid of
5NT after a SUIT bid by Partner; the 5NT bid must
not preceded by 4NT (Blackwood). 1:5NT is an
example. The GST asks Partner to bid a Grand Slam
in the agreed trump suit with two of the top three
trump honours (e.g. KQ, AQ or AK).
"If a suit is not bid and raised, what is
the 'agreed trump suit'?"
The last bid suit is to
be considered the agreed trump suit. 1:5NT, then,
agrees Diamonds as trumps, and asks for the KQ,
AQ or AK for 7. Lacking two such honours,
Partner will stop in 6-of-the-agreed-trump suit.
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