Cards

Duplicate bridge results and tip: What is a cue bid?

By Val Rhead

I heard the question “What is a cue bid?” floating across the bridge room recently. The response was a bit mumbled so I didn’t know whether or not the answer was correct. It seemed to be a good topic to cover in this column. According to the Encyclopedia of Bridge 7th Edition, page 203, “a cue bid is a forcing bid in a suit in which the bidder cannot wish to play.”

A cue bid either gives information to partner or extracts information from partner by partnership agreement. For example, if partner opens One Heart and your opponent bids One Spade, you cue bid Two Spades. You do not want to play in Spades. By agreement, your Two Spade bid shows limit raise values with support in partner’s Heart suit. You are telling her that you have ten to twelve points and at least three card Heart support. An advantage of this method is that you are interfering with the opponent’s bidding, and you are keeping the bidding lower and not using up your bidding room by bidding Three Hearts.

Another fairly common use of a cue bid is the Western Cue Bid. You and partner are heading towards a No Trump game you hope. You and partner have bid Hearts, Diamonds and Clubs. You want to know whether or not partner has a Spade stopper. In this case, you cue bid Three Spades. You are not telling her that you have Spades. By agreement, you are ASKING her if she has a Spade stopper. If she has, she bids Three No Trump. If she doesn’t have a Spade stopper, she raises one of the previously bid suits. If you had Spades stopped yourself, it wouldn’t have been necessary to ask partner if she could stop Spades. You would simply have bid Three No Trump.

Another use of a cue bid is in slam bidding. You know that you have enough points to try for slam and you and partner have an excellent Heart fit. But your hand has a void and a worthless doubleton. When you ask for Aces, you may find you’re missing an Ace. The missing Ace wouldn’t be a problem if it’s in your void suit, because you can ruff your losers there. If the missing Ace is in the suit with that darn worthless doubleton, you might lose two tricks even before you get started. What to do? Depending on partnership agreement, you and partner can cue bid the suits up the line to show where you have first or second round controls.

For more information about cue bids, go to ACBL.org or to the Encyclopedia of Bridge. In another column, we’ll discuss Michael’s Cue Bid and the Unusual Two No Trump that allow you to bid two suits at once when you’re bidding defensively.

If you wish to promote an activity in your bridge group or ask a bridge question, send the information to [email protected] and I will include it in this column.

HUNTSVILLE DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB

Games for the Huntsville Club are Tuesdays, 7:15pm, Trinity United Church 33 Main Street. Please arrive 15 minutes before game time. The Winter Season Jan-Feb-Mar afternoon schedule of 1pm begins Tuesday, Jan 3. For partners and information call Susan Marshall 705 787-5454 or email [email protected].

PLEASE NOTE: Every Tuesday for the rest of the winter, the game will be held downstairs in the warm basement. To avoid the long stairs, you also may enter from the door on Main Street.

REMINDER: the game is cancelled Dec 27 and starts the Winter Season afternoon schedule of 1pm on Tuesday, Jan 3. Please arrive 15 minutes early.

The following winners are for Tuesday, Dec 13 with 8 tables playing a Mitchelll movement. North-South 1. Mary Hogarth and Albert Eatock; 2. Betty Fagin and Brian Brocklehurst; 3. Chris Karn and Vern Foell; 4. Fay MacDonald and Carol Sullivan;

East-West 1. Liz Graham and Dorothy Russell; 2. Mary Whitehead and Helen Pearson; 3. Liz Barnes and Rod Dixon; 4. Joanne Garvey and Kelly Andresen

MUSKOKA DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB (Bracebridge)

Games for the Bracebridge Club are at the Knox Presbyterian Church, 120 Taylor Road 7pm Monday evenings. Please arrive 15 minutes before game time.

PLEASE NOTE: The game is cancelled both Dec 19 and Dec 26 and resumes Jan 2.

The following winners are from Monday, Dec 12 with 9 tables playing a Mitchell movement. North-South 1. Kel Andresen and Jim Smith; 2. Mary Luke and Donna McIntosh; 3. Bev Parlett and Deanna Foell; 4. Betty Fagin and Brian Brocklehurst; 5. Jane Insley and Mary Martyn; East-West 1. Liz Barnes and David Bryce; 2. Art Insley and Don Evans; 3. Joanne Garvey and Kelly Andresen; 4. Ann Cassie and Bruce Cassie; 5. Gail Lederer and Hazel Bowes.

Looking for more bridge tips? You’ll find them here.

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