Introduction To Roman Key Card Blackwood

[@robertfuller4282]

All i need was to understand the last bit of biddings thx for this

[@jyutzler]

One thing you can do if 5C/5D is ambiguous is to simply sign off. Partner can still raise with the unexpected maximum.

[@endthisnonsense7202]

I used to do this when I began playing Bridge. It's ill adviced. If the expected minimum is not enough for 6 you'll be going down at the 5 level too often. Due to bad breaks, or a finesse on a side queen you still need and that is just off. If the expected minimum is not enough work out it partner is interested in slam and has extra values below 4NT first and use keycard only when he is cooperating with your invite.

[@jyutzler]

@@endthisnonsense7202 And yet I had to do this with the bots last night. The bot bid 4NT, I replied 1 or 4, the bot signed off, and I correctly raised.

[@YCLP]

I really like the kickback version of roman keycard blackwood (KRKB). This asks keycards by bidding 1 step above 4 of the trump suit. If trump is spades, then 4NT, is KRKB (similar to regular RKB). However, if trump is clubs for example, then 4D would be KRKB, which leaves a lot more room to explore slam than regular RKB. I think it's easier than regular RKB since you don't need to calculate if partner's response will exceed the 5-trump level (forcing you to slam). Furthermore, you don't need space-saving agreements as much for a minor trump suit (such as 1430). Regardless of the suit, the system works the same and leaves the same bidding-space. The one big disadvantage is that you need to confirm partner's suit in a forcing way before you can ask keycards (otherwise the 4-level bid is ambiguous). With regular RKB, it is easier to confirm the suit and ask keycards with just the single 4NT bid.

[@jyutzler]

It is also my preferred flavor.

[@endthisnonsense7202]

Yes, Kickback is great, provided that you have real firm agreements on what suit is trumps, and also on how to cuebid in the suit that is not available to bid at the 4 level as it would be kickback. If you have such a partnership then by all means Kickback is great. And then add amended K showing answers too, so any bid will show the King you'd normally show OR the two other Kings, with Kickback you always have the room for all combinations and partner can always work it out and has more information to decide on the Grand.

[@jyutzler]

@@endthisnonsense7202 We play that 4NT is a cue in the kickback suit.

[@johnworf]

out of curiosity when you play kickback do you play 0/3 or 1/4 - I know what you should play - but just curious?

[@YCLP]

@@johnworf i think there is a tradeoff of what is optimal and easily playable. (Optimally tuned conventions can be hard to memorize or error prone). In the 'regular' kickback situation, 3014 and 1430 both leave enough room for the Q-ask. So I don't care either way. I would advocate anyone learning it to start with 3014 for ease. To answer your question on how I play it: Since kickback has cases where the asking bid is higher (such as exclusion), I like to play 1430 as default. Only in cases where the two-step answer forces to slam do I switch to 3014. This almost never occurs. What do you think is better and why?

[@lukesuszanneandkjgilchrist5286]

If many 4 bids how do you know which suit the 4nt applies to?

[@BridgeWithPete]

Either the agreed upon suit or the last naturally bid suit.

[@endthisnonsense7202]

Not sure about the example hand you picked to show how to work out is partner has 0 or 3 keycards when he bid 5 diamonds. Yes, is works when 5 diamonds is the bid he made. BUT, if he bid 5 clubs he can have just 1 keycard and if he bids 5 hearts he has 2 both of which are a real possibility. In both cases you are going to sign off in 5 hearts and will or may be going down. Which shows, using this same hand as an example, you need to evaluate what the minimum number of keycards is that partner holds before you bid 4NT. And in case of this hand you really need to use a mechanism to invite for slam at a lower level before you bid 4NT which you should only do if partner accepts the invite.

[@guyredares]

14:30 is like having a sore tooth?

[@BridgeWithPete]

two thirty is kinda like tooth hurty

[@guyredares]

@@BridgeWithPete yes actually lol

[@martinflygar7699]

Hi Pete A folllow up when ♦️♣️ is Trump and how and if You could stop in 5 NT would be most appreciated!

[@BridgeWithPete]

If partner bids 5S when they aren't asking about the queen of trumps then you 'can' play that as a request to bid 5NT to pass. An example would be 4NT-5C-5S-5NT (where diamonds are trumps) or 4NT-5H-5S-5S (where clubs or diamonds are trumps)

[@martinflygar7699]

@@BridgeWithPete thanks