Lesson 3R Main
Notrump Slam Bidding
by Richard PavlicekLesson 3R Main |
| by Richard Pavlicek |
This lesson pertains to two related areas: slam bidding in notrump (6 NT or 7 NT), and investigating a suit slam after your side has already bid notrump. It is essential to have a firm understanding of the available tools.
You should be familiar with the point-count requirements of 33-36 points to bid a slam (any six-bid) or 37+ points to bid a grand slam.
Quantitative BiddingAn important aspect of bidding is the quantitative nature of notrump bids once your partner has already bid notrump (as a natural bid) and no major suit is agreed. These bids are summarized below:
| Quantitative Bids | |
|---|---|
| 2 NT | Invitational to game |
| 3 NT | Sign-off |
| 4 NT | Invitational to slam |
| 5 NT | Forcing to slam |
| 6 NT | Sign-off |
The point-count system is very accurate when balanced hands are concerned. This can simplify the bidding of many strong hands:
1.  | ||
 A K 7 K J 4 A K 3 A Q J 5 |  | Q J 6 3 Q 9 3 10 8 2 K 8 3 |
| 3 NT | Pass | 6 NT |
The bidding may not be elegant, but there is no better auction. Opener shows 25-26 HCP and responder adds his own 8 HCP to determine that 33 HCP are held. The only thing easier than the bidding is the play.
It is interesting to note that if you replace the J with the two, reducing the total to 32 HCP, the slam then becomes inferior — you would need a 3-3 spade break which is only a 36% chance. A similar case exists if you replace the J or the J with a low card of the same suit.
| Lesson 3R Main |  | Top Notrump Slam Bidding |
Natural 4 NT BidMany players are brainwashed by Blackwood — whenever they hear 4 NT they answer aces — because they learned bridge by copying the bad habits of others. Unfortunately, the natural (quantitative) 4 NT bid is crucial to accurate bidding. If you belong to the “Blackwood camp” I suggest you repeat 100 times:
4 NT is not always Blackwood.
Even experts do not exactly agree when 4 NT should be natural. Here is the rule I use, based on 36 years of bridge playing:
4 NT is natural if your side has made a natural notrump bid and no major suit is agreed.
Conversely, 4 NT is Blackwood if your side has never bid notrump naturally or if a major suit is agreed.
Exception: An overcall of 4 NT after an enemy bid is a special case (it is for takeout).
| 2. | ||
| 8 4 K Q 5 3 K J 6 2 A 7 4 | | A K Q 2 A 2 8 5 3 K Q J 3 |
| 1 1 NT Pass | Pass Pass | 1 4 NT | Pass Pass |
The 1 NT rebid shows 12-14 HCP and 4 NT is invitational to slam. Opener uses good judgment to pass.
| 3. | ||
| A J 2 K Q 8 6 K Q 4 A K 8 | | K Q 8 4 4 3 A J 6 2 J 10 2 |
| 2 NT 3 6 NT | Pass Pass | 3 4 NT | Pass Pass |
Responder first uses Stayman to check for a spade fit, then invites slam with 4 NT. Opener, having shown 20-22 HCP, has the tiptop maximum so he accepts.
| 4. | ||
| K 8 3 A K J 9 8 2 A K 9 3 | | A 10 4 2 K Q J 10 9 4 J 5 2 |
| 1 3 4 NT | Pass Pass Pass | 2 3 NT 6 | Pass Pass |
Opener invites with 4 NT. Responder is low on point count but high on playing strength, so he accepts the invitation by bidding slam in his self-sufficient suit.
In examples 2-4 the natural 4 NT bid was made by the partner of the original notrump bidder; hence it was a slam invitation. A different meaning should be apparent from the other side of the table:
If the original notrump bidder retreats to 4 NT, it discourages slam (assuming no major raise).
| 5. | ||
| K Q J 7 K 5 2 A Q J 7 A 4 | | 4 A Q 8 4 8 6 2 K J 9 7 6 |
| 2 NT 3 4 NT | Pass Pass Pass | 3 4 Pass | Pass Pass |
Responder first uses Stayman and then bids 4 (natural) to try for slam. Opener’s bid of 4 NT suggests minimum values and no club fit. If opener wished to encourage slam, he could bid an unbid suit (a control-bid), 5 NT (pick a slam) or 6 .
| 6. | ||
| K J 10 8 K Q J A 8 7 4 A 5 | | 2 A 8 4 K 9 6 3 K J 10 8 2 |
| 1 3 NT 4 NT | Pass Pass Pass | 2 4 Pass | Pass Pass |
Opener’s heavy values in the major suits make slam unlikely so he discourages with 4 NT. Note the importance of being able to stop in 4 NT rather than 5 .
| Lesson 3R Main | | Top Notrump Slam Bidding |
Forcing 5 NT BidThe classic meaning of a 5 NT response to a notrump opening bid is to invite a grand slam. Opener is supposed to bid 6 NT if minimum or 7 NT if maximum. Since I can’t remember the last time I used this bid, I will not waste your time with an example. (If you get these hands a lot, I recommend you play money bridge for big bucks.)
A far more practical use of 5 NT occurs when both notrump and a suit have been bid:
5 NT is forcing and asks partner to pick a slam, provided your side has bid notrump,
at least one real suit has been shown, and no major suit is agreed.
| 7. | ||
| K 10 9 6 A K 9 3 A 4 K Q J | | A Q J 4 8 2 Q 8 6 2 A 8 2 |
| 2 NT 3 6 | Pass Pass | 3 5 NT | Pass Pass |
After using Stayman responder has the strength to bid 6 NT, but that would preclude playing in 6 if opener also held four spades. The problem is neatly solved with 5 NT.
| 8. | ||
| A Q J 4 10 2 K Q 10 3 Q J 10 | | K 8 2 A K 9 7 4 A 8 4 K 3 |
| 1 NT 2 6 NT | Pass Pass | 2 1 5 NT | Pass Pass | 1. Jacoby transfer |
After transferring to his five-card major, responder next bids 5 NT (forcing) to ask opener to choose between 6 and 6 NT. Opener lacks heart support so he bids the slam in notrump.
| Lesson 3R Main | | Top Notrump Slam Bidding |
The Gerber ConventionIn situations where 4 NT would be natural it may be possible to ask for aces with the Gerber 4 bid. The following rule dictates when 4 is Gerber.
If partner has bid notrump as a natural bid, a jump bid of 4 is Gerber to ask for aces.
Important: The Gerber bid must be a jump. Hence, on some auctions there is no ace-asking bid available.
The responses to Gerber are by steps, as in regular Blackwood:
| Responses to Gerber | |
|---|---|
| 0 or 4 aces | 4
|
| 1 ace | 4
|
| 2 aces | 4
|
| 3 aces | 4 NT |
| 9. | ||
| 4 K 7 4 A K J 9 8 6 4 K 2 | | K Q 8 Q J 9 10 5 2 A Q 9 3 |
| 1 4 4 NT | Pass Pass Pass | 2 NT 4 Pass | Pass Pass |
Opener asks for aces with 4 and discovers that two are missing. Opener could sign off in 5 but prefers to play 4 NT to try for a better score at matchpoints.
| 10. | ||
| A K 8 Q J 6 5 A 2 Q 7 6 2 | | 4 A K 9 4 K J 8 5 4 3 K 3 |
| 1 NT 2 4 | Pass Pass Pass | 2 4 6 | Pass Pass |
After finding the heart fit with Stayman, responder has enough distributional points to warrant a slam bid; but it is possible that two aces are missing so he uses Gerber to check for aces.
| West 1 NT 5 ?6 ?7 ? | North Pass Pass Pass Pass | East 4 5 6 I quit! | South Pass Pass Pass |
Sorry, dear, you bid clubs first.
Geez! If I bid again I’d hear eight clubs.
| 11. | ||
| A K 8 4 3 A J 5 J 3 A J 10 | | — 4 3 2 A Q 10 6 5 K Q 9 5 4 |
| 1 3 NT 4 | Pass Pass Pass | 2 4 6 | Pass Pass |
Not Gerber. Since 4 is not a jump, it is a natural bid (forcing). Opener’s 4 is a control-bid showing the A, so responder is encouraged to bid the slam.
If the Gerber bidder continues to 5 at his next turn, it guarantees that all the aces are held and that a grand slam is possible. This asks for kings in the same manner that 4 asked for aces, except the bidding is one level higher. (Note that 4 NT by Gerber bidder is always a sign-off in notrump.)
Over 5 the Gerber responder is allowed to bid a grand slam directly with an exceptional hand instead of answering how many kings.
| 12. | ||
| A J 9 7 A J 8 K 3 A J 8 7 | | K K 7 A Q 8 6 5 4 2 K 6 2 |
| 1 2 NT 4 NT 5 | Pass Pass Pass Pass | 1 4 5 7 NT | Pass Pass Pass |
Responder’s 4 bid is Gerber. Opener shows the three missing aces, so responder asks for kings with 5 . The 5 response shows one king. Responder now can count 13 tricks barring a 4-0 diamond break.
| Lesson 3R Main | | Top Notrump Slam Bidding |
© 2012 Richard Pavlicek