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Roman Key Card Blackwood: The 24-Part Bidding Toolkit Series Is Available Online

1) Roman Key Card Blackwood (RKCB) is a variation of the Blackwood convention that counts aces and the king of the trump suit as "key cards" for a total of 5 key cards. 2) In RKCB, the responses to a 4NT bid showing key cards held are: 5♠ for 0-3, 5♥ for 1-4, 5♦ for 2-5 without the queen, 5♣ for 2-5 with the queen. 3) RKCB allows partners to check for the queen of the trump suit, with the 5NT bidder responding negatively by rebidding the suit or positively by bidding a

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50 views1 page

Roman Key Card Blackwood: The 24-Part Bidding Toolkit Series Is Available Online

1) Roman Key Card Blackwood (RKCB) is a variation of the Blackwood convention that counts aces and the king of the trump suit as "key cards" for a total of 5 key cards. 2) In RKCB, the responses to a 4NT bid showing key cards held are: 5♠ for 0-3, 5♥ for 1-4, 5♦ for 2-5 without the queen, 5♣ for 2-5 with the queen. 3) RKCB allows partners to check for the queen of the trump suit, with the 5NT bidder responding negatively by rebidding the suit or positively by bidding a

Uploaded by

Ricky L
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The 24-part Bidding Toolkit series is available online

at www.acbl.org/play/commonlyusedconventions.html.

Roman Key Card Blackwood

B
lackwood, the ace-asking cases where not only is the number idea. You should pass 5.
convention, was developed of aces held by the partnership a What about situations where
early in the history of contract key to making a slam, but also the partner’s response is 5 or 5, but
bridge as an aid to slam bidding. quality of the trumps. you still want to know about the
Despite its frequent misuse, it Enter Roman Key Card Blackwood queen of the agreed suit? In RKCB,
became a popular treatment because (RKCB). This approach is “Roman” the “asker” bids the cheapest suit
of its inherent simplicity. A bid of because it’s a variation of an ace- after partner’s response to ask if he
4NT (in most constructive auctions) asking scheme developed by the holds the queen. Responder says “no”
asks partner to reveal how many Italian Blue Team. The phrase “Key by bidding five of the agreed suit.
aces he holds using the following set Card” refers to the way in which Opener Responder
of responses: 5 shows zero or four this method improves on traditional 1 3 (1)
aces, 5 shows one, 5 shows two Blackwood by counting the four 4NT (2) 5 (3)
and 5 promises three. Easy. aces and the king of the agreed 5 (4)
5 (5)
Even when used properly, trump suit as “key” cards — a total Pass
however, there’s a problem that of five. Additionally, this method (1) Limit raise.
Blackwood fails to address, namely, allows the partnership to check on (2) RKCB.
the strength of the combined trump the queen of the agreed suit. (3) One or four key cards. Responder
holding. Consider this situation: Playing RKCB, the responses to made only a limit raise, so it must be
Partner You the key-card asking bid of 4NT are: one.
A74 KQ 5 zero or three key cards (4) “Do you have the Q?”
J863 A742 5 one or four key cards (5) “No.”
 10 AK85 5 two or five key cards without Responder says “yes” by bidding
AKJ62 Q98 the queen six of the agreed suit. In the above
Partner opens 1. You have an 5 two or five key cards with auction, therefore, responder could
18-count, but you decide to take it the queen reply to the queen-asking bid of 5
slowly by responding with a calm If the partnership is missing two with 6 if he held the Q.
1. Partner rebids 1. (or more!) key cards, slam should be If responder has the trump queen
Your hand is improving in value avoided. If the partnership is missing and a side king, however, he can
as the auction proceeds. If you are a key card and the queen of the show both. (This can sometimes help
a Blackwood enthusiast, it wouldn’t agreed suit, slam is iffy the partnership bid a grand slam.)
be unreasonable to bid 4NT at this unless the combined trump holding Opener Responder
point. After partner’s 5 response is 10 cards or longer. 1 3
(two aces), it would likewise be On the example hand, therefore, 4NT (1) 5 (2)
reasonable to bid 6. Your trump partner would respond to your 4NT 5 (3) 6 (4)
holding, however, will be a disap- call with 5, showing two key 7 (5)
Pass
pointment to partner. Barring the cards, but without the Q. You (1) RKCB.
unlikely occurrence of the doubleton would then know that your side is (2) One key card.
K Q in a defender’s hand, declarer missing either (1) a black ace and (3) “Do you have the Q?”
will lose two trump tricks. the Q or (2) the K and the Q. (4) “Yes, and I have the K, too.”
This example is just one of many Either way, slam would be a bad (5) “Just what I needed!” 

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