BBO Discussion Forums: Variable Key Card Blackwood - BBO Discussion Forums

Jump to content

Page 1 of 1
  • You cannot start a new topic
  • You cannot reply to this topic

Variable Key Card Blackwood Irony and the Bridge Bulletin

#1 User is offline   kenrexford 

  • Brain Farts and Actual Farts Increasing with Age
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Group: Advanced Members
  • Posts: 9,586
  • Joined: 2005-September-21
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Lima, Allen County, North-West-Central Ohio, USA
  • Interests:www.limadbc.blogspot.com editor/contributor

Posted 2012-December-04, 12:04

In the December 2012 Bridge Bulletin, August Boehm noted that literature has a lot of irony but that irony in bridge is rare. He then provided two ironic bridge situations. In the second situation, he noted how with AQ-AQJx-KQ109xx-x, after RHO opens 1♠, you double, passed to partner who leaps to 4♥, irony strikes. Those who play RKCB will find out about two key cards. If the key cards are Ace-Ace, the heart hook is about 100% and thus the grand biddable. If the key cards are a minor Ace and the trump King, then only a small slam is bid, as we might be off a cashing Ace. He notes a comment by Edgar Kaplan that the trump King is not as useful as an Ace and observes the "irony" that regular Blackwood players reach the right contract.

The irony is that this very same month I have released a new book called "Variable Key Card Blackwood" where this problem is solved. [Through Master Point Press (see http://ebooksbridge....products_id=521 for the ebook; paperback will available very soon also).]

With VKCB (actually MKCB or "Middle" Key Card Blackwood), the auction would be:

(1♠)-X-(P)-4♥
(P)-4♠(kickback MKCB)-(P)-4NT(2 key cards)-P-
(P)-5♣(clarification ask)-(P)-5♦(no trump Queen, no trump King, hence two Aces)
(P)-7♥

Had Advancer held the trump King and thus only one Ace:

(1♠)-X-(P)-4♥
(P)-4♠(kickback MKCB)-(P)-4NT(2 key cards)-P-
(P)-5♣(clarification ask)-(P)-5♥(no trump Queen, trump King, hence one Ace)
(P)-6♥

What if Doubler did not have the trump Queen (E.g., ♠AQ ♥AJ10x ♦KQ109xx ♣x)? Opposite one Ace and the trump King, the small slam makes if Opener has the trump Queen, a fair bet, and makes easily if partner has it. If partner has two Aces, the trump suit probably comes in on a double hook. Thus, you expect to bid the small slam any time partner has two key cards. To make a grand, however, you want partner to have specifically two Aces and the trump Queen. That grand can also be found with VKCB:

(1♠)-X-(P)-4♥
(P)-4♠(kickback MKCB)-(P)-4NT(2 key cards)-P-
(P)-5♦(asks if partner has specifically two Aces and the trump Queen)...

Rather ironic that Auguest Boehm would note this issue in December of 2012. B-)
"Gibberish in, gibberish out. A trial judge, three sets of lawyers, and now three appellate judges cannot agree on what this law means. And we ask police officers, prosecutors, defense lawyers, and citizens to enforce or abide by it? The legislature continues to write unreadable statutes. Gibberish should not be enforced as law."

-P.J. Painter.
0

#2 User is offline   Lurpoa 

  • PipPipPipPip
  • Group: Full Members
  • Posts: 324
  • Joined: 2010-November-04
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Cogitatio 40
  • Interests:SEF
    BBOAdvanced2/1
    2/1 LC
    Benjamized Acol
    Joris Acol
    Fantunes
    George's K Squeeze

Posted 2012-December-05, 10:42

View Postkenrexford, on 2012-December-04, 12:04, said:

In the December 2012 Bridge Bulletin, August Boehm noted that literature has a lot of irony but that irony in bridge is rare. He then provided two ironic bridge situations. In the second situation, he noted how with AQ-AQJx-KQ109xx-x, after RHO opens 1♠, you double, passed to partner who leaps to 4♥, irony strikes. Those who play RKCB will find out about two key cards. If the key cards are Ace-Ace, the heart hook is about 100% and thus the grand biddable. If the key cards are a minor Ace and the trump King, then only a small slam is bid, as we might be off a cashing Ace. He notes a comment by Edgar Kaplan that the trump King is not as useful as an Ace and observes the "irony" that regular Blackwood players reach the right contract.

The irony is that this very same month I have released a new book called "Variable Key Card Blackwood" where this problem is solved. [Through Master Point Press (see http://ebooksbridge....products_id=521 for the ebook; paperback will available very soon also).]

With VKCB (actually MKCB or "Middle" Key Card Blackwood), the auction would be:

(1♠)-X-(P)-4♥
(P)-4♠(kickback MKCB)-(P)-4NT(2 key cards)-P-
(P)-5♣(clarification ask)-(P)-5♦(no trump Queen, no trump King, hence two Aces)
(P)-7♥

Had Advancer held the trump King and thus only one Ace:

(1♠)-X-(P)-4♥
(P)-4♠(kickback MKCB)-(P)-4NT(2 key cards)-P-
(P)-5♣(clarification ask)-(P)-5♥(no trump Queen, trump King, hence one Ace)
(P)-6♥

What if Doubler did not have the trump Queen (E.g., ♠AQ ♥AJ10x ♦KQ109xx ♣x)? Opposite one Ace and the trump King, the small slam makes if Opener has the trump Queen, a fair bet, and makes easily if partner has it. If partner has two Aces, the trump suit probably comes in on a double hook. Thus, you expect to bid the small slam any time partner has two key cards. To make a grand, however, you want partner to have specifically two Aces and the trump Queen. That grand can also be found with VKCB:

(1♠)-X-(P)-4♥
(P)-4♠(kickback MKCB)-(P)-4NT(2 key cards)-P-
(P)-5♦(asks if partner has specifically two Aces and the trump Queen)...

Rather ironic that Auguest Boehm would note this issue in December of 2012. B-)


♥ +1

sorry, I am not allowed to up-vote.
♥Bob Herreman ♥
0

#3 User is offline   thomas c 

  • PipPipPipPip
  • Group: Full Members
  • Posts: 105
  • Joined: 2012-June-27
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:mississippi
  • Interests:golf, bridge, opera

Posted 2012-December-05, 16:51

i read augies article. u should email this to him ken
good post
0

#4 User is offline   kenrexford 

  • Brain Farts and Actual Farts Increasing with Age
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Group: Advanced Members
  • Posts: 9,586
  • Joined: 2005-September-21
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Lima, Allen County, North-West-Central Ohio, USA
  • Interests:www.limadbc.blogspot.com editor/contributor

Posted 2012-December-06, 11:41

View Postthomas c, on 2012-December-05, 16:51, said:

i read augies article. u should email this to him ken
good post



Good idea, but I cannot find his email address. Does anyone know it?
"Gibberish in, gibberish out. A trial judge, three sets of lawyers, and now three appellate judges cannot agree on what this law means. And we ask police officers, prosecutors, defense lawyers, and citizens to enforce or abide by it? The legislature continues to write unreadable statutes. Gibberish should not be enforced as law."

-P.J. Painter.
0
Page 1 of 1
  • You cannot start a new topic
  • You cannot reply to this topic

1 User(s) are reading this topic
0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users