[misha_aus]

I know some people use 4S over 4H as a "cheap" version of Roman Keycard Blackwood.
All responses are one step lower than normal.
The maximum response of 5H (2 + Q) does not commit you to a small slam.

I use this principle over the minor suits as well.
I am wondering if the convention has a name.

For example, 1D pass 3D pass 4H(asking for keycards with diamonds as trumps)

Or partner opens 1H and you respond 2 clubs with Kx Qx Kx AKxxxxx. Thus

1H pass 2C pass
3C pass 4D(asking) pass
4S (1 keycard) pass 4N(to play*) pass
pass pass.

*4NT is to play because 5D is asking for kings. I think 5S here over the 4S response would tell partner to bid 5NT if you wanted him to play it.

You have not forced yourself into a slam with 2 missing keycards and may be able to ask for keycards freely without missing the notrump game, or the minor game if appropriate. Even this auction is possible: 1C pass 5C pass 5D(asking for keycards) and partner may even have a hand that can stop at 5NT if there is no slam.

Does the treatment/convention have a name (I call it "Stepwood")? It is similar (in the king-asking bid) to a convention I once played called "minorwood".

Michael Macrossan

[steve2005]

Kickback.
Similar is Redwood, minors are like Kickback all majors 4N is ask.

[spotlight7]

misha_aus, on 2019-June-10, 21:31, said:

I know some people use 4S over 4H as a "cheap" version of Roman Keycard Blackwood.
All responses are one step lower than normal.
The maximum response of 5H (2 + Q) does not commit you to a small slam.

I use this principle over the minor suits as well.
I am wondering if the convention has a name.

For example, 1D pass 3D pass 4H(asking for keycards with diamonds as trumps)

Or partner opens 1H and you respond 2 clubs with Kx Qx Kx AKxxxxx. Thus

1H pass 2C pass
3C pass 4D(asking) pass
4S (1 keycard) pass 4N(to play*) pass
pass pass.

*4NT is to play because 5D is asking for kings. I think 5S here over the 4S response would tell partner to bid 5NT if you wanted him to play it.

You have not forced yourself into a slam with 2 missing keycards and may be able to ask for keycards freely without missing the notrump game, or the minor game if appropriate. Even this auction is possible: 1C pass 5C pass 5D(asking for keycards) and partner may even have a hand that can stop at 5NT if there is no slam.

Does the treatment/convention have a name (I call it "Stepwood")? It is similar (in the king-asking bid) to a convention I once played called "minorwood".

Michael Macrossan

Kickback uses the agreed suit +1 as RKC. It also allows asking for the trump queen after the RKC ask.

[johnu]

Jeff Rubens, now editor of the Bridge World magazine, first publicized this modification of key card Blackwood in the Bridge World magazine.

The important thing to discuss about kickback is when is a bid kickback and when is a bid natural (or something else).

[pescetom]

steve2005, on 2019-June-10, 21:34, said:

Kickback.
Similar is Redwood, minors are like Kickback all majors 4N is ask.

There is also Crosswood, where clubs are like Kickback but diamonds use clubs as the asking strain. This gives you many of the benefits of Kickback while completely avoiding the main dilemma, conflict between keycard asks and natural bids of a major.

[gwnn]

1S-2C
3C-4D*
4S*-4NT
*shrug* I'd rather have 4NT as the queen ask with 5C "no." I know about matchpoint scoring and everything, but we hardly have enough information available, on average, to make sure that 4NT will play better than 5C. On the other hand, a queen ask is useful about 50% of the time (whenever we don't have it) and we always know whether or not to use it (we check whether we have it and if we don't, we ask).