12.22.09
RKC and Voids and a Simple Declarer Problem
The other night, I was playing on-line with a regular partner who is fairly good, but occasionally has gaps in her knowledge base that surprise me.
We had the following auction:
Partner Me
1H 2C
2H 3H
4H 4N
5C 5H
The auction seems straightforward. Partner has an opening hand with at least 5 hearts, from the first bid. I have an opening hand (at least 12 HCP, not a shapely 10-11 HCP hand or a bad 12 HCP) with at least 4 clubs, probably 5 or more. Partner’s 2H rebid strongly implies (but doesn’t guaranty) 6 hearts. My 3H bid strongly implies extra values with at least 2 hearts, confirming a heart fit. If partner was rebidding a 5-card suit under pressure, partner might next bid 3NT, but she bid 4H, which confirms at least a six-card suit. I now ask for keycards in hearts, i.e., the number of aces and the K of hearts. Her response shows 1 or 4 keycards (we play the 1430 variant of RKC Blackwood), so missing a keycard and having only minimal values for slam exploration (I’ll show you the actual hands shortly), I bid 5H, to play.
Virtually all strong players also show a useful void when playing RKC. With 1 or more keycards and a useful void, they will bid the void at the 6-level with an odd number of keycards (generally 1 or 3, if it is 5, something is amiss somewhere) if the void is lower in rank than the trump suit, and they bid 6 of the agreed upon trump suit if the void is higher ranking than the trump suit (again, if the void is in trump, something is very seriously amiss). Furthermore, with an even number of keycards (usually 2, but occasionally 4) and a useful void, the proper bid is 5NT. In this hand, partner had a void that might be useful, although it is arguable.
The hands are as follows:
Partner: S: KT9 H: QJ8543 D: AK64 C: —-
Me: S: A73 H: K96 D: Q7 C: AKT54
Now, there are a significant number of people who would believe that a club void in this auction would not seem useful. Under some circumstances, I might agree. However, in this auction, I have shown extra values by bidding 3H instead of jumping to 4H. I have shown a significant hand by asking for keycards after partner attempts to sign off at 4H. Therefore, partner should assume I either have a hand with 2-3 hearts and about 18-19 HCP, maybe more, or a very good 16+ HCP with 3 hearts. I can’t have 4+ hearts or I would have bid 2NT over the 1H opening bid. In any case, I am not deterred by partner’s potentially very minimum hand. Partner could easily have 11 HCP with a 6-card suit and a semi-balanced hand, and I am still looking for 6-7H. Partner has 13 HCP, all of which are worth their full value in this auction (frequently queens and jacks are devalued, but here, they are in the trump suit, and based on the auction, I should have either the A or K of hearts, or both, making these cards in partner’s hand worth their full weight. Partner has the KT9 in a side suit. The king should be worth its full value, and T’s and 9′s are generally worth more than the value traditionally placed on them, especially when they are joined by other honors in the suit. On this auction, I should have 5 clubs and 3 hearts (or significant extra values), leaving me 5 cards in spades and diamonds. I also should not have a suit with 2 losers in it, unless I have enough other cards to make the 5-level safe. Since she is looking at the AK of diamonds, she knows I either have diamond shortness or I have control cards in the other 3 suits. I almost have to have the A of spades, the A and/or K of hearts, no more than 2 diamonds (or perhaps QJx, but I am not likely to take that risk), and the A of clubs. As this adds up to 11-15 HCP, at most, I have to have more in my hand on this auction. If I have both heart honors, then I might have the K or Q of clubs or the Q of diamonds or the Q of spades, at a minimum. If I have only 1 of the heart honors, I must have at least 2, if not 3 of the missing unaccounted for honors in the side suits. Adding all these things up, the six-level should be safe (if not, it is my fault for asking for keycards, not hers, and she should assume I have not lost my mind – although some of my partners would argue I lost it long ago). Therefore, she can safely bid 6C, giving me all the available information. Note that if her heart suit was worse than it is or she did not have 3 side control cards, committing to the 6-level would be treacherous. But with the quality of her hand and the fact that I have indicated substantial extras, some in HCP and some in either shape, suit texture, or HCP or combination thereof, 6C is the best response to my 4NT bid.
Knowing that we are off 1 keycard and that partner has a club void, I can be comfortable in 6H and not concerned about missing 7H. I know that we have a 9-card trimp fit (or better), which will yield at least 5 heart tricks (perhaps 6 natural hearts if she has the AQ, but I will assume 5 natural hearts), 2 club tricks is 7, at least 1 spade is 8, at least 1 diamond is 9, at least 2 more tricks combining kings that she must have with my cards, and either a diamond ruff (ruffing the 3rd diamond if necessary) or another trick in her hand, combining her honors with mine. This adds up to 12 tricks. One of these tricks might require a finesse, which makes this at worst, a 50% slam.
Looking at the layout, it appears the slam is cold, if played correctly. We have 5 hearts, 3 diamonds, 2 clubs, and 2 spades. This can be accomplished regardless of the heart split, assuming declarer plays it properly. Since we were playing imp pairs and we weren’t in slam, my partner had room for error, and unfortunately, she found it. If the hearts are 2-2 or 3-1, it does not matter how you play the heart suit, all you lose is the A. However, if the hearts are 4-0, you need to be careful. You are missing the A and T of hearts. If they are both in the same hand, you need to be able to finesse for the T. If you cash the king or play low to the king, you may have to lose the ten of hearts if the ATxx are in one hand. Therefore, play the Q or J of hearts first. If the hearts break at least 3-1, you can claim. If the hearts are 4-0, you now have to finesse for the T of hearts. You still have a finessing position both ways if you play the Q or J first, but you only have the finessing position 1 way if you play the K first. So with this holding, it is always right to play the Q or J of hearts first. My partner played the K first and made only 5 because the hearts broke 4-0 and she could no longer finesse for the T.
Debate on this, especially the bidding is welcome.
