Cue bidding

The general rules for the first round of cuebidding, by which I mean the first opportunity to
cuebid a suit, are as follows:

1. Cuebids of a side suit belonging to the cuebidder show two of the top three honors.

WEST EAST

1♠ 2♣
2♦ 2♠
3♦

Bidding 3♦, West confirms two of the top three diamond honors (there are other inferences, but
let’s not worry about those for now). Notice that according to our structure, this call does not
show any extra length in diamonds — it is unambiguously a cuebid.

2. Cuebids of a side suit belonging to partner show one of the top three honors.

West East
1♠ 2♣
2♦ 2♠
3♣

Here, West confirms possession of one of the top three club honors.

3. 2NT as a cuebid denies good trumps (denies two of the top three honors).

West East
1♠ 2♣
2♦ 2♠
2NT

In this auction, it is clear we have a fit and that 2NT is our trump denial. You should, however,
make sure that you and your partner identify any auctions where you want to retain a natural
2NT call as an option.

4. Bypassing 2NT as a cuebid promises good trumps.

West East
1♠ 2♣
2♦ 2♠
3♣

Back to our previous auction, but now we know that West not only has a club honor, but also
two of the top three spade honors (since he failed to bid 2NT).
 5. A cuebid of trumps (yes, this is possible) shows two of the top three honors, or the
missing top honor if partner has already shown the other two top honors.

West East
1♠ 2♣
2♦ 2♠
3♣ 3♠

East shows the remaining top trump honor, West having promised two already when he
bypassed 2NT.

6. Cuebids of unbid suits show first or second-round control, in the form of honors (ace or
king) or shortness (voids or singletons).

West East
1♠ 2♣
2♦ 2♠
3♣ 3♥

East shows a heart control of some kind. One of the Italian innovations was to discard the
traditional ‘aces-first’ cuebidding method. A sufficiency of first-round controls can be
confirmed later in the auction if necessary.

7. Bypassing a cuebid denies the ability to make that cuebid.

West East
1♠ 2♣
2♦ 2♠
3♦

We’re back to our first example auction, but now we know that West has (a) two of the top three
trump honors (b) two of the top three diamond honors (c) none of the top three club honors,
since he bypassed 3♣.

8. Bidding 3NT shows contextually serious slam interest.

This is an easy statement to make, but there are definitely auctions, even major-suit auctions,
where you may want to offer 3NT as a place to play. For example, in 2/1,

West East
1♥ 2♦
2♥ 3♥
3NT

is a sequence where a natural meaning for 3NT can be useful. If you are going to play Serious
3NT, you need to have clear agreements with partner as to when 3NT is ‘Serious’ and when it is
an offer to play there. For example, when a nine-card fit is known, or when both players have
made cuebids, a 3NT bid should probably be Serious. Such discussion is beyond the scope of
this book, but the rules do have to be established.

We shall explore the meaning of the phrase ‘contextually serious’ in later chapters; suffice it to
say here that it means “serious in the light of whatever limits the auction has already placed on
the 3NT bidder’s hand”.

9. Bypassing 3NT denies contextually serious slam interest.

West East
1♥ 2♦
2♥ 3♥
4♣

West denies a spade control (bypassing 3♠) and shows a club control. However, by failing to bid
3NT, he also expresses the view that his hand is poor for his bidding so far.

 The last possible cuebid below game in our suit is potentially artificial, a ‘Last Train to
Clarksville’ cuebid, imprecisely showing continuing slam interest, with insufficient
information to commit to the slam or to RKCB.

 A Last Train bid is hard to define, but you will probably know one when you see it.
Basically, in some complex or crowded auctions, which we shall encounter in later
chapters, the last available bid before game can become an all-purpose slam try,
generally encouraging partner to continue, but not carrying a specific meaning in
relation to the suit bid.