Asking Bids

We use only three of the asking bids; Alpha, Gamma and a control ask.

Alpha:

Where the 1c bidder makes the asking bid introduces a new suit; his partner's response is tied to his holding in this suit and also on his controls.

Gamma:

Where the 1c bidder supports his partner's suit and asks for details of partner's holding in the suit. We only treat 2h, 2s, 3c, and 3d as Gamma bids.

Control ask:

When responder can show his suit at the 1-level, a 1N rebid by opener asks for controls.

The Alpha bid

Whenever the 1c opener bids a suit of his own after a positive response, he asks about partner's holding in this suit; at the same time partner gives information about his controls.

Suppose the bidding begins 1c - 1h - 1s; 1s is Alpha and asks for responses as follows:

 

1st step (1N)	no positive support for spades (less than Hxx or xxxx) and not more than 3 controls
2nd step (2c)	no positive support for spades, but upwards of 4 controls
3rd step (2d)	positive support (Qxx, xxxx, or better), but not more than 3 controls
4th step (2h)	positive support, upwards of 4 controls
5th step (2s)	4-card positive support (Qxxx or better) upwards of 4 controls

The 6th and higher steps are defined in one of two ways:

1. If responder has shown a balanced hand of 7 to 12 or 15 up, then the 6th step shows no fit with 15+ HCP and the 7th shows a fit with 15+ HCP. Neither response promises or denies a specific number of controls.
2. If responder has shown a suit, then the 6th and higher steps are natural, deny as many as 4 controls and show a singleton or void in opener's suit.

In general after receiving a response showing positive support, opener will either bid a new suit (presumably a natural slam try), or bids responder's suit to show a fit. In the case of bidding responder's suit, the bid acts as a Gamma bid (see Gamma asking bid ) if and only if the bid is 2h, 2s, 3c or 3d.

However after receiving a response showing positive support for a minor when responder has shown a 7-12 HCP balanced hand, we change our approach. In order to "switch suits" into a possible major suit fit, bids of 3 major are an attempt to find a 4-4 fit in that major. In order to initiate N or slam tries with the minor suit agreed, it is necessary for opener to bid 3 minor. If he bids 3 of the agreed minor, he doesn't show or deny anything in particular about his suit, but there are negative inferences to be drawn about his holding in the other minor.

Examples:

s AKxx	s xx
h AQ	h Kxxx
d Qx	d AJxx
c QJ10xx	c Axx
1c	1s
2c	2N (fit with 4+ controls)
3s	3N (no s fit)
?
sAKx	sxx
sAQx	hKxxx
dQx	dAJxx
cQJ10xx	cAxx
1c	1s
2c	2N (fit with 4+ controls)
3c (probably no control) d	3d
3N	4h
4s	?

The Gamma bid

This asking bid occurs when opener supports his partner's suit. This initiates inquiry about the suit, to which responder answers as follows:

1st step

no top honors

2nd step

5-card suit headed by one honor

3rd step

5-card suit headed by two honors

4th step

6-card suit headed by one honor

5th step

6-card suit headed by two honors

6th step

three top honors

The control ask

In forcing auctions that begin with opener bidding 1N as his first natural bid after a positive natural bid by responder, the 1N bid asks for controls:

 

Responder's Bid	Controls shown
2c	0 - 2
2d	3
2h	4
2s	5
2N	6 or more
Higher responses by responder are natural and show 5-5 or better. It is not clear how many controls he has.

The auctions where 1N is a control ask are:

 

Opener	Enemy	Responder
1c	(1d)	1h/s
1N
1c	(1h)	1s
1N
1c	(pass)	1h
1N
1c	(Double)	1d/h/s
1N