Understanding Cue Bids.
Bridge Column for April 2, 2000, By HARVEY BERNSTEIN
Neither side vulnerable.  East deals.
                              NORTH
                              S: A K Q 2          
                              H: A           
                              D: 9 8 7       
                              C: K 10 8 3 2 
            WEST                             EAST
            S: 5 4 3                         S: J 10 9 8 7 6
            H: 7 6 5 4                       H: K 9 8      
            D: 3                             D: Q 10              
            C: J 9 7 6 4                     C: A Q         
                              SOUTH                         
                              S: Void  
                              H: Q J 10 3 2 
                              D: A K J 6 5 4 2 
                              C: 5        
          The Bidding://
                   EAST   SOUTH     WEST   NORTH                  
                    1S     2D       Pass    2S  
                   Pass    3H       Pass    3NT 
                   Pass    4H       Pass    4NT 
                   Pass    6D       Pass    Pass
                   Pass
     Mort Pierce of Chagrin Falls held the South cards as my
partner in a rubber bridge game.  After East opened the bidding,
Pierce made a two diamond over call.  West passed and I made a
cue bid of two spades.  We have an understanding concerning this
sequence and I think that it is important for all good
partnerships to discuss this situation.
     The cue bid says that we have game values and that the cue
bidder is either agreeing to the suit that his partner bid, or he
has a suit that is good enough to become the trump suit with
minimal support.  This understanding gives the partnership some
flexibility during the rest of the auction.
     Pierce was able to show his second suit by bidding three
hearts.  My three no trump call was a suggestion that the nine
trick game might be the best spot.  It also inferred that I did
not have a trump suit of my own.  When Pierce finished describing
his hand by bidding four hearts, I knew that he had at least six
diamonds and five hearts.  Four no trump was the Blackwood
convention asking for aces.  Six diamonds was a special response
showing one ace and a void.  That became the final contract.
     The opening lead was the three of spades and the five of
clubs was discarded.  Pierce drew trump and conceeded a heart,
making six.  On a club lead, three hearts can be discarded on
spades and one heart can be trumped in the dummy, also making
six.
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