WHY USE ROMAN KEY CARD BLACKWOOD
Many slams depend upon one of the pair holding the trump king. With Ordinary Blackwood, this cannot usually be determined below the 6-level and the presence or absence of the trump queen can never be determined with Ordinary Blackwood.
Roman Key Card Blackwood allows you to find out about the King and Queen of trumps.
Trump Agreement
It’s for the partnership to have agreed upon the trump suit before initiating Roman Key Card Blackwood. Below are some sequences agreeing the trump suit: -
- Any explicit suit agreed
1♠ - 3♠ - 4NT is RKCB with spades as trumps
1♣ - 1♦- 3♦ - 4NT is RKCB with diamonds as trumps
- Any implicit suit agreed
1NT - 2♣ (Stayman) - 2♥ - 4NT is RKCB with hearts as trumps
1♠ - 4♦ (splinter) – 4NT is RKCB with spades as trumps
1♥ - 2NT (Jacoby) - 3♥ - 4NT is RKCB with hearts as trumps
1NT - 2♥ (transfer to spades) – 2♠ - 4NT is RKCB with spades as trumps
2NT - 3♦ (transfer to hearts) - 3♥ - 4NT is RKCB with hearts as trumps
- The last naturally bid or implied suit by the responder to 4NT (some players define this as the weaker hand, but this definition can become confusing)
1♦ - 1♥ - 1♠ - 3♥ – 4NT is RKCB with hearts as trumps (the last naturally bid suit by responder).
1♠ - 2♥ - 3♠ - 4♥ - 4NT is RKCB with hearts as trumps
Note – the agreed trump suit doesn’t necessarily mean that this is the suit of the final contract. It can be used as a means of finding out about the king of that suit.
Responses
The responses include the king of trumps as a fifth ace, the preferred option being ‘1430’ (but some players do play ‘3014’) i.e.
5♣ - 1 or 4 Key Cards
5♦ - 0 or 3 Key Cards
5♥ - 2 Key Cards (or 5) without the Queen of Trumps
5♠ - 2 Key Cards (or 5) with the Queen of Trumps (with a know 10-card fit in the trump suit you can use this response when not holding the queen)
In these responses there can be ambiguities (e.g. 1 or 4), but either the previous bidding, or the 4NT bidders holding itself, usually makes it clear which is the most probable alternative. If you hold 4 or 3 key cards and partner signs off in 5 then it’s normally right to bid the slam.
To progress to a slam, players should ensure that they have at least 4 out of the 5 key-cards (unless there are useful voids). Even then, a slam should be avoided if it can be determined that the partnership is missing one Key Card and the trump Q.
If holding all five key-cards between the partnership, the 4NT bidder can then ask for kings by bidding 5NT. Remember that in response to this bid, ignore the king of trumps – it has already been accounted for in response to the 4NT bid
Queen Ask
Following 5♣ or 5♦, a bid of the next suit up is the queen-ask.
(Special case – if hearts are the agreed trump suit, following a 5♦ bid (0 or 3), 5♥ is now the queen-ask opposite 3, but must be passed opposite 0).
In response to the queen ask: -
If you do not have the queen sign off in 5 of the trump suit.
If you have the queen, you have the chance to tell partner a bit more about your hand!
If you have the queen and no Kings just bid a small slam.
If you have the queen and a king bid the suit of the king, you have.
If you are playing in spades and you have the ♣ King and the queen of trumps bid 6♣
The auction would be 1♠ - 3♠ - 4NT - 5♦ - 5♥ - 6♣ (Partner I have the Queen and just in case you need to know I have the ♣ K)
Or if you have the ♦ K bid 6♦
The auction would be 1♠ - 3♠ - 4NT - 5♣ - 5♦ - 6♦ (Partner I have the Queen and just in case you need to know I have the ♦K)
Special Note: If you know you have a 10 card trump fit and you are asked about the queen of trumps you can pretend you have the queen as it will normally drop.
Asking For Other Kings
Only ask for the king if you have all 5 key cards.
5NT says Partner we have all the Key Cards and I am interested in a Grand Slam, yippee,
In response to 5NT you bid the king you have or the king you have not got, always remembering of course that we are only interested in 3 kings.
If spades are trumps: -
6♣ says partner I have the ♣K or ♦K and ♥K (If you hold the ♣K partner must have ♦K and ♥K)
6♥ says partner I have the ♥K or ♣K and ♦K
6♦ says partner I have the ♦K or ♣K and ♥K
6 of the trump suit says Partner I do not have any kings.
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