THE “BLACKWOOD 5 AS” (FIVE KEYS) - CHELEM AUCTION

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A long time ago, Easley Blackwood invented a convention that now bears his name:

  Ace's request to 4 SA

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Important reminder about the Blackwood :

• The 4 SA auction is a request for Ace only after a major fit has been called.

• The player who announces 4 SA has already made a bid at the level of 4 in the previous round.

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In the absence of fit, this auction can only be quantitative.

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        When no fit has been expressed, the simple version of Blackwood is used:

• 5 ♣ : 3 or 0 AS

• 5 ♦ : 4 or 1 AS

• 5 ♥ : 2 AS

⇒ Importance of the Trump King

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To claim a small slam, three Aces are enough. But the King of Trumps is as important a coin as an Ace.

Indeed, by the game of cuts or discards, we can often do without a dead end if a king is missing in another color, but we must always ignore the king of trumps. This leads to a probability of success which will always be capped at 50% (if we do not take into account any distribution accidents that may occur.)

A small slam should only ask itself with a probability of success of the order of 65%, to play one when it misses an Ace and the King of trumps will be as bad as if it misses two Aces!

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Hence the importance of this King, and this is why we are going to give him a promotion: he becomes the equal of an Ace. We therefore find ourselves in a game that includes 5 Aces!

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To announce a small slam in the flush, it will therefore be necessary to hold at least four of the five “AS”, and for a grand slam, the five “AS”.

The Blackwood five keys or “Blackwood 5 As”:

The 4NT “Blackwood 5 Ace” remains a 30-41, but instead of answering the Aces among 4, we answer the keys, among the 5 possible (the king of trump becoming an Ace) :

• 5 ♣: 3 or 0 AS

• 5 ♦ : 4 or 1 AS

• 5 ♥ : 2 Ace without the trump queen

• 5 ♠ : 2 AS with the queen of trump

• 5 SA : 2 or 4 AS, and a presumed useful chicane (with 0 As answering 5 ♣ )

• 6 y : 1 or 3 AS, and a chicane   in the color advertised, if it is less than the trump color.

  • Otherwise, we declare the little slam in the trump suit .

• 6 approved trumps: 1 or 3 AS, and a chicane more expensive than the color of the trump.

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Example: 1 ♥ - 2 ♣

2 ♦ - 3 ♥

4 SA - 6 ♥       1 or 3 AS and a chicane at Spades, color more expensive than Heart

⇒ After the answers of 5 ♣ and 5 ♦ , the announcement of the pasted suit, when it is lower than the trump suit, is a question to the trump queen .

Without the trump queen, the partner reverts to level 5 in the trump suit.

⇒ When two fits have been cast, it is the color announced by the person who placed the “Blackwood 5 AS” which is considered as the trump card.

∴ Auction of 5 SA - Interrogation aux Rois

With grand slam ambitions, if you need to get to know Kings and you're not interested in the Queen of Trumps, you still have the option to remake a Blackwood at 5 SA. The answer is always done in 30-41. The King of Trump (the 5th AS) must be deducted from the number announced on 5 SA.

• 6 ♣ : 0 King

• 6 ♦ : 1 King

• 6 ♥ : 2 Kings

• 6 ♠ : 3 Kings

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In conclusion

• We continue to play 30-41, but answering on “5 Aces”.

• Kings always ask themselves at 5 SA, but we answer on 3 Kings.

• The sticky asks the trump lady.

• The return to the trump suit is a sign of weakness.