GREEN ACES
By: Ray Green
Everybody plays Blackwood. Yet you should not. It is the most inefficient convention ever invented. To check for a slam you want to:
- be positive you both know what the trump suit is so that there can be no misunderstanding.
- ensure you have the Aces. No ambiguous "1 or 3" that leaves you unable to be certain which.
- be able to know whether you have the trump Queen. This can be a vital card.
- be able to show specific Kings. Sometimes the possession of the right King makes the grand slam, whereas another King does not.
- be able to use the system and stop at the 5 level if you are missing Aces, or at the 6 level if missing a vital King. With Blackwood, minor slams are just a guess. In pairs you might "punt" a minor suit slam if you have missed the 3 NT level, but you ca not do this in teams. Even in pairs, it is better to stop in 5 making than 6 going off. Equally, minor suit grand slams are a pure guess.
- have a convention that is above all simple, and easy to remember.
So, Blackwood is hopeless, RKCB is an improvement but still fails miserably. What is the answer?
Take a deep breath. You need a new asking bid. You have been playing 4 No Trump as the asking bid for so many years that it is a very difficult habit to break, but I ask you to try it. People can kick the smoking habit. You can kick the 4 No Trump habit.
The Asking Suit
The asking suit is the suit, or next step, above the trump suit. So the Ace Asking bid is the next step above 4 of the trump suit. In a simple bidding sequence of 1 
- 4 
, 4 asks for Aces and agrees Diamonds as trumps. In the simple sequence of 1 
- 4 NT, 4 NT asks for Aces. (Yes, 4 NT does ask for Aces when Spades are trumps!)
The Ace Responses
There are 5 Aces, where the King of trumps acts as the fifth Ace.
The responses are simple steps, and the general principle is that the "nothing to show" bid is (logically) the sign off in the trump suit.
1 step: 1 Ace 2 steps: 2 Aces 3 steps: 3 Aces 4 steps (= the trump suit): 0 Aces
Nothing easier, the number of steps is the number of Aces.
This assumes that your partnership agrees that you will not ask for Aces unless the asker has at least one Ace himself. What does the teller do with 4 Aces? With 4 Aces, you bid higher, immediately responding as if asked to show what Kings you have. (See later)
Actually, that is a slight simplification to make the structure obvious. In practice, to allow for being able to show the trump Queen, the responses are really
1 step: 1 Ace or: 3 or 4 Aces without the trump Queen 2 steps: 2 Aces 3 steps: 3 Aces and the trump Queen 4 steps (= the trump suit): 0 Aces King Response (higher bids): 4 Aces and the trump Queen
Finding the Trump Queen
After the Ace response, if the partnership does hold all the Aces, the asker will ask about the trump Queen if he does not hold it himself.
The Queen Ask is also used after the 1 Ace reply if asker needs to know whether it was really 3 or 4 Aces.
The asking and the replies are easy.
After the 2 Ace response, if asker has 3 Aces he may want to find out about the trump Queen, and does this by bidding the next step. You simply sign off in trumps (next step) if you do not have the trump Queen (the "nothing" bid). If you do have the missing trump Queen, continue by showing your Kings as if asked. (See later)
After the 1 Ace response there is more room.
Rarely, asker will have only one Ace, with the Queen himself, and is therefore only interested in whether the teller has the 4 Ace hand. He asks this by bidding a double step (missing the next step and bidding the next one, which is the one below the trump suit). You simply sign off in trumps (next step) if you do not have 4 Aces (the "nothing" bid). If you do have 4 Aces, continue by showing your Kings as if asked. (See later)
If asker has 2 Aces, with the Queen himself, he in interested in whether teller has the 3 Ace hand. Also, if asker has 4 Aces, he is interested in whether teller has 1 Ace with the Queen of trumps. In either case, he will ask over the 1 Ace reply by bidding the simple next step.
The replies are:
- Next step (= the one below the trump suit) = 1 Ace and the Queen of trumps.
- Sign off in trumps = 1 Ace, but no Queen of trumps (the "nothing" bid).
- With 3 Aces, bid immediately to show your Kings. (See later) (Asker would not be asking unless he held at least 2 Aces and the trump Queen.)
Over the Queen showing response, if this shows possession of all the Aces and the trump Queen, asker can continue to ask for Kings. If the Queen is missing, asker can simply sign off at the 5 level. He can, of course, bid the the small slam directly if he has all the Kings, or an otherwise suitable hand.
If the asker himself has the trump Queen, he does not need to ask for it and can simply ask for Kings directly over the Ace reply, if all Aces are held.
The King Asking Bid
Asking for Kings commits you to at least the 6 level, so it guarantees all the Aces.
Ask for Kings by bidding the asking suit at the 5 level - the next step up from 5 trumps.
The King Responses
There are only 3 Kings, as the King of trumps counted as an Ace.
- If you have no Kings, sign off in the small slam (the "nothing" bid).
- If you have one or two Kings, bid the cheapest King.
- If you have all 3 Kings, bid the grand slam directly.
Asker places the contract, or if you have bid your cheapest King, he can find out about a different King by bidding that suit. This says "what about this one - have you got it?" If you have, you bid the grand. If not, but you do have another King that can be shown below the small slam level, you bid that suit to show the King. If not, you sign off in the small slam (the "nothing" bid).
Note that when you bid the cheapest King it is the cheapest bid, not necessarily the lowest ranked suit.
For example:
A KQJx KQxxx AQx
xxx Axx Axxx Kxx Ace Ask 2 Aces King Ask Cheapest King (That is the one I want)
That and the next examples show hands that cannot be bid by an old-fashioned quantitative King ask, but need the specific King.
A KQJx KQxxx AQx
Kxx Axx Axxx xxx Ace Ask 2 Aces King Ask Cheapest King (How about this one?) (Trump Sign-Off) (Pity ..)
Where the King is in the asking suit, obviously this cannot be shown by bidding that suit, so it is shown by bidding No Trump.
AQx AQJx KQxxx A
Jxx Kxx Axxx Kxx Ace Ask 1 Ace King Ask Cheapest King is the asking Heart suit (Pity he did not bid 5
Over 5 , of course asker would bid 5 NT to ask for the King of Hearts. Teller would bid the grand slam in Diamonds if he had it. Asker is not interested in the King of Clubs.
Note that in the above hand, 5 NT shows the King of the asking suit (Hearts), and this is a cheaper bid that 6 
to show the Club King. With 2 Kings, you bid the cheapest.
Remember that when showing a cheapest King, the King in the asking suit is shown by bidding No Trump. Equally, when asking for the King of the asking suit, you do this by bidding No Trump.
An example of a 4 Ace response:
Ax AKxx xx AKxxx
x Qxxxx AKxxx Qx Reverse (Ace Ask in Hearts) 1 Ace or 3 or 4 with no Queen (I am interested if you have 4 Aces (I do have 4 Aces, and this is my cheapest King over the level of 5 trumps (perfect)
Teller with 4 Aces breaks the 5 trump level barrier, and directly shows his Kings in response to the Ace Ask, just as if asker had asked for Kings. There is actually slightly more room. As there has been no real King Ask, you can bid the King of the asking suit directly, and not by means of the No Trump displaced bid.
So 1 - 1 - 2 - 4 - 5 shows 4 Aces and the trump Queen, and the King of Spades (cheapest).
More on the Trump Queen
The purpose of the Queen Ask is to ensure trump solidarity, that there are no losers in the trump suit. With a normal length fit, having the AKQ makes it solid.
If you are missing the Queen then extra length can be as good - with a 5-5 fit missing the Queen you expect no losers. (Even on a 3-0 break, you can finesse half the time.) Because of this, if you have 2 extra undisclosed trumps, or if you can see a 10 card fit, bid as if you have the Queen.
Examples of the Queen Ask
Assuming Spades as trumps:
| 4 NT (Ace Ask): | 5 (2 Aces) |
| 5 (Queen Ask): |
5 Sign-Off (no Queen of trumps, and no known 10 card fit) |
| 6 (Queen of trumps yes, but no Kings) |
or:
| 4 NT (Ace Ask): | 5 (1 Ace, or 3 or 4 Aces with no Queen) |
| 5 (Queen Ask): |
6 (3 Aces, and this is the cheapest King) |
| 6 : |
(Have you got this one, etc.) |
Assuming Diamonds as trumps:
| 4 NT (Ace Ask): | 5 (1 Ace, or 3 or 4 Aces with no Queen) |
| 5 (Queen Ask): |
6 (3 Aces, and this is the cheapest King) |
| 6 : |
(Have you got this one, etc.) |
So that is the method. Simple, easy to remember, and does what you want.
Coping With Interference over the Ace Ask
This is a simple no-memory approach. Doubles are always ignored.
For clarity, the responses are now simplified by combining both 3 Ace replies at the 3 step level.
- Pass means the teller would have made a lesser bid.
- Double shows that bid.
- Bids higher than that are unaltered.
If the interference bid is passed round to asker, double is penalty, trump bids are to play, and further asking bids are as normal.
If the double or a higher bid is passed round to asker, further asking bids are as normal. You cannot ask for the Queen over the 3 Ace reply, so assume your side has it.
- If there is an interfering bid immediately after the teller’s reply.
- Pass means the asker would have continued by making a lesser bid.
- Double means the asker would have made that bid, which is an ask.
- Higher bids are as normal.
Teller then makes the logical pass, double or response to the further ask.
Rare Ambiguity in the Ace Asking Bid - Rare Cases
In some 3 suit sequences, a bid might at first sight either be natural or Ace Asking. Ambiguity is resolved by using 4th suit forcing followed by a natural rebid. So if you are think of bidding a suit naturally and it could be Ace Asking because it is the next step up from 4 of a natural suit, then it is Ace Asking. If you wanted to make a natural bid, bid 4th suit forcing, then follow with a natural bid.
So, say you want to insist on playing game in spades after the sequence:
1 - 1 - stop 3 . Stop 4 would be Ace Asking in Hearts, so you bid 3 forcing and then 4 to play.
This means that the sequence:
- 1 - 1 - stop 3 - stop 4 is unambiguously Ace Asking in Hearts.
- 1 - 1 - stop 3 - stop 4¨ is unambiguously Ace Asking in Clubs.
- 1 - 1 - stop 3 - stop 4 NT is unambiguously Ace Asking in Spades.
Notice that an additional advantage of this system in multi-suit sequences is that it is obvious what the trump suit is.
Very rarely, where opener and responder are only bidding their own suits with jumps, AND those suits are adjacent, there could be ambiguity. This is resolved by the rule that a jump shift or jump rebid shows a solid self-supporting suit, so ambiguous bids are to play in that suit, or to Ace Ask in that suit. Where the opposite is wanted, you make a next-suit temporising bid first and then bid it.
Examples (A) in both these sequences the 4 bidder is a jump shift responder, so he is insisting on his suit as trumps.
- 1 stop 3 3 4 = Ace Ask in Hearts.
- 1 stop 2 3 stop 4 = to play.
In the first case, if you as responder wanted to raise opener to game in Spades, temporise with the cheapest new suit, then bid 4 .
- eg. 1 stop 3 3 4 4 4 = a raise of opener to game.
(Remember, you never make an immediate jump shift if you are 2-suited.)
In the second case, if you as responder wanted to support opener and ask for Aces, it would go 1 stop 2 3 4 4 4 = Ace Ask in Hearts.
BUT all this can be avoided if you follow the sound principle of not jump shifting in response if you have some support for partner.
Examples (B) in these sequences the opener has jump rebid in his opening suit.
- 1 2 stop 3 4 = to play.
- 1 2 stop 3 4 4 = to play, and in this sequence you cannot now ask for Aces and force Hearts as trumps as there is no room for a forcing new suit.
Moral - do not jump rebid your own suit unless you are certain you will not want to ask for Aces in partner’s next lower suit.
- 1 1 stop 3 stop 4 = Ace ask in Hearts.
- 1 1 stop 3 4 4 4 = to play.
Obvious, really. If there has been a self-solid bid, ambiguous bids are by rights Ace Asking in that suit, but if you go via a third suit they are not. But do not jump if there can be a choice of outcomes, and then you can never get into these deep waters.
This is very rare of course, and is not needed if the suits are not adjacent, as the Ace Ask cannot be ambiguous.
Cue Bidding and Ace Asking: When is it one and not the other?
Whatever your style of cue bidding - simple first round control, relay cues, mixed first or second round controls - it will fit in with the new Ace Asking method. You still have the choice of cue bidding or Ace Asking - or both - but take care that you agree on the interpretation of a suit bid! If a bid could be the Ace Ask, then it is the Ace Ask and not a cue bid. This is important if you have a hand suitable for cue bidding and were not intending to Ace Ask. When about to embark on cue bidding, always remind yourself what the asking suit is. Where a bid is the asking suit, it is always the Ace Ask and not a cue bid.
- 1 - 4 - 4 is the Ace Ask (Spades is the asking suit when Hearts are trumps)
- 1 - 4 - 5 is a cue bid.
How do you cue bid Spades in this sequence? Again (as in the King replies in the Ace Ask), you use No Trump to substitute for the asking suit. So 1 - 4 - 4 NT is a cue bid showing first round control of Spades (or whatever your methods indicate).
When cue bidding (as in King showing), you bid the cheaper bid first if you have it. So 1 - 4 - 5 is a cue bid in Clubs that denies the Spade control. (You missed bidding 4 NT to show the Spade control.)
1 - 4 - 4 NT is a cue bid in Hearts that denies the Spade control. (You missed bidding 4 to show the Spade control.)
As you now have a better Ace Asking system that can also guarantee trump solidity and show specific Kings, I would suggest that a bid of 4 of the asking suit is always the Ace Ask and never a cue bid, even if you have already started cue bidding.
Example:
1 - 1 - stop 3 - Stop and think. Partner has agreed Hearts. Spades is therefore the asking suit and 4 would ask for Aces. But 3 is still a cue bid. So, 4 (cue bid showing Slubs and denying Spades)
Over this, 4 from partner is the Ace Ask, where you DO include in your responses any Aces you have already shown.
Once the Ace Asking has started, there will usually be no more cue bids, as following bids will normally be Queen and King Asks. However, if asker does not make an asking bid, but skips this and bids a non-trump suit, this would have to be interpreted as a demand for you to bid a shortage control.
If the bidding sequence misses the Ace Asking bid completely, as in the example of 1 - 4 - 5 then you continue cue bidding as normal.
Summary of Key Points:
The asking suit is the next step up from the trump suit.
The Ace Ask is a bid of 4 of the asking suit.
Asker must have at least one Ace himself.
Replies are in steps 1,2,3.
The sign-off in trumps is always the weakest reply to any of the asking bids.
Over 1 or 2 Aces, the Queen Ask is the next step.
The King Ask is a bid of 5 of the asking suit.
You never ask for Kings if an Ace is missing. King asking commits you to 6, so there is no point in asking.
The reply for 1 or 2 Kings is to bid the cheapest king.
Asker can then ask for another King by bidding that suit.
The King of the asking suit is shown or asked for by bidding No Trump (the displaced King bid)
So go and bid those hands, and have fun finding the slams other methods won't reach.
Comments welcome - Ray Green
If you wish to include this feature, or any other feature, of the game of bridge in your partnership agreement, then please make certain that the concept is understood by both partners. Be aware whether or not the feature is alertable or not and whether an announcement should or must be made. Check with the governing body and/or the bridge district and/or the bridge unit prior to the game to establish the guidelines applied. Please include the particular feature on your convention card in order that your opponents are also aware of this feature during the bidding process, since this information must be made known to them according to the Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge. We do not always include the procedure regarding Alerts and/or Announcements, since these regulations are changed and revised during time by the governing body. It is our intention only to present the information as concisely and as accurately as possible.
Claus and Raymond
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