Control Bids

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You don’t want to bid a slam if your opponents can cash the Ace-King in a suit. If you have 2 quick losers in a side-suit, use Control Bids to show slam interest and 1st r round control (Ace or void) or 2nd round control (a King or a singleton) of a side suit. We recommend showing controls up the line, e.g. starting with the cheapest side suit where you have a 1st round control or a second round control. If you skip a side suit, you deny a 1st or 2nd round control in the side suit. This method helps you quickly identify if both you and your partner have 2 quick losers in a suit. Don’t bid a slam with 2 quick losers. Stop in game. 

Continuing to show controls after a control bid skips a side suit (denying 1st or 2nd round control of the side suit) guarantees control of the skipped suit. If neither partner has control of the skipped side suit, there is no reason to look for a slam. So continuing to look for slam shows control of the suit you bid as well as control of the suit your partner skipped. 

Don’t use Blackwood to ask for Aces if you have 2 quick losers in a side suit. Use control bids to give your partner the opportunity to show control of that suit. After your partner shows the needed controls, you can use Blackwood to confirm you are not missing 2 Aces.

If you have mild slam interest, and are simply showing controls in case your partner has strong slam interest, don’t bid above game. You should be willing to stop at game unless partner shows serious slam interest.

Control bidding usually begins above 3 of the agreed suit. If an opponent overcalls, passing denies a control of the overcalled suit. When the auction is over, you must disclose the meaning of your control showing bids, Ace asking bids, and responses to Ace asking bids. You make these disclosures before the opponents lead. The opponents don’t have to ask. Disclosure is mandatory.

Note: The above auctions use agreements from the LoebBridge 2/1 Game Force classes.