Cuebids

By: Larry Cohen

Cuebids

A "cuebid" is a bid of the opponent's suit.

This is not the same as a "control" bid as in this auction:

WestNorthEastSouth
1Pass3Pass
4

Here 4 shows the ace or king (or a singleton or void) in diamonds and slam interest.

We should use the term "cuebid" only when bidding a suit which the opponents have bid.

These cuebids come in many flavors, the main ones being:

Michaels Cuebid

This popular convention uses the following scheme:

WestNorth
12MAJORS
12MAJORS
12+minor
12+minor

There is more on Michaels bids by clicking on it.

Cuebid after our takeout double

WestNorthEastSouth
1DoublePass2

South can't want to play in clubs (he could have passed the double). This bid shows a good hand with no clear direction. Partnerships need to discuss how high this bid is forcing.

Western cuebid

This term causes a lot of confusion. To read more about this so-called "Western" cuebid, click the link.