CUEBIDS: What do they mean?

To the frustration of many aspiring bridge players, ‘cuebids’ come up in countless different bidding situations and seem to mean something different in each one! Below is a overview of some of the most common cuebidding situations.

Control Showing Cuebids

Control showing cuebids are used after a trump suit has been agreed and the partnership is committed to game. In these situations bidding a new suit is a move towards slam and shows a control in that suit. For some pairs this means the ace; for others it can be an ace/king/singleton/void.

Examples:

North	South
1	3
4			4 = control showing cuebid
North	South
1	2NT!		2NT! = Jacoby 2NT raise
3!	4		3! = singleton or void
			4 = control showing cuebid

Control showing cuebids aren’t used if there is any question about game.  If there's doubt as to: a) whether the partnership has the points for game, or b) which suit/notrump the partnership should play in, new suit bids are assumed to be geared towards answering those questions, not showing controls for slam.

Examples:

North	South
1	2
3			3 = game try bid (inviting game in hearts)
North	South
1	3		3 = invitational
3			3 = stopper in spades, looking for game in notrump

Cuebid of overcaller’s suit by responder

If RHO makes a natural, non-jump overcall of partner’s 1-of-a-suit opening bid, a cuebid of overcaller’s suit shows an invitational or stronger raise of opener’s suit.

North	East	South
1	1	2		2 = invitational or better raise

Cuebid after partner has overcalled

Cuebids can also be used by Advancer (the partner of the overcaller). If advancer makes a non-jump cuebid of opener’s suit, he either has an invitational or better raise of partner’s suit (similar to above), or a good hand with a suit of his own. This bid is sometimes called an unassuming cuebid (UAC). The advantage of this method is that the partnership can stop at the 2-level when overcaller has a weak hand; it also frees up a jump in partner’s suit for a preemptive/distributional raise.

North	East	South	West
1	1	pass	2		2 = either: a) invitational or better raise, or b) an opening+ hand with a good suit of his own

Some pairs also use a jump cuebid of opener’s suit as a “mixed raise” (for example 1 - 1 - pass - 3) typically showing the distribution for a preemptive raise but too much strength to preempt directly. This agreement should only be used after specific discussion with partner.

Michaels Cuebid

A Michaels Cuebid is used immediately after a 1-level suit opening bid. If overcaller bids opener’s suit at the 2-level, he shows a two-suited hand with at least 5-5 distribution. If the opening bid was a minor the Michaels Cuebid shows 5-5 or better in the majors; if the opening bid was 1/1 , Michaels shows the other major along with one of the minors.

North	East
1	2		2 = + 5-5 or better
North	East
1	2		2 = + a minor suit, 5-5 or better