Michaels Cue-Bid

Michaels Cue-Bid

After the opponents open one of a suit, most players use an immediate cue-bid of their suit to show a two-suited hand, as follows:

RHO You

1♣ 2♣ If their opening bid is one of a minor, then the cue-bid

shows both majors.

1♥ 2♥ If their opening bid is one of a major, then the cue-bid

shows the other major and one of the minor suits.

Ideally, the Michaels Cue-Bidder should be 5-5 in his two suits … 5-4 is not unheard of, but 4-4 is taking things a bit too far!

Strength?

How about high-card values? The most common approach is for the Michaels bidder to be either weak or strong, but not somewhere in between. With the middle-of-the-road hands, the recommended approach is simply to overcall naturally, and, if possible to bid the second suit next time around.

RHO You

1♥ ??

Hand A. Hand B. Hand C.

♠ A7643 ♠ AKJ87 ♠ AKJ87

♥ 7 ♥ 7 ♥ 7

♦ QJT96 ♦ KJT96 ♦ KJT96

♣ 73 ♣ 73 ♣ A3

Hand A: With this one you can risk a Michaels Cue-Bid at all vulnerabilities except unfavorable. Your points are all in your long suits, so the Michaels Cue-Bid is most descriptive.

Hand B: Here, we should not be in a preempting mood. We have a sound opening bid, which just happens to have the right distribution for a Michaels Cue-Bid. But, it does not have the right strength, we should be embarking upon a constructive sequence here, rather than just trying to jam the opponents’ auction. With this hand, overcall 1♠, hoping to bid Diamonds later, if Partner does not support Spades.

Hand C: Now, with this hand we have serious extra strength, so here we suggest that you make a Michaels’ Cue-Bid, and then take another bid later in the auction. This shows a really good two-suiter (we would say that this hand is about minimum for such a strong sequence).

Follow-Up

LHO Pard RHO You

1♥ 2♥ Pass 2♠ Agreeing Spades, with a weak hand.

1♥ 2♥ Pass 3♠ Preemptive, probably a 4-card suit, a suitable hand,

vulnerable, is ♠ QJT5, ♥ 643, ♦ K8763, ♣8. Non-

vulnerable you could make the same bid without that K♦.

1♥ 2♥ Pass 4♠ Could be either of these hands:

♠ AJT5, ♥ 643, ♦ K8, ♣ AK76

♠ QJT54, ♥ 64, ♦ K8763, ♣8

In the first case, we are bidding 4♠ hoping to make

it … in the second case, it’s a pure preempt.

1♥ 2♥ Pass 3♣ This asks Partner to pass if his minor is Clubs, and

to correct to 3♦ with Diamonds … needless to

say, we don’t have a Spade fit.

1♥ 2♥ Pass 2NT Shows an invitational hand in Spades … we want

to be in game if Partner has something better than

a minimum Michaels bid. Perhaps we have something like ♠ K865, ♥ 753, ♦ AKJ54, ♣ 8.

Balancing Cue-Bid

How do you play the cue-bid in the balancing seat?

LHO Pard RHO You

1♣ Pass Pass 2♣

You could play this as Michaels, but most experts prefer to just compete with that hand-type, preferring to use the balancing cue-bid to show a strong, distributional hand. Why not start off with a Double, you ask? The reason is that we do not want run the risk of Partner making a penalty Pass. Typically, we will have a one-suited or two-suited hand, one with great playing strength. Here are a couple of possibilities:

♠ AKQJ643 ♠ AKQ654

♥ KQT5 ♥ A5

♦ AQ ♦ KQJ87

♣ ♣

In both cases, we are quite close to slam, and our balancing cue-bid is our way to create a forcing auction. How forcing? To make life simple, just play it as forcing to game.

Defense To Michaels

There are two cases to consider here, depending upon whether the opponents’ Michaels Cue-Bid is over 1♣ or 1♦ (where both of their suits are known), or whether it is over 1♥ or 1♠ (where only one of their suits is known). First the case where we know both of their suits, and where we therefore have two cue-bids of our own available:

Pard RHO You LHO

1♣ 2♣ 2♥ This is the lower of the two cue-bids, which we use to show

the lower of the two other suits … this is basically the same “lower-for-lower” defense that we suggest against their Unusual Two No Trump. So, here, we are showing at least invitational values, with Club support. Forcing one round.

1♣ 2♣ 2♠ This is the higher of the two cue-bids and shows a decent

hand with Diamonds. Forcing for one round.

1♣ 2♣ 2♠ Pass

3♥ As before, that 2♠ bid shows something in Diamonds.

Now, the cue-bids at the 3-level are an attempt to reach 3NT. If they had shown just one suit, then cue-bidding that suit usually asks Partner if they have that suit stopped (if we have it stopped ourselves, we go ahead and bid 3NT directly. But, if they have shown both suits, we cue-bid the one that we have stopped, inviting Partner to bid 3NT if he has the other suit stopped.

1♣ 2♣ 3♣ This is natural and constructive, but not good enough for a

2♥ cue-bid. Perhaps our hand is ♠ A6, ♥ 8743, ♦ 76, ♣ QJT74.

1♣ 2♣ 2♦ Natural, non-forcing but constructive (again, not good

enough for a cue-bid).

1♣ 2♣ Dbl A defensive hand, the type of hand that might have made a

Redouble if RHO had made a takeout Double.

1♥ 2♥ 2♠ Here the opponents have only one known suit, and we use

it as an all-purpose forcing bid.

1♥ 2♥ 3♣ Constructive, but non-forcing.

1♥ 2♥ 3♣ Pass

3♠ As there is only known suit, our cue-bid at the 3-level asks for a stopper in their suit.