The Michaels Cue-Bid

Overview

The Michaels cue-bid is an overcalling convention for showing 2-suited hands. Cue-bidding opener's minor suit shows both majors, cue-bidding opener's major shows the other major plus an unspecified minor. In either case, the cue-bidder promises at least 5-5 distribution. David Bakhshi's article summarises the convention.

As with any overcall, the possible objectives are threefold:

• putting pressure on opponents by removing bidding space [and testing their defence to the convention]
• making a first step towards competing for the contract
• giving partner [and possibly declarer] information about distribution and possible suits to lead.

Different players have different agreements as to the strength of the cue-bidder, but it's assumed here that the hand is either weak [5-10 HCP] or strong [16+ HCP], i.e. intermediate-strength hands are excluded. For the weaker hand, vulnerability is a factor to be taken into account. As with any pre-emptive bid, the cue-bidder's values should be concentrated in his/her suits.

Responding To A Minor-suit Cue-Bid

Responder assumes that the cue-bidder holds the weaker variant of hand: it's up to the cue-bidder to bid on with a stronger hand. In this situation, responder knows partner holds both majors.

Assuming RHO has passed:

• with less than opening values, responder gives preference at the 2-level
• with a minimum opening hand, responder can bid 2NT with no fit or 3♥/♠ with at least three cards in the bid suit. With a distributional hand and a 4-card fit, responder may be slightly weaker.
• a jump to 4♥/♠ is to play, leaving opponents to guess whether responder is raising pre-emptively or from strength
• a return cue-bid is forcing and asking the cue-bidder to define his/her hand further. Bidding 3♥/♠ shows a minimal hand without implying any extra length in the bid suit. Bidding a minor suit shows a stronger-style hand, with at most one of the suit bid

All other bids show a non-minimum opening hand, and are descriptive of the hand shape:

• 4♣/♦ are always splinter bids, as is 4♥ if spades is the trump suit. This approach is in line with other splinter situations, where an unnecessary-to-be-forcing jump shows shortage.
• 3-original-major shows extra length compared to that already promised by the opening bid, and is usually a 6-card suit
• 3-new-suit is a trial bid, promising a respectable 4-card suit [could be a 5-card suit, but that would imply there's a singleton somewhere that opener might have chosen to bid by preference].
• 3NT shows a fairly balanced hand, no extra length in the trump suit, no singleton, no suitable suit to trial-bid

Responder's Subsequent Bidding

If opener rebids four of his/her original major, showing more than six losers, responder passes unless his/her own hand has five or fewer losers. Otherwise, he/she proceeds via RKCB or cue-bids as appropriate.

If opener shows a non-minimum hand, responder may sign off in 4-major if the hands don't seem to be fitting well, for example if opener shows shortage in a suit where responder has values, or if responder has shortage opposite opener's trial-bid suit. It's also possible, though unlikely, that responder may pass a 3NT rebid. Otherwise, responder once again proceeds via RKCB or cue-bidding.

Jacoby After RHO Intervenes

In this situation, 2NT by responder is a natural bid. Cue-bidding RHO's suit becomes the Jacoby bid, forcing to three of opener's suit, and a jump raise in opener's suit is pre-emptive. So now, if opener rebids three of his/her suit in response to a cue-bid, this shows a relatively minimum opening hand. Where opener's suit is spades, this may guarantee at least a 5-card suit, which gives responder more scope in finding the most descriptive bid. If the opening suit is hearts, intervention in spades makes things more difficult, but double is now used as a support double promising exactly three of opener's suit.

RHO Intervenes with the Unusual No Trump

There's no longer a Jacoby-style bid available, but responder has several options:

• cue-bidding 3♣ [RHO's lower suit] promises support for opener's suit, but forcing only to the three-level
• cue-bidding 3♦ [RHO's higher suit] promises 5+ cards in the other major
• doubling shows general values, with a preparedness to double at least one of RHO's suits for penalties. A subsequent spade bid by responder would show a 4-card suit
• a direct raise of opener's suit is competitive
• a direct bid of the other major is non-forcing.
•