Insult Cue Bids
by Saul Bronstein

Janie's bidding is different. Of that, there can be little question. For example, who else could have invented insult cue bids? When the opponents bid our suit, Janie bids their suit. It took me years to figure out that she does this simply because she is insulted, and the bid means nothing! Little did I know what this would lead to, in the Life Master Pairs:

None Vul
Dealer South

                          NORTH:
                          S-J4
                          H-AK8
                          D-Q108753
                          C-J7
WEST: S-KQ862                            EAST: S-T753
      H-Q62                                    H-JT9752
      D-Void                                   D-Void
      C-KQ854                                  C-T32
                          SOUTH:
                          S-A9
                          H-3
                          D-AKJ9642
                          C-A96

South   West    North   East
        Me              Janie
1D      1S      2S      3D
3S      4D      4H      Pass
4S      5D      6D      Pass
7C      Pass    7D      (All Pass)

The auction started innocently enough. I overcalled South's 1D opening with 1S, and North cue-bid 2S to show a strong diamond raise. Janie's 3D was a routine insult cue-bid, and South showed slam interest with his cue-bid of 3S. Getting into the spirit of things, I contributed a second insult cue-bid, 4D. North showed his ace of hearts, and South, encouraged, cue bid spades again! By this time I really was insulted. And so I bid 5D, thus creating the first recorded triple insult cue-bid sequence in bridge history! There was no longer any question of the opponents reaching a good contract - it was fate that got them to 7D. Declarer studied the dummy for about a minute, then looked up and said quietly, "I can't make this."

Score one up for Janie - insult cue bids strike again!


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