Spiral Cues.
============

The spiral cue is the next bid (including NT) other than the agreed trump
suit after an RKC response. Inquirer asks replier to show a number of
important cards with each bid. (Note again there is no need for 4N to be
the RKC ask).

REPLIER SKIPS ONE STEP FOR EACH CONSECUTIVE CARD HELD IN SPIRAL SEQUENCE.

Suppose replier is known to be 4531 precisely, then the cards he might
hold, in order of importance, are:-

1 Q trumps (QH in this case)
2 K of side suit (KS)
3 K of fragment suit (KD)
4 Q of side suit (QS)
5 Q of fragment suit (QD)
6 J of trumps
etc.

Example 1
---------
KQxx     Axx      1H         2N
Qxxxx    AKxx     3S         4C (relay)
Kxx      AQx      4H (4531)  4S (RKC)
A        Jxx      5C (1 ace) 5D (spiral)
                  6D         7H

The 6D bid showed QH,KS,KD,QS and denied QD.

Example 2
---------
KQxx     Axx      1H         2N
Jxxxx    AKxx     3S         4C (relay)
Kxx      AQx      4H (4531)  4S (RKC)
A        Jxxx     5C (1 ace) 5D (spiral)
                  5H         6H

The 5H response denied the QH.

IF REPLIER'S RESPONSE SHOWED OR DENIED THE TRUMP Q, IT IS REMOVED
FROM THE SPIRAL.

Example 3
---------
Kxxx     AQx      1H          2N
Qxxxx    AKxx     3S          4C (relay)
Axx      KQx      4H (4531)   4S (RKC)
A        Jxx      5H (2A+QH)  5S (spiral)
                  6C          7H

The 6C bid showed the KS and denied the KD.

IF ENQUIRER IS NOT INTERESTED IN A PARTICULAR STEP HE MISSES ONE STEP.

Example 4
---------
Kxxx     AQx      1H           2N
Kxxxx    AQxx     3S           4C (relay)
AKx      Qxx      4H (4531)    4S (RKC)
A        Qxx      4N (0 or 3)  5D (spiral but no interest in QH)
                  5N           7H

The 5H bid showed KS,KD and denied QS.

IF REPLIER'S SHAPE IS UNKNOWN, SIDE SUITS KINGS AND QUEENS ARE SHOWN IN
RANK ORDER (S,H,D,C).
IF REPLIER OR INQUIRER HAVE SHOWN A SIDE SUIT THAT IS THE KEY SUIT (side
suit in earlier examples).
IF BOTH INQUIRER AND REPLIER HAVE SHOWN A SIDE SUIT THEN INQUIRER'S SUIT
IS THE FIRST KEY SUIT (side suit above) AND REPLIER'S SUIT IS THE SECOND
KEY SUIT (fragment above).

From: murat@otago.ac.nz

...Use Spiral Scan after Roman Key Card Blackwood to scan the remaining
key cards in a certain order (see below). The inquirer simply bids the next
step to start the spiral scan but he can super-relay by skipping a step (or
more) to cancel the inquiry for one (or more) of the remaining key cards. (As
the 5NT bid above, which removes the King of clubs from the list)
   
The order in which the key cards are scanned:
 a. the queen of the trump suit (if it is still not known after RKCB)
 b. side-suit king in a bid suit, starting with the longest bid side suit in
replier's hand (if the replier has not bid another suit, the first king shown
is in the suit bid by the inquirer)
 c. other kings, scanning the suits in ascending order
 d. other side-suit queen in a bid suit, starting with the longest side-suit
bid by the replier
 e. other side-suit queens, in ascending order
 f. side-suit jacks in the same order-- if it ever comes to that.

It is also very easy to remember how to describe your shortage once you have
shown an unbalanced hand with two suits: the first two steps show a singleton
in ascending order (i.e., lower-ranked, higher-ranked) and the last two steps 
show a void.