Asking Bids after a Precision 1C Opening


  Notes from Eric Jannersten's "Precision Club." 

These first three are the ones that people are most familiar with:


The Italian Blue Team played some Precision in the 70s and created
more asking bids: 




C.C. Wei's original asking bids

Trump/Gamma
A direct raise of responder's initial suit response shows
support and asks for the strength and length of the trump
suit.  The rebids by responder are in steps: 
  1st  none of the top three, any length
  2nd  one of the top three, five card length
  3rd  two of the top three, five card length
  4th  one of the top three, six card or longer length
  5th  two of the top three, six card or longer length
  6th  all top three, any length 

Example:  
  1C-1S; 
  2S- 3D  two of the top three spades and five spades

Gamma asks may also be used after an initial 2N response
to a major opening.  (Recall 2N originally showed a 
balanced 16+.) 

Example:
  1M-2N; 
  3x- 3M  asks about the major (apparently responder 
          has three card support.) 

Trump/gamma asking bids could be developed for secondary
suit raises, but this would require a slightly altered 
response scale.

Go back to the top.  
Asking bids: Trump, Ace, Control, Alpha, Beta, 
Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, Eta, Theta.

Ace
A jump in a new suit after a positive response shows a 
solid or semi-solid suit and asks about partner's support 
and aces.  Responder
  * bids the cheapest no trump to show no top honor and no aces 
  * jumps in no trump to show no top honor and two aces
  * bids a suit to show an ace, but no top honor  
  * jumps in a suit to show an ace and a top honor
  * raises opener's suit to show an honor, but no ace
  * jump raises to show an honor and two top honors (unlikely) 

Example: 
  1C-1S
  3H- 3S  the spade ace without the A, K or Q of hearts
      3N  no aces, no top hearts
      4H  no aces, but one of the A, K or Q of hearts

Sometimes the ace asking bid is made to see if a side suit
is solid, and opener intends to make responder's suit the trump
suit. 

Go back to the top.  
Asking bids: Trump, Ace, Control, Alpha, Beta, 
Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, Eta, Theta.

Control/Epsilon
Unless otherwise agreed upon, after partner answers an asking 
bid a new suit is a control asking bid.  It asks partner to 
show in step responses the amount of control in the suit: 
  1st  no control
  2nd  third round control: xx or Qx(x...) 
  3rd  second round control: x or K(x...)  
  4th  first round control: void or A(x...)  
  5th  total control: AK or void with extra trumps 

A repeat of the control asking bid asks what type of control 
is held: 1st step shows shortness, 2nd shows honor strength.
(Some might play that a 3rd step shows both controls.)

Go back to the top.  
Asking bids: Trump, Ace, Control, Alpha, Beta, 
Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, Eta, Theta.



Italian asking bids
These were developed by the Italian Blue Team.  The number 
of controls that are shown are based on a king equaling 1 
control and an ace equaling 2 controls.  Shortness is not
counted as a control.

Alpha
A new suit by opener after a positive response is an alpha
asking bid that asks for amount of support and number of 
controls.  The replies are in steps: 
  1st  poor support (Jxx or less), minimum controls (at most three)  
  2nd  poor support, four or more controls
  3rd  good support (Qxx or better), minimum controls
  4th  good support, four or more controls
  5th  very good support (Qxxx or better), four or more controls

After responder shows good support or better, a repeat of 
the alpha question asks specifically which trumps are held: 
  1st  no top honor (just length)
  2nd  queen
  3rd  king
  4th  ace
  5th  two honors  

Go back to the top.  
Asking bids: Trump, Ace, Control, Alpha, Beta, 
Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, Eta, Theta.

Beta
Beta asking bids ask for the number of controls from partner
after a positive response or after the impossible negative.  
Beta asking bids are either 1NT, 4C (after an alpha 
asking bid), or cue bidding the short suit of an impossible
negative.  These asking bids are totally artificial and do 
not necessarily show support.  

Over the 1N asking bid, responder rebids in steps: 
  1st  0, 1 or 2 controls
  2nd  3 controls
  3rd  4 controls, etc
Over the rebids by responder, a new suit at the two level is
a theta ask. 

After an alpha asking bid, responder shows either at most three
or four or more controls.  Thus over 4C there are two different
scales.  After responder shows less than three controls, the
steps are:  
  1st  0 or 1 control
  2nd  2 controls
  3rd  3 controls

After responder shows four or more controls, the steps are: 
  1st  4 controls
  2nd  5 controls, etc 

Over the impossible negative, a cue bid of the short suit asks 
for controls with the same responses as over 1NT.  To save space, 
the impossible negative should be made in the suit below the 
singleton.  (2N shows a singleton in opener's suit.)  

Example:
  1C-1H or 1S 
  1N- 2C  zero to two controls
      2D  three controls
      2H  four controls

  1C-1S
  2H-3D  2H is an alpha ask, 3D shows good support and 4+ controls
  4C- 4D  four controls
      4H  five controls

  1C-1D 
  1H-2S  2S shows 4441 (singleton club)
  3C- 3D  zero to two controls
      3H  three controls
      3S  four controls 

Go back to the top.  
Asking bids: Trump, Ace, Control, Alpha, Beta, 
Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, Eta, Theta.

Gamma.  See Trump asking bid.
The gamma asking bid can be used after a beta ask. 

Go back to the top.  
Asking bids: Trump, Ace, Control, Alpha, Beta, 
Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, Eta, Theta.

Delta
After a positive response, a jump in a new suit shows a long 
solid or semi-solid suit and asks for the number of controls.
Responder rebids with the same beta scale: 
  1st  0, 1 or 2 controls
  2nd  3 controls
  3rd  4 controls, etc 
 
Go back to the top.  
Asking bids: Trump, Ace, Control, Alpha, Beta, 
Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, Eta, Theta.

Epsilon.  See Control asking bid.
The epsilon asking bid occurs after an alpha, gamma or zeta ask.
Recall that an immediate repeat of an epsilon asks what type of 
control is held: length or strength.  One addition is that a 
return to the suit asks for addition control.  Responder rebids: 
  1st  no extra controls
  2nd  extra third round control
  3rd  extra second round control 

Go back to the top.  
Asking bids: Trump, Ace, Control, Alpha, Beta, 
Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, Eta, Theta.

Zeta
After a negative 1D response, a jump to 2H or 2S is a zeta 
ask.  Responder rebids to show the amount of support: 
  1st  x or void
  2nd  xx or H singleton (H = A, K or Q) 
  3rd  xxx or Hx
  4th  Hxx 
  5th  xxxx or longer
  6th  Hxxx
  7th  HH or HHx  
  8th  HHxx 

Note: a jump to 3C or 3D asks responder to rebid naturally. 

Go back to the top.  
Asking bids: Trump, Ace, Control, Alpha, Beta, 
Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, Eta, Theta.

Eta
The eta ask occurs after the impossible negative.  When 
opener bids responder's short suit it is a beta ask for
controls.  When opener bids one of responder's four card
suits, it asks for the suit quality.  Responder rebids 
in steps: 
  1st  Jxxx or worse
  2nd  Hxxx (H = A, K or Q)
  3rd  HJxx
  4th  HHxx
  5th  HHHx 

  1C-1D 
  1H-2S  2S shows 4441 (singleton club)
  3D- 3H  Jxxx or worse diamonds 
      3S  four to A, K or Q

Go back to the top.  
Asking bids: Trump, Ace, Control, Alpha, Beta, 
Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, Eta, Theta.

Theta
The theta ask occurs when opener rebids a new suit over
the response to the 1N beta ask; thus, the theta ask can
only be 2D, 2H or 2S.  Opener is asking about the quality 
of support.  New suits at the three level are natural.  
Responder rebids in steps: 
  1st  Jxx or worse
  2nd  Hxx (H = A, K or Q) 
  3rd  xxxx(x...) 
  4th  Hxxx(x...)
  5th  HHx(x...) 

After a negative first step, the bidding becomes natural.
After a positive second step, the bidding remains conventional.
A repeat of the theta suit asks for the honor that is held: 
  1st  Q 
  2nd  K
  3rd  A 

Go back to the top.  
Asking bids: Trump, Ace, Control, Alpha, Beta, 
Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, Eta, Theta.