“Do we hafta learn yet another obscure bidding convention?” people ask.

No, but knowledge is power, and some of these bidding tools can help you.

Consider this auction. South was dealing, with both sides vulnerable in an online game:

                                                    NORTH

                                                   ♠️ A K J 7 6 5 4

                                                   ♥️ K 8

                                                   ♦️ —

                                                   ♣️ A K Q J
 

WEST                                                                               EAST

♠️ 2                                                                                 ♠️ 10 3

♥️ J 7 6 5 4 3                                                                  ♥️ Q 9

♦️ A 2                                                                             ♦️ Q J 10 8 5 4

♣️ 10 8 5 4                                                                     ♣️ 9 7 6
 

                                                   SOUTH

                                                  ♠️ Q 9 8

                                                  ♥️ A 10 2

                                                  ♦️ K 9 7 6 3

                                                  ♣️ 3 2
 

The bidding proceeded as follows:

South           West       North        East

Pass              Pass        2♣️          Pass

2♦️              Pass        2♠️          Pass

3  ♥️            Pass        5♦️•         Pass

5♥️••            Pass        7♠️          All Pass

• Exclusion Blackwood showing a diamond void and asking partner to show key cards in the other three suits

•• 1 or 4 key cards

Opening lead: ♦️Q

It isn’t easy bidding a hand with a void. Using Exclusion Blackwood bidding solves that problem. Replies go up the ladder. Under the 1430 system of replies, a 5♥️ bid shows one or four key cards, 5♠️ zero or three, 5NT two without the trump queen and 6C two including the trump queen.

Holding three key cards with the ♠️A-K and the ♣️A, North was looking for one missing card: the A♥️. When South’s 5♥️ could show only that card, North bid a safe grand slam.

Here’s the clincher: just three of 75 North-South pairs bid 7♠️. Consider that the next time you don’t want to learn another obscure but useful convention.