Control Bids (Cue Bids)

You’ve found a fit. You’ve got the points for slam. But do you have the aces and kings you need? That’s what control bids are for.

Control bids (also called cue bids) are how partnerships explore slam after agreeing on a trump suit. Instead of jumping straight to Blackwood, you show controls in specific suits. This tells partner exactly where you can handle the opponents’ high cards and where you can’t.

What Are Control Bids?

A control bid shows that you can prevent the opponents from taking quick tricks in a suit. You’re not showing length or strength in the suit. You’re showing control.

There are two types of controls:

First-round controls stop the opponents from taking the first trick in a suit. These are:

  • Aces
  • Voids (you can ruff immediately)

Second-round controls stop the opponents from taking the second trick. These are:

  • Kings
  • Singletons (you can ruff the second round)

When you cue bid a suit, you’re telling partner “I’ve got this suit covered.” That lets them evaluate whether slam is safe.

When to Start Cue Bidding

You need three things in place before you start cue bidding:

Trump suit agreed. You can’t explore slam without knowing where you’re playing. The trump suit needs to be set, either explicitly (1♥-3♥) or implicitly (1♠-2♣-2♠, where spades are clearly the fit).

Game-forcing auction. Control bids promise game and suggest slam interest. If you’re not forced to game yet, a new suit bid is still natural.

Enough strength for slam. Don’t start cue bidding with 12 opposite 14. You need somewhere around 33+ combined points (or distributional equivalent) to make slam bidding worthwhile.

Once these are in place, any bid in a new suit below game is a control bid. You’re no longer describing your hand naturally. You’re showing where you can cover tricks.

The Basic Method: Standard Cue Bidding

In standard American methods, the most common approach is “up-the-line” cue bidding:

  • Show first-round controls first (aces and voids)
  • Bid them cheaply, starting from the bottom
  • After first-round controls are shown, second-round controls (kings and singletons) can be bid

Example:

West       East
1♠         3♠
4♣         4♦
4♥         4NT

West’s 4♣ shows the ace of clubs (or a void). East’s 4♦ shows the ace of diamonds. West’s 4♥ shows the ace of hearts. East, satisfied with the controls, moves to Blackwood.

Italian Cue Bidding: Show Everything

Italian-style cue bidding takes a different approach. You show any control, first or second round, starting from the bottom. An ace or a king both count.

Why would you do this? Because it gets more information out there faster. If partner shows 4♣ and you have the king, you know that suit is completely controlled. You don’t have to wait for a second round of cue bidding to confirm.

The downside? You can’t always tell if partner has the ace or just the king. That’s why many partnerships play “Italian-style” but clarify: show the ace if you have it, show the king only if you don’t have the ace.

Mixed Methods

Plenty of expert partnerships use a hybrid. Common agreements:

  • First cue bid in each suit shows first-round control
  • But if you skip a suit and then bid it later, that shows second-round control

This combines the precision of standard methods with the flexibility of Italian.

Skipping a Suit: Denying Control

Here’s the key principle: if you skip a suit, you deny a control in that suit.

West       East
1♥         3♥
4♣         4♠

West showed a club control but skipped diamonds. That says “I don’t have the ace of diamonds, and I don’t have a void.” East can evaluate accordingly. If East has two quick diamond losers, slam is probably off.

This is why you bid controls “up the line.” If you jump around, you give partner bad information. Bid the cheapest control first, then the next one, and so on.

One Exception: Sometimes you skip a suit because you have the ace of trumps and want to show a different control first. That’s a partnership agreement thing. Make sure you’re on the same page.

When to Stop Cue Bidding

Not every hand is right for slam. Here’s when to put on the brakes:

You’re missing a critical control. Partner skipped a suit where you have two quick losers. Unless you have compensation elsewhere (like a void in a different suit), slam is risky.

You’re at minimum. If you made a limit raise with 10 points and partner is just checking for controls, you can sign off at game. Your 4♣ cue bid didn’t promise extras.

Partner signs off. If you cue bid 4♣ and partner just bids 4♠, they’re saying “I have nothing more to say.” Respect that.

The bid that stops cue bidding is usually a return to the trump suit at the cheapest level. That says “I’m done. Let’s play game here.”

Four Example Auctions

Let’s look at how this works in practice.

Example 1: Smooth Slam

West                East
♠ AK854            ♠ QJ63
♥ KQ6              ♥ A873
♦ A52              ♦ K4
♣ 83               ♣ AQ5

West    East
1♠      3♠         (limit raise)
4♣      4♦         (no club control, diamond control)
4♥      4NT        (heart control, RKC)
5♥      6♠         (2 keys + Q)
Pass

West’s 4♣ is a control bid, but East can’t cue bid clubs (doesn’t have the ace yet). East shows the diamond king. West shows the heart king. East knows they’re not off two aces, so uses Blackwood to confirm. Slam makes easily.

Example 2: Sign Off After Skipped Suit

West                East
♠ AKJ75            ♠ Q1063
♥ 4                ♥ K852
♦ AQ863            ♦ 72
♣ K5               ♣ A84

West    East
1♠      3♠
4♣      4♥
4♠      Pass

West shows the club king (or ace). East shows the heart king, but skips diamonds. West knows East has two diamond losers and stops at game. Good decision. On a diamond lead, you’re losing two diamonds right away.

Example 3: Void Shown by Jump

West                East
♠ KQ1074           ♠ AJ95
♥ AKQ85            ♥ 7
♦ —                ♦ KJ63
♣ 842              ♣ AKQ5

West    East
1♠      2♣         (game force)
2♥      3♠         (fit)
5♦      5♥         (diamond void, heart control)
6♠      Pass

West jumps to 5♦, showing a void (or solid suit control, depending on partnership style). East knows diamonds are controlled and shows the heart control. West settles in 6♠. Some pairs would bid 7, but that requires knowing about West’s five-card heart suit.

Example 4: Italian Style Gets There

West                East
♠ A9842            ♠ KQJ3
♥ KQ3              ♥ A64
♦ A4               ♦ K52
♣ Q85              ♣ AK4

West    East
1♠      2NT        (Jacoby, game force raise)
4♣      4♦         (club control, diamond control)
4♥      4NT        (heart control)
5♦      6♠         (1 or 4 keys)
Pass

Playing Italian-style, East’s 4♣ shows either the ace or king. West knows clubs are controlled (has the queen). Same with diamonds. After heart control is shown, East knows all suits are covered and can check for aces. Six is cold.

Common Mistakes

Cue bidding without a fit. If the trump suit isn’t agreed, your new suit is still natural. Don’t confuse partner by cue bidding when you’re still looking for a fit.

Cue bidding with a minimum. You can cue bid as responder even with a minimum raise, but only if partner started the cue bidding. Don’t initiate slam exploration if you have nothing extra.

Bidding controls out of order. If you bid 4♥ before 4♦, you’re showing heart control but denying diamond control. Make sure that’s what you mean.

Forgetting what you’re showing. Are you playing first-round controls only? Italian style? Aces or kings? Talk about this before the auction gets complicated.

Using Blackwood too soon. Control bids often work better than Blackwood because they show where the aces are, not just how many. Two aces opposite two aces doesn’t guarantee slam if you have two fast losers in the same suit.

Partnership Agreements You Need

Before you use control bids effectively, talk through these with your partner:

Are we playing standard (aces first) or Italian (any control)? This is the big one. Most American pairs play aces first.

Does a cue bid promise extras, or can I cue with a minimum? Many pairs allow minimum cue bids if partner started the sequence.

Do voids count? Usually yes, but some players jump to show a void while a simple cue shows an ace.

What if I have the ace of trumps? Some players cue bid trumps to show the ace. Others skip it and show side controls.

Can I cue bid past game? Usually yes, but make sure partner knows that 5♣ isn’t “to play.”

Is 4NT always Blackwood after cue bidding starts? Usually, but not always. Discuss this.

The Bottom Line

Control bids give you way more information than just blasting Blackwood. They tell you exactly where your weak spots are. They let you stop at game when slam is wrong and bid slam with confidence when it’s right.

Start simple. Play standard cue bidding (aces first, up the line). Once you’re comfortable, you can experiment with Italian methods or mixed approaches.

And remember: skipping a suit denies control. That’s your most powerful tool. When partner skips diamonds and you have QJx, you know to stop. When partner shows diamonds and you have the king, you know that suit is locked down.

Get this tool in your arsenal. You’ll bid more slams, and better yet, you’ll stay out of the bad ones.

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