Cue Bids: Show Controls for Slam Exploration

You’ve found a fit. Your partner opens 1♥, you raise to 3♥, and partner bids 4♣. What just happened? That’s not a new suit—it’s a cue bid, and your partner is asking if you want to explore slam together.

Cue bids are one of the most elegant tools in bridge. They let you and partner have a conversation about controls (aces and kings) without flying blind into slams missing two aces. Think of them as a safety check before you commit to the stratosphere.

What Is a Cue Bid?

A cue bid (also called a control-showing bid) is a bid made in a side suit after a trump fit has been established. It shows first-round control of that suit—either the ace or a void. You’re not suggesting that suit as trump. You’re saying, “I control this suit, and I’m interested in slam. Tell me about your controls.”

Here’s the key distinction: once you’ve agreed on a trump suit, any new suit bid below game is a cue bid showing control and slam interest. It’s cooperative, not competitive.

Example:

1♥ - 3♥ (fit established)
4♣ = “I have the ♣A or a void in clubs, and I’m interested in slam”

You’re not playing in clubs. You’ve already agreed on hearts. The 4♣ bid is a control-showing move.

When to Start Cue Bidding

Don’t start cue bidding on every hand with an ace. Cue bids are for hands with genuine slam interest—typically when you and partner have enough combined strength to make 12 tricks look plausible.

Start cue bidding when:

A fit is established (you’ve agreed on a trump suit)
You have slam interest (usually 30+ combined HCP, or strong distribution)
You’re below game (still have room to explore)

Example auction:

Partner opens 1♠
You hold: ♠KQ85 ♥AK4 ♦K1063 ♣A7
You bid 2NT (game-forcing Jacoby raise or equivalent)
Partner shows extras
Now you can start showing controls with 4♣ or 4♦

The critical requirement is the established fit. Without agreement on trump, bidding a new suit just suggests playing there—not showing controls.

First-Round vs. Second-Round Controls

Cue bidding follows a hierarchy:

First-round control = Ace or void (you can win the first trick in that suit)
Second-round control = King or singleton (you can win the second trick)

Standard approach: Show first-round controls first. Once you’ve shown all your first-round controls, you can circle back to show second-round controls (kings or singletons) if there’s still room.

Why the order matters: Slams usually fail because of two quick losers in a suit. Showing aces first addresses the most critical concern. If you’re both showing first-round controls, you’re less likely to have two immediate losers anywhere.

Example: You hold: ♠KJ964 ♥A7 ♦AQ83 ♣K5

After establishing a ♠ fit:

First, show 4♦ (first-round control)
Then, if partner cooperates, show 4♥ (first-round control)
Later, if needed, you might show 5♣ (second-round control—the king)

Notice you skip clubs initially because you only have a king there, not an ace.

The Cue Bidding Sequence: Up the Line

The traditional method is to cue bid up the line—show your cheapest control first, then work your way up. This maximizes efficiency and keeps the bidding low, giving you more room to explore.

Example: After 1♥ - 3♥, you hold: ♠A7 ♥KQ964 ♦AJ83 ♣K5

Bid 3♠ first (cheapest control). If partner cooperates, you can show 4♦ next.

Why up the line? Because skipping a suit denies first-round control there. If you bid 4♦ directly, you’re telling partner, “I don’t have first-round control in clubs or spades.” That’s valuable negative information.

The skip principle: When you skip a suit, you’re denying first-round control. When partner skips back to trump, they’re saying, “I don’t have any more controls to show.”

Denying Controls: Signing Off

What if partner cue bids but you don’t have slam interest—or you’ve run out of controls to show?

Sign off by bidding game in the agreed trump suit.

Example auction:

1♥ - 3♥
4♣ (partner shows club control, invites slam)
4♥ (you sign off—no slam interest or no controls to show)

Returning to the trump suit says, “I’m done. Let’s play game.” It’s a polite decline of the slam invitation.

Partner might continue past game if they’re very strong, but you’ve made your position clear. You’ve shown minimum values or a lack of key controls.

Example Auctions: Cue Bidding in Action

Auction 1: Smooth Cooperation

West (Opener): ♠AK1085 ♥K7 ♦AQ64 ♣J3

East (Responder): ♠QJ64 ♥A85 ♦K83 ♣AK5

Bidding:

West: 1♠
East: 2NT (Jacoby, game-forcing raise)
West: 3♦ (shows extra values and diamond feature)
East: 4♣ (cue bid, shows ♣A, slam interest)
West: 4♦ (cue bid, shows ♦A)
East: 4♥ (cue bid, shows ♥A)
West: 4NT (Blackwood—knows all side suits controlled)
East: 5♥ (two aces)
West: 6♠

Perfect. By exchanging control information, they confidently reached slam, knowing all suits were covered.

Auction 2: Sign-Off After Exploration

West: ♠7 ♥AKJ964 ♦AQ3 ♣K105

East: ♠A83 ♥Q1075 ♦K84 ♣973

Bidding:

West: 1♥
East: 3♥ (limit raise)
West: 3♠ (cue bid, void/ace, slam try)
East: 4♥ (sign-off—minimum hand, no helpful controls)
Pass

East correctly declines the slam try. Despite holding the ♠A (which West controls via the void), East has no other aces and minimum values. Returning to 4♥ says, “Let’s stop here.”

Auction 3: Skipping Shows Denials

West: ♠AKQ64 ♥K5 ♦A1083 ♣94

East: ♠J1085 ♥A7 ♦KQ64 ♣AK3

Bidding:

West: 1♠
East: 2NT (game-forcing raise)
West: 4♦ (skips clubs—denies ♣A, shows ♦A)
East: 4♥ (cue bid, shows ♥A)
West: 4♠ (sign-off—already showed no club control)
East: 5♣ (shows ♣A, still interested)
West: 6♠

West’s skip over clubs on the first round told East immediately about the club weakness. East’s 5♣ cue bid reassured West that clubs were covered, making slam safe.

Auction 4: Mixed Controls Lead to Caution

West: ♠K7 ♥AKJ83 ♦Q1064 ♣A5

East: ♠AQ5 ♥Q1064 ♦K83 ♣K74

Bidding:

West: 1♥
East: 3♥
West: 4♣ (cue bid, ♣A)
East: 4♦ (cue bid, ♦K—second-round control)
West: 4♠ (cue bid, ♠K)
East: 4♥ (sign-off—no first-round spade control)
Pass

Even though both hands have scattered values, East recognizes the lack of first-round spade control (no ace) is a problem. The careful auction keeps them safely in game despite 27 combined HCP.

Common Mistakes

1. Cue Bidding Without a Fit

This is the most frequent error. If you haven’t agreed on trump, a new suit bid is natural, not a cue bid. Establish the fit first.

Wrong:

1♥ - 1♠
3♣ ← This is natural, showing clubs, NOT a cue bid

Right:

1♥ - 3♥ (fit established)
4♣ ← NOW it’s a cue bid

2. Confusing Control-Showing with Control-Asking

Cue bids show controls; they don’t ask for them. Blackwood (4NT) asks about aces. Cue bids are a conversation where both partners show what they have.

Don’t respond to a cue bid like it’s a question. Respond with your own cue bid (showing a control) or sign off (returning to trump).

3. Showing Second-Round Controls Too Early

Show aces and voids before kings and singletons. If you cue bid 4♣ with just the king, partner will assume you have the ace—and slam might fail when the opponents cash two quick club tricks.

Exception: Some partnerships agree to show any control (first or second-round) immediately, then clarify later. That’s a partnership agreement issue (see below).

4. Bidding Past Game Without Controls

If partner cue bids and you have nothing to show, don’t invent a cue bid just to keep the conversation going. Sign off at game. Lying about controls is a fast track to disaster.

5. Forgetting What You’ve Denied

If you skip a suit, you’ve denied first-round control there. Don’t circle back later and try to cue bid that suit with the king. Your skip already told partner you don’t have the ace.

Partnership Agreements: Italian vs. American Style

Cue bidding isn’t fully standardized. Two major styles dominate:

American Style (Traditional)

First-round controls only on the first round of cue bidding
Up the line (cheapest control first)
Skipping a suit denies first-round control
Second-round controls shown only after all first-round controls are shown

This is the classic approach and what most players learn first. It’s conservative and clear.

Italian Style (Modern)

Any control can be shown (first or second-round)
Focus on getting information out quickly
May skip up the line to show a particularly important control
Relies more on context and partnership understanding

Italian-style cue bidding is faster but requires more judgment. It’s popular among experts who can infer what partner has based on the overall auction.

Example of the difference:

You hold: ♠KJ64 ♥AQ83 ♦K5 ♣AK7

After 1♠ - 3♠:

American style: Bid 4♣ first (cheapest ace)
Italian style: Might bid 4♦ or 4♥ to show length/strength in that suit, even with just a king

Which Should You Play?

Start with American style. It’s easier to learn, more widely understood, and less prone to misunderstandings. Once you and your regular partner are comfortable, you can experiment with Italian methods if you both want more flexibility.

The critical thing is agreement. Discuss with your partner:

Are we showing first-round only, or any control?
Do we bid up the line strictly?
What does skipping a suit mean?
When do we switch to Blackwood instead of cue bidding?

Misalignment here causes accidents. Many slams fail not because of bad cards, but because partners were on different wavelengths about what their cue bids promised.

When to Use Cue Bids vs. Blackwood

Cue bids and Blackwood (4NT asking for aces) serve different purposes:

Use cue bids when:

You need to know which controls partner has (not just how many)
You have a void (Blackwood can’t account for voids well)
You’re still deciding between slam and game
You want to explore grand slam (7-level)

Use Blackwood when:

You already know slam is likely (just checking for aces)
You have balanced hands without voids
You’ve already exchanged some control information via cue bids

Often, the best auctions use both: cue bid first to show key controls, then Blackwood to confirm the ace count before bidding slam.

Final Thoughts

Cue bidding is bridge at its most cooperative. You and partner are working together, sharing information, building toward a common goal. It requires trust—you’re relying on partner to show controls accurately and to respect your sign-offs when you’re not interested.

Master cue bidding, and you’ll reach good slams while avoiding bad ones. You’ll stop guessing and start knowing. That’s the difference between hoping for 12 tricks and confidently bidding for them.

Next time your partner bids a new suit after you’ve agreed on trump, don’t panic. They’re not changing the contract. They’re inviting you to explore. Show your controls, listen to theirs, and decide together whether the slam zone is where you want to be.

That’s the beauty of cue bids: the decision isn’t yours alone. It’s a partnership.