Return to my Bridge pages
Go to my home page

Culbertson

© Copyright 1996, Jim Loy

Culbertson conventions still seen are Culbertson 4-5NT and Culbertson Asking Bids. Culbertson based his system on Honor-Tricks rather than point-count. But, in his last book, he conformed to point-count. The places where Culbertson differs from Standard American - 5-Card Majors are in italics like this.

1. Convention Card

General Approach - Culbertson: Opening one of a suit shows 13+ pts and QJxx or Qxxxx in that suit (Qxxx or xxxxx if you must). You sometimes have to pass with no biddable suit.

Strong Two-Bids: Opening 2 of a suit shows 1 trick short of game. 2NT negative response.

Strong 1NT: Opening 1NT shows 16-18 HCP, balanced, with stoppers in 3 suits. In some books Culbertson used a weak 1NT.

Stayman: Culbertson did not have Stayman. A modern player playing Culbertson would use Stayman.

Double Raise Is Forcing to Game: A double raise response (1H-3H) shows 13+ pts, forcing to game.

1/1 Not Forcing: In some Culbertson books.

Never Open A 3-Card Suit: Pass without a biddable suit.

Strong Jump Overcall: Jump overcall shows a strong hand, near game.

Direct Cuebid Strong: Direct cuebid, of opponent's suit, shows game values.

Culbertson 4-5NT: 4NT, except when the partnership may still end up in NT, is Culbertson 4-5NT, showing aces and asking for aces. See Slam Bidding below. Blackwood is an option instead.

Culbertson Asking Bids: After a suit has been agreed upon, a new suit at level 4 or above is an asking bid. It asks about controls in that suit.

Grand slam force: See my article on 5-Card Majors.

See the topics below, for more detail.

2. Opening Bids

1 suit: 13+ pts and QJxx or Qxxxx in that suit (Qxxx or xxxxx if you must). You sometimes have to pass with no biddable suit.

1NT: 16-18 HCP. Balanced. Stoppers in 3 suits. No doubleton weaker than Qx. Some books used Weak 1NT.

2 suit: Strong Two-Bid. 1 trick short of game. 2NT negative response. Culbertson originally used a slightly stronger two-bid that was absolutely forcing to game.

2NT: 22-24 HCP. Balanced. Stoppers in all four suits.

3NT: 25-27 HCP. Balanced. Stoppers in all four suits.

3 or 4 of a suit: Preempt. Weak hand. Long suit. Little side strength.

3. Responses To One Of A Suit

1/1: One-over-one. Shows 6+ pts, and a biddable suit (5-card suit if the hand is weak). Not forcing (forcing in some Culbertson books).

1NT: 6-10 HCP. Last resort.

2/1: Two-over-one. 11+ pts, and a 5-card suit (6-card suit if the hand is weak or 4-card if strong). Forcing for one round.

raise: 6-10 pts. J10x support.

jump shift: 18+ pts. With minimum, support or solid suit.

2NT: 13-15 HCP. Balanced. Stoppers in unbid suits. Forcing to game. No biddable suit at the 1-level.

double raise: 13-16 pts. 4-card support. Forcing to game. In a minor, not forcing.

3NT: 16-18 HCP. Balanced. Stoppers in unbid suits.

double jump shift: Preemptive. Long strong suit.

4. Rebids After One Of A Suit

Rebids are similar to Standard American. See my article on 5-Card Majors.

5. 16-18 HCP Strong 1NT

This Strong 1NT is the same as Goren, except there was no Stayman. People who play Culbertson probably add Stayman to their system. Some books used a Weak 1NT.

6. Strong Two-Bids

This is identical to the Strong Two-Bid shown in my article on Goren. Culbertson originally used a slightly stronger two-bid that was absolutely forcing to game.

7. Preempts: See my article on 5-Card Majors.

8. Competitive Bidding: Culbertson used the Strong Jump Overcall.

9. Slam Bidding

Cuebidding Controls: In some books, Culbertson cuebid controls. Culbertson's alternative to cuebidding was the Culbertson Asking Bids. See below.

Blackwood: In his last book, Culbertson recommended Blackwood. 4NT is Blackwood when the partnership will not end up in a NT contract. See my article on 5-Card Majors. Culbertson's alternative to Blackwood was the Culbertson 4-5NT. See Below.

Grand Slam Force: See my article on 5-Card Majors.

10. Culbertson 4-5NT

A slam convention replaced by the more popular Blackwood. Some partnerships use it. A bid of 4NT, under the same conditions where Blackwood would be used, shows 3 aces or 2 aces and the king of a suit previously bid by the partnership.

Responses:

5NT: 2 aces or 1 ace and all kings of genuinely bid suits

5 of lowest genuinely bid suit: no aces

other suit: 1 ace in that suit (may be 6 of lowest suit)

The following 5NT part of this convention (trying for grand slam) is not completely necessary. A bid of 5NT (after 4NT) shows that the partnership has all four aces. It asks for added values.

Responses:

6-suit: No added values. Suit is one in which he has adequate trump support.

7-suit: Added values. Suit is one in which he has adequate trump support or one that has previously been bid.

11. Culbertson Asking Bids

After a suit has been raised, any new suit at level 4 or higher is an asking bid. If no suit has been raised, any double jump in a new suit at level 3 or higher is an asking bid. Agreed trump is the suit bid just preceding the asking bid.

1st asking bid:

After a signoff, next asking bid in new suit is another 1st asking bid.

2nd asking bid (non-trump bid):

3rd asking bid (non-trump bid):

10. Forcing Bids

In Culbertson, an opening two-bid is the only forcing opening bid. In some Culbertson books, a one-over-one response is not forcing. Other forcing bids are the same as Standard American.

Return to my Bridge pages
Go to my home page