Side suit bids above 3NT are slam tools. Two of them are always at the four level: a Keycard Ask similar to Roman Keycard Blackwood, and Values-for-Five, which leaves the slam decision to partner, who can sign-off or continue with a Keycard Ask. The third is an Exclusion Keycard Ask, which is usually at the five-level but can be lower.
When there are at least two four-level side suits available, Values-for-Five is always the cheapest while the Keycard Ask is the next cheapest. If there is only one four-level side suit available, it is the Keycard Ask; and if none, 4NT is the Keycard Ask. Any side suit bid higher than the Keycard Ask is an Exclusion Keycard Ask.
When no space has been lost, the Values-for-Five and Keycard Ask are fixed for a given trump suit:
| Trump suit | Values-for-Five | Keycard Ask |
|---|---|---|
| Hearts | 4 | 4 |
| Spades | 4 | 4 |
| Clubs | 4 | 4 |
| Diamonds agreed with 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Diamonds agreed lower e.g. by 2NT | 4 | 4 |
The responses to the Keycard Ask are simple; unlike traditional Roman Keycard Blackwood there is usually no fourth step showing two plus the queen:
| Step | Number of keycards |
|---|---|
| +1 | nought or three |
| +2 | one or four |
| +3 | two or five |
In conjunction with the follow-up asks available, this is optimum in most cases. But when the ask is exactly one step above the trump suit, we use the traditional four steps.
Responses to an Exclusion Keycard Ask are just the same, but responder ignores the suit of the Ask in which (typically) the asker is void.
There is a duty on an asker to continue exploring slam if he knows the partnership holds at least four keycards. Conversely, if the asker signs off, there are definitely two keycards missing.
Bids after a Keycard Ask or Exclusion Keycard Ask are called after the count. Side suit bids after the count take on new meanings.
| West | North | East | South | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | pass | 2 | pass | ||
| 2NT | pass | 3 | pass | ||
| 4 | pass | 4 | pass | ||
| 4 | pass | 5 | pass | ||
| 6 | pass | pass | pass |
agrees clubs. 4 shows Values-for-five (here essentially a waiting bid with nothing more to say). 4 is the Keycard Ask, the 5 response showing two or five.| West | North | East | South | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | pass | 1 | pass | ||
| 2NT | pass | 4 | pass | ||
| 4 | pass | 4 | pass | ||
| ? |
bid here is 'we are two keycards short'. If the message could be 'we are one keycard short and I've got a minimum and cold feet', opener would not know when to pass or when to bid on.| West | North | East | South | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | pass | ||||
| 2NT | pass | 4 | pass | ||
| 4NT | pass | 5 | pass | ||
| 6 | pass | pass | pass |
shows two keycards and the queen of trumps.