HCP and Voids
(Courtesy of Bob Crosby)
How do you evaluate voids? Voids are gold when there is no duplication of and in partner's hand or the void is in the opponent's suit. However, do not count your chickens before they hatch. Your void might just be horrible duplication of and. KQxx opposite your void is bad news but opposite xxxx very good news. The point is to evaluate your void later in the auction when you can determine its real value.
You hold 
KQx 
AJxxx 
void 
KQxxx
You open 1 and partner responds 1NT so you have 15 HCP with a void, is this a game forcing strong jump shift? No, because you do not know the power of your void yet. Also a strong jump shift could be ambiguous when you do hold the HCP's for the bid.
KQ10 AKJxx void KQxxx is a strong jump shift so how is partner to tell the difference between the two hands when you make the same bid?
OK, you rebid 2 with the first hand and partner bids anything, 2NT, 2, 3 so now you bid spades pin pointing your diamond shortness. Patterning out is an excellent way to show your void or singleton. Now partner can assess the duplication of value. Partner has Axx xx J10xx Axxx so her hand takes a quantum leap upwards and the idea is to get to a slam rather than just your club game. Partner has Axx xx KQ10x xxxx and the idea is to get to 3NT and avoid an 11 trick club contract.
When partner makes a 2/1, we feel a double jump should be Exclusion KCB.
| 1 |
Pass | 2 |
Pass |
| 4* |
* 4 should be a diamond void and implying clubs.
We also feel that a jump to the 4 level in a minor after a major opener should be exclusion KCB. A splinter can be a singleton or a void at the 3 level.
You open a major and partner bids KCB, how do you show her a void? A jump in the void suit shows 1 or 3 and a void in that suit. A leap to 6 shows 1 or 3 with a spade void when hearts are agreed. How do you show zero or two Aces with a void? That is the 5NT bid which shifts the responsibility on partner to bid 6 to find out your void. You just bid your void suit if spades are trump and 6 shows the club void. With hearts trump, you run out of room so 6 shows a void in a lower ranking suit to hearts and 6 shows the spade void.