Cue-Bid Raise — BidMaestro

The problem it solves

Once an opponent has bid, a raise of partner’s suit becomes ambiguous: is it a weak, obstructive raise made only to compete, or a real invitation with the values to reach game? A single raise cannot say both. So the strong raise is given to a bid nobody could want naturally: a cue-bid of the opponents’ suit. The plain raise then stays weak and competitive, while the cue promises the good hand and is forcing.

When partner opened and they overcalled

Partner opens, the next hand overcalls, and you have real support with invitational values or better. You bid the overcaller’s suit:

1♥ – (1♠) – 2♠: Shows a limit-raise-or-better of hearts, with support, forcing. A direct 2♥ would be the weak, competitive raise, about 6–9 support points.

How much you need depends on where the cue leaves the auction:

The cue stays below game: About 10 or more support points, a limit raise or better. Partner can still sign off by rebidding your suit below game, so you are not yet committed.
The cue itself reaches game: About 13 or more support points, a full game force, because the cheapest retreat to your suit is already game.

Support points are high cards plus a little for short suits, which start to earn once a trump fit is known. You are raising partner, so the fit is already there — with four trumps a singleton is worth 3 and a doubleton 1. A hand of 8 high cards with a singleton is an 11-point raise, enough to cue. The bands are the same ones you would use with no opponent in the auction.

A cue at this early stage is about the raise. Later in the auction, once your side has shown its suits, a three-level cue of the opponents’ suit means something different: it asks partner for a stopper for notrump; see the Western Cue-Bid.

When partner overcalled

The same idea works when partner is the one who overcalled and you hold a good raise of partner’s suit. Because an overcall promises only about 8–16, a plain raise (around 6–10 support points) does not insist on game, and a jump raise (about 11–12 support points) only invites. So with game values you cue the opener’s suit instead:

(1♦) – 1♠ – (Pass) – 2♦: Shows a game-going raise of partner’s spade overcall, about 13 support points, the only forcing reply available. A direct raise to 2♠ or 3♠ would merely compete.
(1♠) – 2♣ – (Pass) – 2♠: The same cue when partner overcalled a minor: a game-forcing raise of clubs with at least four-card support (partner promised five, so the fit is known). Partner shows a minimum by rebidding clubs or shows extra values; you then choose between 3NT, when you hold the opponents’ suit stopped, and 5♣.

Over partner’s weak jump overcall the cue changes job: it becomes a strong asking bid (about 16+), since the jump overcall was a weak, shapely hand. Partner rebids the overcalled suit with a minimum, or shows an outside high-card feature with a maximum.

The jump cue

A jump in the opponents’ suit goes further still: it is a power raise with four-card support and about 13 or more support points, already interested in slam. It shows the same hand as Jacoby 2NT, which is not available once the opponents have overcalled.

Over a minor suit

The same logic extends to a minor. After 1♦ – (1♠), for example, a cue of 2♠ shows a limit-raise-or-better of diamonds, with a direct 2♦ natural and a jump to 3♦ pre-emptive, the standard treatment for raising a minor in competition.

This is standard practice, not an optional add-on: the cue-bid raise is part of Standard American / SAYC and is always on in BidMaestro. It pairs naturally with the negative double: when they overcall, a double shows the other suits, a plain raise competes, and the cue shows the strong raise.

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