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Slam Bidding in Bridge – Gerber Convention Ace Asking
If you or your partner have bid notrump at any level in the auction, you should not use 4 NT to ask for the number of aces held. You must use a different asking bid to find out this information. Gerber Convention is an alternative which is very popular and it has the added benefit of starting at a much lower level.
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Asking for Partners Aces – Gerber
After you have discovered that your partnership has at least 33 combined points and the suit or lack of suit fit the Gerber is a bidding convention designed to describe the Aces held in partners hand to decide whether a grand slam or a small slam can be achieved. Gerber is usually invoked by one of the partners jumping to 4♣ where the club suit has not been bid by your side in the current auction.
Your partner’s responses to your jump bid to 4♣ Gerber Convention is as follows:
| Partners Gerber Bid | Your Reply | What your response means | Bidding Sequence |
| 4♣ | 4♦ | 0 or all of the Aces (its usually very easy to tell) | 4♣ – 4♦ |
| 4♣ | 4♥ | 1 Ace | 4♣ – 4♥ |
| 4♣ | 4♠ | 2 Aces | 4♣ – 4♠ |
| 4♣ | 4 NT | 3 Aces | 4♣ – 4 NT |
Table of responses to Partners Ace Ask
Practice your Gerber Ace Asking Responses
| Hand 1. What is your response with this hand after partners 4♣ Ace asking bid ? 4♦ 4♥ 4♠ 4 NT |
| Hand 2. What is your response with this hand after partners 4♣ Ace asking bid ? 4♦ 4♥ 4♠ 4 NT |
| Hand 3. What is your response with this hand after partners 4♣ Ace asking bid ? 4♦ 4♥ 4♠ 4 NT |
| Hand 4. What is your response with this hand after partners 4♣ Ace asking bid ? 4♦ 4♥ 4♠ 4 NT |
| Hand 5. What is your response with this hand after partners 4♣ Ace asking bid ? 4♦ 4♥ 4♠ 4 NT |