Michaels Cue Bid in Bridge: How It Works, With Examples
The Michaels cue bid is a way to show two 5-card suits with a single bid after an opponent opens. You bid the same suit they opened, at the two level. Over a minor (1♣ or 1♦) it shows both majors. Over a major (1♥ or 1♠) it shows the other major plus one of the minors.
It's one of the most popular conventions in club bridge, and for good reason. Two-suited hands are hard to describe with natural bids, and the Michaels cue bid gets both suits across before the auction gets too high. This guide covers what it shows, how much strength you need, how partner should answer, and three example hands you can try yourself.
What a Michaels Cue Bid Shows
A cue bid means bidding a suit the opponents have already bid. Since you'd almost never want to play in their suit, the bid is free to carry a special meaning. In Michaels, that meaning is "I have two long suits".
| Opponent opens | Your Michaels cue bid | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| 1♣ | 2♣ | At least 5 hearts and 5 spades |
| 1♦ | 2♦ | At least 5 hearts and 5 spades |
| 1♥ | 2♥ | At least 5 spades and 5 cards in a minor |
| 1♠ | 2♠ | At least 5 hearts and 5 cards in a minor |
Two things to notice:
- Over a minor, both suits are known. Partner knows you hold both majors, so they can pick one right away.
- Over a major, one suit is a mystery. Partner knows your major, but not which minor you hold. There's a simple way to find out, covered below.
Michaels is for when an opponent opens one of a suit. If they open 1NT, there's no suit to cue bid, so you need a different set of bids, such as the Cappelletti convention.
The Michaels convention is named after Mike Michaels, an American player from Miami who introduced it in the 1950s.
How Many Points Do You Need?
Shape matters more than points here. The key requirement is 5-5 or longer in the two suits, with your high cards mostly inside those suits.
On strength, partnerships usually pick one of two styles:
- Weak or strong (the classic style). Use Michaels with a weaker hand of about 6-11 points that wants to compete, or with a strong hand of about 16 points or more that will bid again. With a middle-range hand (about 12-15), you overcall your higher suit and bid the other suit later.
- Any strength. Many modern players use Michaels with any hand that has good 5-5 shape, and show extra strength later in the auction.
Neither style is wrong. What matters is that you and your partner agree. Vulnerability matters too: when you're vulnerable and the opponents aren't, you want good suits and a few more points, because a penalty double can be expensive.
How Partner Responds to Michaels
Once you've shown two suits, partner becomes the captain. Their job is to choose a suit and say how high to go.
After a cue bid over a minor (both majors)
Say the auction goes (1♦) 2♦ (Pass), and it's partner's turn.
- 2♥ or 2♠ picks a major with no promise of strength. Partner might hold almost nothing.
- 3♥ or 3♠ is a jump and invites game. It shows a decent hand (about 9-11 points) with support.
- 4♥ or 4♠ is to play.
- 3♦ (a cue bid of the opener's suit) shows a strong hand and asks you to describe your hand further.
With equal length in the majors, partner picks the major where their high cards are, or simply bids hearts at the cheapest level.
After a cue bid over a major (other major plus a minor)
Say the auction goes (1♥) 2♥ (Pass). You've shown spades and an unknown minor.
- 2♠ picks spades, with no promise of strength.
- 3♠ invites game, and 4♠ is to play.
- 2NT asks "which minor?". You answer 3♣ or 3♦.
- 3♣ is "pass or correct". Partner has a fit for both minors, so you pass with clubs or correct to 3♦ with diamonds.
The 2NT ask and the pass-or-correct 3♣ are what make the major-suit version work. Make sure your partnership knows them before you use Michaels at the table.
Is Michaels forcing?
Yes, in the sense that partner should pick one of your suits. The one exception is when the next opponent bids. Then partner is free to pass, because you'll get another chance to bid.
Michaels Cue Bid vs Unusual 2NT
The Michaels cue bid has a twin: the Unusual 2NT. A jump to 2NT over an opening shows the two lowest unbid suits, usually 5-5.
| Opponent opens | Michaels (cue bid) | Unusual 2NT |
|---|---|---|
| 1♣ | Hearts + spades | Diamonds + hearts |
| 1♦ | Hearts + spades | Clubs + hearts |
| 1♥ | Spades + a minor | Clubs + diamonds |
| 1♠ | Hearts + a minor | Clubs + diamonds |
Used together, the two conventions cover nearly every two-suited hand. Over a major opening, for example, Michaels shows the other major plus a minor, and the Unusual 2NT shows both minors.
Leaping Michaels
Leaping Michaels is the version you use over an opponent's weak two. A jump to four of a minor shows that minor plus the other major, usually 5-5, with enough strength to force to game.
For example, after (2♠) 4♣, you're showing clubs and hearts. Partner picks game in hearts or bids 5♣. If you'd rather keep a natural cue bid over weak twos, discuss which you play before the session starts.
Three Example Hands
Example 1: The basic case
Your right-hand opponent opens 1♦. You hold:
♠ K Q 10 8 6 ♥ A J 9 7 4 ♦ 5 ♣ 8 3 (10 HCP)
Five spades, five hearts, and the points are in your long suits. This is a textbook Michaels hand. Bid 2♦.
Example 2: Finding the minor
Your right-hand opponent opens 1♥. You hold:
♠ K Q J 9 5 ♥ 4 ♦ 6 3 ♣ Q J 10 8 7 (9 HCP)
Bid 2♥, showing spades and a minor. Partner holds:
♠ 3 ♥ K 9 6 2 ♦ Q 10 7 4 ♣ K 9 6 3 (8 HCP)
Partner has a singleton spade but four cards in each minor. They bid 3♣, pass or correct. You hold clubs, so you pass, and you've found a 9-card fit at a safe level.
Example 3: Partner invites game
The auction goes (1♣) 2♣ (Pass), and you're the partner. You hold:
♠ 9 4 ♥ K J 8 3 ♦ A 7 5 2 ♣ 10 6 4 (8 HCP)
Partner promised at least five hearts, so you know about a 9-card heart fit. Your ace and king are useful cards. Jump to 3♥ to invite game. With a strong Michaels hand, partner goes on to 4♥.
Common Mistakes
- Using Michaels with 5-4 shape. Partner will often choose your 4-card suit. Most partnerships want 5-5.
- Bidding it with weak suits. If your points are in the short suits, partner won't know your long suits are thin. Keep the honors in the suits you show.
- Forgetting the 2NT ask. After a cue bid over a major, partner must be able to find your minor.
- Bidding again with a weak hand. If you've made a weak Michaels bid and partner picks a suit, pass. Bidding again suggests the strong version.
How to Practice Michaels on Bridge Champ
The quickest way to learn a convention is to see it come up many times. On Bridge Champ you can:
- Build the hands yourself. The Hand Editor lets you set point ranges and suit lengths for each seat. Give East an opening hand and give South 5-5 in the majors, then play the deal.
- Drill the bidding only. A Bidding Practice table skips the card play. Each auction is scored against the double dummy result, so you see straight away whether your bidding found the right spot.
One thing to know: the computer players on Bridge Champ use Ghestem, a related convention, instead of Michaels. With the computer, the same cue bid can show a different pair of suits. So practice Michaels with a human partner, and check the computer's convention card before you cue bid opposite a computer partner.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a Michaels cue bid show in bridge?
It shows two suits of at least five cards each. Over 1♣ or 1♦, a cue bid of the same suit shows both majors. Over 1♥ or 1♠, it shows the other major plus an unknown minor.
How many points do you need for a Michaels cue bid?
Shape matters more than points. In the classic style, Michaels is either weak (about 6-11 points) or strong (about 16 or more). Many players use it with any strength. Agree your style with your partner.
What is the difference between Michaels and the Unusual 2NT?
Michaels is a cue bid of the opener's suit and always includes a major. The Unusual 2NT is a jump to 2NT and shows the two lowest unbid suits, which are both minors after a major opening.
How do you find the minor after a Michaels cue bid over a major?
Partner bids 2NT to ask, and you answer 3♣ or 3♦. With support for both minors, partner can bid 3♣ instead, which asks you to pass with clubs or correct to 3♦.
Can you use Michaels with a 5-4 hand?
Most partnerships require at least 5-5. Some allow 5-4 when not vulnerable, but partner will often choose your shorter suit, so it's safer to wait for 5-5.
Summary
The Michaels cue bid shows two 5-card suits in one bid: both majors over a minor, or the other major plus a minor over a major. Keep your points in your long suits, agree on the strength style with your partner, and learn the 2NT ask. Pair it with the Unusual 2NT and you can describe almost any two-suited hand.
Next, read our list of bridge conventions to see where Michaels fits, or read about Cappelletti, another way to compete when an opponent opens 1NT. Cue bids have a different job later in the auction too: see how control cue bids help you bid slams. When you're ready, play bridge free online on Bridge Champ, in your browser or in the app.