[pclayton]

A couple of questions about voidwood:

1. Currently we play Kantar style void showing responses to key card. For instance in the auction:

1♠ - 2♣
2♠ - 3♠
4♠ -4N

5N = 0-2 keys and a useful void
6♦ / 6♥ = 1/3 ("odd #") of keys and a void in the named suit.

What should 6♣ be here? Still a void? The requirement is typically a useful void.

2. What about a situation where responder has known shortness already?

1♠ - 4♣
4N - ?

I don't know if I've seen something on this sequence, but it seems the following makes sense:

5N = 0/3 with ♣ void
6♣ = 1/4 with club void
6♦ = 2 without ♠Q and club void
6♥ = 2 w/ ♠Q and club void.

Thoughts?

[FrancesHinden]

To answer the second question first (in a rather indirect manner): I don't think that where a hand has already implied shortness it should jump to slam to show a void. My feeling is that you only show a void when it's going to be a real surprise to partner, and you are certain it is going to be worth knowing about.

I don't know how strong you play your splinters, but if you play them as "near opening values, 4-card support, shortage" then both

J10xx
AQJxx
Kxx
x

and

J10xxx
KQJxx
Kxx
-

are splinters. That should make opener entitled to bid Blackwood opposite either holding

KQxxx
x
AQJxx
Ax

and not get too high

[pclayton]

FrancesHinden, on Jan 19 2007, 08:06 AM, said:

To answer the second question first (in a rather indirect manner): I don't think that where a hand has already implied shortness it should jump to slam to show a void. My feeling is that you only show a void when it's going to be a real surprise to partner, and you are certain it is going to be worth knowing about.

I don't know how strong you play your splinters, but if you play them as "near opening values, 4-card support, shortage" then both

J10xx
AQJxx
Kxx
x

and

J10xxx
KQJxx
Kxx
-

are splinters. That should make opener entitled to bid Blackwood opposite either holding

KQxxx
x
AQJxx
Ax

and not get too high

I chose the basic splinter as a starting point of this discussion. Perhaps an auction like

1♠ - 2♦
2♠ - 4♣
4N

would be more appropriate, since the judgement issue relating to jamming the bidding to the 6 level to show the void is mitigated with responder showing extra values.

Our splinters are limited to 4 - 4 1/2 cover cards and typically in the 9 - 12 point range. Examples would be: Kxxx, x, Axxx, Axxx or KQxx, void, Axxx, xxxxx. Better hands go through the forcing raise.

Opener would make a slam try with 6 - 6.5 losers and purish values, or most hands with 5 losers. If pard splintered in clubs, I would normally take charge with:

KQxxx, KJxx, x, Axx, knowing full well that something like: JTxx, AQxx, Kxxxx, void put us too high.

However, move the ♣A to the ♦A (stiff), and slam is cold; and knowledge of responder's club void is the key to the hand. Its hard to see how cue bidding can get us there with any more confidence as well.

We dropped void splinters a year ago (1♥ - 3♠), because they never came up, however, that would alleviate a lot of the mishaps with bounding to 6 with a void.

I really like 1 major - 3N to show a weak raise with an outside card however. It seems to come up at least 10x more often than void splinters, and it makes it easier for opener to take the push to the 5 level or double the opponents with the appropriate hand.

[Echognome]

1. On the first auction, it depends somewhat on what you would cue in partner's suit at the 4-level. For example, with AKJTxxx xx Qxx Qx would you bid 4♣ over partner's 3♠? If not, then that is probably the most useful information you could convey to partner for investigating grand. For simplicity, I would either use the rule that you still bid voids, or that it shows 3rd round control as you would certainly show 1st or 2nd round control immediately.

2. I think in most of the auctions the 4NT bidder will have the A of the splinter suit for immediately taking control. It's possible they have xxx and the world's fair outside, but I don't think that's as common.

[pclayton]

Echognome, on Jan 19 2007, 12:28 PM, said:

1. On the first auction, it depends somewhat on what you would cue in partner's suit at the 4-level. For example, with AKJTxxx xx Qxx Qx would you bid 4♣ over partner's 3♠? If not, then that is probably the most useful information you could convey to partner for investigating grand. For simplicity, I would either use the rule that you still bid voids, or that it shows 3rd round control as you would certainly show 1st or 2nd round control immediately.

2. I think in most of the auctions the 4NT bidder will have the A of the splinter suit for immediately taking control. It's possible they have xxx and the world's fair outside, but I don't think that's as common.

In our partnership, the 1st sequence doesn't really exist, since opener would probably stop at a non-serious 3N on the way to 4♠. Maybe 4♠ is picture-esque, denying the ability to cue something else; and also (obviously) on the weak end.

[Echognome]

pclayton, on Jan 19 2007, 02:22 PM, said:

In our partnership, the 1st sequence doesn't really exist, since opener would probably stop at a non-serious 3N on the way to 4♠. Maybe 4♠ is picture-esque, denying the ability to cue something else; and also (obviously) on the weak end.

You have two sequences available:

1♠ - 2♣ - 4♠ and

1♠ - 2♣ - 2♠ - (any) - 4♠

I think one should show a picture jump and the other should show a (sub) minimum opening with a long string of spades.