[brianshark]

Opps pass throughout:
1♣-1♠
2♣-3♥

Is 3♥ a splinter or strong 5+5+ hand?

1♣ is 12-14 bal or 15+ with ♣s or any 18+
1♠ is 7+ pts or so, and 4+ ♠s
2♣ is 15+ pts with 5+ ♣s


I also think this is similar to the auction (in a natural system):

1♦-1♠
3♥

Is 3♥ a splinter or strong 5+5+ hand?

[inquiry]

brianshark, on Apr 23 2007, 07:59 AM, said:

Opps pass throughout:
1♣-1♠
2♣-3♥

Is 3♥ a splinter or strong 5+5+ hand?

1♣ is 12-14 bal or 15+ with ♣s or any 18+
1♠ is 7+ pts or so, and 4+ ♠s
2♣ is 15+ pts with 5+ ♣s

The answer is "yes". It is a splinter and it is strong 5-5+ hand. It depends upon your agreements. Bridge is a partnership game after all.

The agreement question goes all the way back to the initial response to 1♣, where the question is what do you bid with a weak hand with 5S, and 4+H. I bid 2H. The next part of the agreement is what is 1C-1S-2C-2H is that forcing? If not, is 2D (nmf) forcing, and would you bid 2D and then rebid 3H if partner doesn't bid hearts to show five?

If you have other ways to force and show long hearts (2H followed by a forcing 3H, 2D followed by 3H if hearts are not bid), then an immediate 3H can be effectively used as a splinter (and right side some very important 3NT contracts where partenr has an undisclosed four card heart suit).

Quote

1♦-1♠
3♥

Is 3♥ a splinter or strong 5+5+ hand?

Since the reverse is forcing, and since opener can reverse into hearts and then rebid 3♥ to show a 6+5+ hand (with longer diamonds), the jump to 3♥ is best used as a splinter.

[Gerben42]

Without further agreement I would think 3♥ shows a GF 5 - 5 hand. When in doubt a bid is natural!

I agree that theoretically you might want to play it as splinter, though.

[the hog]

He did ask specifically in WJ2005. It is a splinter, as 2H would be forcing over the 2C rebid.

[brianshark]

I suggested the two situations were similar because in both cases, 2♥ is forcing, and therefore the strong 5-5 hand *can* technically be shown by bidding ♥s twice.

Theoretically, I do believe both are better as splinters. But I am wondering that absent explicit agreement, which should be the norm. I still believe splinter is, because 2♥ is forcing. But others believe 5-5 should be the default.

The reason I ask is that my team mates in a teams match got that mixed up, one thought he was showing a splinter and the other interpreted it as natural. 14 IMPs out. That won't happen again in their partnership, opr in any partnership within our team because it came up. So I guess I'm just asking out of curiosity so see if there is at least majority answer.