[AnJoe]

Vulnerable at MPs, you hear your partner open 1 ♠

Here's your hand:
♠KQJ98
♥KJ109
♦K
♣A43

Which is the most useful convention here, jacoby 2NT or Splinter??
Do you splinter with a King?
Do you use J2NT with an un balanced hand??

[nick_s]

I think I'd try Blackwood. Why mess around?

[AnJoe]

Two aces and you get a heart lead!
Torpedo!!!!

[Hanoi5]

1♠-2♣

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

If the choice is between Jacoby 2NT and splinter the answer
is bid 2NT.

A splinter should only be used, if one feels comfortable
after partner bids 4H.
If you bid 4S, do you know at once what to do?
=> Than use splinter.

From this followes, that a splinter should have a fairly tide
range, say 13-15 or +18.
If you have a hand in the middle, than you should not use
a splinter.

So all in all, 2NT does not deny a unbalanced hand.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[gnasher]

5♣, Exclusion.

[P_Marlowe]

AnJoe, on Apr 16 2009, 10:16 PM, said:

Two aces and you get a heart lead!
Torpedo!!!!

Jack, because it is highly unlikely, that they will underlead
an Ace after such an auction.

There is no gurantee, that you can prevent a heart lead if
you play a spade slam.
And they may more easily underlead an Ace, if your auction
is more revealing.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[Free]

The hand is too strong for a splinter, given the choices you presented I'd start with 2NT.

However I prefer to start with 1♠-2♣ GF relay

[helene_t]

No splinter with a king, please. If blackwood is not available, then 2NT.

[barryallen]

The first thing I would ask is if this is 3rd or 4th position and does Drury apply? As pointed out the ♥Q may turn out to be vital to know whether partner holds this card. With this in mind I would bid 2♥ to improve my chances of finding that card. If you have some Beta asking bid for honours, little problem.

[mikeh]

barryallen, on Apr 17 2009, 10:37 AM, said:

The first thing I would ask is if this is 3rd or 4th position and does Drury apply? As pointed out the ♥Q may turn out to be vital to know whether partner holds this card. With this in mind I would bid 2♥ to improve my chances of finding that card. If you have some Beta asking bid for honours, little problem.

My guess is that few players would ever encounter this type of hand opposite a 3rd or 4th seat opener

i would jacoby... we are playing spades or notrump... with this hand, I think it virtually impossible to construct a hand on which any other suit is as good.

Keycard is idiotic... partner shows 2 keys and the opps lead clubs... partner has Axxxx Qxx AQ Jxx... what did he do wrong?

Or he has 3 keys and either Axxxx Ax Axxx Kx, cold for grand, or Axxxx Axxx Ax Jxx requiring a heart guess to make small.

You need to find out a heck of a lot more than the number of keycards he has.

It is not that J2N is a panacea, but, especially if you take the trouble to learn a good J2N method, and play with a partner who also knows it, you will be far, far ahead of the bashers/guessers.

I would vote:

2N 100, 2♣ 80, 4♦ 30, 2♥ 20, 4N 10

I gave the horrific 2♥ more than 4N because at least it preserves bidding space and may elicit more useful info than 4N would.

I really, really don't like the splinter... partner bids 4♠ and do we really feel we can pass? Opposite Axxxx Qxx Axx Kx we are cold for slam, and why should partner go beyond 4♠ with lousy trump and horrible hearts? Even playing LTTC, most people who play that sophisiticated convention probably play that splinters are limited bids, so would never dream of cooperating in order to cater to this responding hand.

[barryallen]

I'll go back to sleep,

[y66]

2N for me. Does not preclude shortness.

This thread has more discussion of criteria for choosing, including captaincy.

[kenrexford]

2♣ for me also. I like 2NT to show as close to "Aces and Spaces" as I can. This is almost the opposite of that and almost the worst case for 2NT I can imagine. It is also terrible for a splinter.

If 2/1 is GF, you almost KNOW that the auction will be 1♠-2♣-2♦, which is the best start you could possibly ask for.

[ArtK78]

Jacoby 2NT. Take control of the auction.

[skjaeran]

2NT GF raise for me. I don't use the Jacoby response structure.

[Double !]

Are we playing 2/1? If the answer is yes, then consider a 2♥ response followed by spade support. I want to find out more about my partner's hand and to give him a chance later to show a heart card if he/she has it. Nothing wrong with a splinter (even with the king) except that the hand is too good and one won't be sure what to do if P rebids 4♠. My 2nd choice might be a 2♣ response to slow things down and give P a chance to clarify his opener. I abstain from Jac 2NT because I really do not like the convention (I want my natural 2NT response available). Unless opener has some sort of 2-suiter, his/her holding in hearts is likely to be crucial.

Never a conformist, always have to be different.

Best to all: DHL

[AnJoe]

I can tell you that the splinter did not work out here.

I would not have used it holding a single King, but my partner, a very good former rubber bridge player, was wanting to learn it, so we were making opportunities for using it.
When he responded 4 spades, holding an 11 point hand, I was stymied.

As it turns out, Jac 2 NT would have been perfect, since he had a singleton club.

Axxxx, Axx, Kxxx and x

No problem making 6 for a bad board. Everyone else bidding normally, 2 clubs or 2 hearts and then Bwd.

Oh well. So much for learning.