[nigel_k]

Scoring: MP

---

1♣-P-1♦-(1♠)
3♠-P-?

3♠ is a splinter. Casual partnership with no other relevant agreements though partner is a good player. What's your plan?

[mike777]

3nt, mp, casual partner

[andy_h]

I have 15 highs and partner forced us to at least 4♦. I am not stopping short of slam and will look for a possible grand if applicable. My ♣Q is huge, imagine if partner has 4-6 in the minors so I will now cue 4♣.

[jdonn]

4♠, I'll like better if partner is the one to bid keycard.

3NT is LOLOL, I mean if you have no agreements or just want to guess now then obv you bid 6♦.

[aguahombre]

mike777, on Jul 23 2009, 09:49 PM, said:

3nt, mp, casual partner

better be a casual partner with a sense of humor. He thinks you have a 6 count and wants to be in game anyway. have a hunch 6Clubs is the spot.

[Codo]

I am closer to 7 NT then to 3.
But as I have no idea how my partner would take 4 Spade, 4 NT or any other bid, I try 6 NT.

[OleBerg]

4♣.

Dislike to take away the four-level, and the single Q is a reasonable card. (If I wasn't unsure of partners possible intepretation of 4♦ as non-forcing, that would be a standout bid). On a bad day, partner has something like:

♠ K
♥ xx
♦ AQXX
♣ AKxxxx

or, on a (very) good day:

♠ K
♥ AKx
♦ AQxx
♣ Jxxxx

in which case a club-cue will be reassuring.

Including the four level will also be much better for grand exploration and determination of ♦'s vs NT. For one thing, the fact that we doesn't have a heart-cue, might be valuable information for partner.

[mcphee]

I am sure going to start a slam search as we need not so much to make 6 and 7 is possible. In pairs events I think that too many players shoot for NT for the little extra, when most times any slam will score well. I am not sure that NT is a consideration here until further developments uncover information.

I am a 4C bidder now and hope to hear 4H. I will try to reach 7D via key card after 4H. I am not going to fall to the temptation of playing NT, although if partner is 5-4-3-1 shape I expect quite a decent hand for a splinter, I would not consider either example oleberg set out as a splinter hand.

[pooltuna]

check for controls the ♣Q is no longer waste paper

[Fluffy]

Codo, on Jul 24 2009, 06:39 AM, said:

I am closer to 7 NT then to 3.
But as I have no idea how my partner would take 4 Spade, 4 NT or any other bid, I try 6 NT.

If partner has ♣AKxxxx you might regret the NT thing.

I agree with jdonn, we are greatly placed if partner bids 4NT, just hope he doesn't have void.

[aguahombre]

coming from a 2/1 framework --not stated by the OP--, I cannot imagine splintering after a 1D response to 1C with any of Oleberg's examples. The 1D response is suspect anyway, if you might not choose to respond 1NT with a 3334 six-count. A couple possible hands I could think of are:

--
AXX
AQX
KJT9XXX

K
AXX
AXX
AJTXXX

With these examples, a heart lead is the problem, and I don't want to be declarer.
So, Notrump is out of the Picture. Hence the only strain to play is clubs at whatever level we work out.

[OleBerg]

aguahombre, on Jul 24 2009, 06:55 AM, said:

mike777, on Jul 23 2009, 09:49 PM, said:

3nt, mp, casual partner

better be a casual partner with a sense of humor.

Try something like:

"Why did you pass my serious 3NT???...Oh, it was a splinter!"

[TimG]

nigel_k, on Jul 23 2009, 09:15 PM, said:

Dealer:   Vul: Nil Scoring: MP

♠ AQ9x ♥ QJxx ♦ KJxx ♣ Q

1♣-P-1♦-(1♠)
3♠-P-?

3♠ is a splinter. Casual partnership with no other relevant agreements though partner is a good player. What's your plan?

I think lots of people get hung up on having values opposite partner's splinter, even if they would cooperate without those values.

Give yourself xxxx QJxx KJxx Q and hear your partner open 1♣ and then raise your diamonds with a spade splinter and you might cooperate in a slam hunt, you'd certainly cooperate with Axxx QJxx KJxx Q. But, add that Q9 of spades and suddenly the hand has gotten worse for slam?

Edit: removed example hand -- anyone can create an example hand to support their position. Also, adding that I'd bid 4♠.

[mikeh]

I join josh in making the completely unambiguous strong slam try of 4♠.

My preferred methods do not include keycard over 4♠ (4♥ by me would have been keycard, and I considered it, perhaps not as fully as I should), but I appreciate that 'everyone' plays 4N by opener as keycard over 4♠, and certainly a good partner with whom I have no agreements will expect me to take it that way.

BTW, I would not be in this position..my auction would likely have been: 1♣ [P] 1♥ [1♠] 2♦ [p]

In which case, I think my ways forward are all going to be easier, altho that is coincidental.

[Hanoi5]

How did you know 3♠ was a splinter? I'm torn between 3NT and a 4-lvl bid. Anyway, what's partner's point range? What did LHO have for his overcall? I bid 3NT and hope partner continues if neccessary, though that may be wrong (partner my 'respect' my bid and Pass, he doesn't know how strong my hand really is...)

[TimG]

Hanoi5, on Jul 24 2009, 01:45 PM, said:

How did you know 3♠ was a splinter?

Because 2♠ was available for a general force.

[nigel_k]

To answer some of the questions:

We are playing Acol so 1C is always a 4 card suit and I could raise to 2C with four clubs and a bad hand. I would always have a 4 card diamond suit for this, but often only four.

I didn't know for absolutely certain that 3S was a splinter but I strongly suspected it and that's what partner actually had. You can assume he has four diamonds as well though I'd be interested to know if Aquahombres examples with three card support are common practice.

Sorry I didn't anticipate this information being relevant or I would have given it earlier.

Nigel.

[aguahombre]

acol throws me out the window.....I don't know enough about the inferences in acol from failure to make other bids and rebids....was talking about a 2/1 sort of situation, but would not have bid 1D to start with in my own system.

[the hog]

I like 4S here. Agree that 3NT is lol. I have a great hand and the Q of c is golden.

[skjaeran]

I've got a great hand for partner. 4♠ seems like the best bid now, at least if partner has the hand to ask for keycards.