[vincit]

Suppose you play 2♠ as a transfer to ♣
How do you continue ?
What do you consider being the best approach (splinter or suit) and why?

[Phil]

Shortness is standard but in the old Aces Scientific 3M meant the other major

[helene_t]

If you bid the singleton, opps can double to suggest a sac. Now it is true that they could have doubled 2♠ already, but sometimes they want to sac in 4♥ over 3NT, and sometimes they have a long spade suit not good enough for a lead-directing double.

OTOH bidding the 3-card suit may wrongside the contract.

So maybe the optimal agreement depends on vulnerability

[Dwingo]

I play Singleton if there is Super Acceptance ( bid of inbetween suit, in this case 2NT) and 2nd suit if there is normal acceptance ( 3C in this case )

[gwnn]

Helene - "the" 3 card suit??

Shortness helps partner much more and is more descriptive etc. One time in 1000 they double and find the sac but accurate game/slam bidding is more important.

[vincit]

Still the shortness can be shown by reversing the colours to avoid a double

3♥ = Shortness ♠
3♠ = Shortness ♥

Or even better you by shortness-transfer wchich gives you all necessary leeway

3♦ = Shortness in ♥
3♥ = Shortness in ♠
3♠ = Shortness in ♣

[rd6789]

If as responder I am 4M-5m (or poss 4M-6m) I just want to bid my shape out.

Why does it help to bid singletons?

[gwnn]

with 4M-5m or 4M-6m you start with Stayman. If partner doesn't have your major, you can bid 3m showing 4M+5m.

It helps because if you have an 11 count with a stiff and a good minor, you're pretty sure that if partner has nothing opposite your stiff, 5m will be much better than 3NT. With a little better hand, you'll know that slam may be on (but with KJTx opposite your stiff you'll want to be in 3NT).

[Ant590]

I like showing 4M5m and 4M6m via different sequences, so I prefer transfer to a minor and then a new suit as the 4-6, and Stayman then 3m as 4-5

[helene_t]

gwnn, on Aug 11 2009, 11:18 AM, said:

Helene - "the" 3 card suit??

Sorry, I must be smoking some bad weeds. I was thinking of the 1NT-3M fragments.

[Fluffy]

rd6789, on Aug 11 2009, 11:09 AM, said:

If as responder I am 4M-5m (or poss 4M-6m) I just want to bid my shape out.

Why does it help to bid singletons?

Singleton showing helps to evaluate the most.

When you have perfect fit: xxx opposite singleton you only have 30 HCP outside, and with 28 of them you are certain to have a good slam.

when you have KQ10x oppostie x, you are better playing 3NT than 5m.

Finding the duplication of K opposite singleton avoids bad slams, and at MPs it will get you to 3NT quickly and efficently.

If you just show that you have values in hearts (maybe AQx), partner won't know if having ♠Axx ♦KQx if the best contract is 3NT or 6 clubs, if you bid your shortness he will.

[JanM]

rd6789, on Aug 11 2009, 06:09 AM, said:

If as responder I am 4M-5m (or poss 4M-6m) I just want to bid my shape out.

Why does it help to bid singletons?

You can have both - 1NT-2♠-2NT/3♣:
3♦ = diamond splinter, might have a 4 card Major. Now opener can bid a 4-card Major to find the 4-4 fit, or bid 3NT with diamonds solidly stopped and no 4-card Major, or bid 4♣ to play in clubs.
3♥ = heart splinter, might have 4 spades. Opener can bid 4♠ with 4.
3♠ = spade splinter, 4 hearts
3NT = spade splinter < 4 hearts

Similarly after 1NT-2NT showing diamonds.

Obviously, you can't show diamonds with a club splinter here, so 1NT-3♦ is that (game forcing, 5+diamonds, club splinter, might have a 4-card Major). When I was first taught this method (back before the dawn of time), I was told that all you have to tell your partner is what 3♦ is and s/he can figure everything else out.

I happen to be a big fan of splinter-showing. It just seems to make hand evaluation a lot easier. But I know there are others who prefer to show length and they'll argue that showing length makes it easier to evaluate. Maybe it's what you get used to.