[Fluffy]

♠KJ92
♥AKQ1063
♦AQ
♣3

Nobody bul MPs, North dealer

pass-1♥
1♠-4♣
4♠

[jillybean]

If you dont move you must be dead, 4N

[Winstonm]

I don't think this can be answered without knowledge of the agreements for the sign-off bid and how weak responder can be. With a diamond lead through the AQ how safe is 5S against xxxx, xx, xxx, KQxx or xxxxx, x, xxx, AQxx?

It all gets down to agreements IMO.

Of course there is always judgment involoved, but if that judgment can be exercised within the confines of an agreement then you are more apt to get it right.

I've made this point many times before, but IMO one of the more important decisions to make is the definition of the splinter bid: I like to play it as an exclusion bid, meaning any HCP outside the short suit will be of value. This means that I do not splinter with a hand that has a singleton or void and enough strength to splinter but has 2 weak suits, the splinter suit and another, such as AKJx, AKQJx, x, xxx in this case.

For the record I would pass, but my agreements tell me partner is likely to have this hand type: xxxx, xx, xxx, KQxx or xxxxx, x, xxx, AQxx

[helene_t]

Pass.

[aguahombre]

helene_t, on Aug 16 2009, 11:10 AM, said:

Pass.

If 4C described my serious 4-6 in the majors (minors could be reversed and make same systemic rebid--with 4D rebid for the non-serious 4-6), I have done my job, and partner has decided. Same theme -- I made responder the Captain.

[Winstonm]

jillybean, on Aug 16 2009, 10:47 AM, said:

If you dont move you must be dead, 4N

JB, I think a better way to guage these hands is not based on how good a single hand may be but to keep in mind that the goal of bidding is to reach the maximum contract for the 26 cards in the combined hands.

[cherdanno]

Pass.

[jillybean]

Winstonm, on Aug 16 2009, 09:27 AM, said:

jillybean, on Aug 16 2009, 10:47 AM, said:

If you dont move you must be dead, 4N

JB, I think a better way to guage these hands is not based on how good a single hand may be but to keep in mind that the goal of bidding is to reach the maximum contract for the 26 cards in the combined hands.

Sometimes youve got to wrestle the cue out of your partner, it wouldnt surprise me at all if partner had ♦K for example. However, youre right and as a top Canadian player tells me, bidding should be a dialog not a monologue.

[jillybean]

aguahombre, on Aug 16 2009, 09:16 AM, said:

helene_t, on Aug 16 2009, 11:10 AM, said:

Pass.

If 4C described my serious 4-6 in the majors (minors could be reversed and make same systemic rebid--with 4D rebid for the non-serious 4-6), I have done my job, and partner has decided. Same theme -- I made responder the Captain.

Why 4-6, what do you bid with 4531?

[aguahombre]

jillybean, on Aug 16 2009, 12:38 PM, said:

aguahombre, on Aug 16 2009, 09:16 AM, said:

helene_t, on Aug 16 2009, 11:10 AM, said:

Pass.

If 4C described my serious 4-6 in the majors (minors could be reversed and make same systemic rebid--with 4D rebid for the non-serious 4-6), I have done my job, and partner has decided. Same theme -- I made responder the Captain.

Why 4-6, what do you bid with 4531?

have option of JS to 3-card suit and supporting spades at 4 level next

[Winstonm]

jillybean, on Aug 16 2009, 12:35 PM, said:

Winstonm, on Aug 16 2009, 09:27 AM, said:

jillybean, on Aug 16 2009, 10:47 AM, said:

If you dont move you must be dead, 4N

JB, I think a better way to guage these hands is not based on how good a single hand may be but to keep in mind that the goal of bidding is to reach the maximum contract for the 26 cards in the combined hands.

Sometimes youve got to wrestle the cue out of your partner, it wouldnt surprise me at all if partner had ♦K for example. However, youre right and as a top Canadian player tells me, bidding should be a dialog not a monologue.

IMHO it is very dependent on agreements. For example, can partner keep the bidding open at the one level with: Qxxxx, x, xx, Qxxxx?

What you say is accurate - but again it gets down to assigned understandings. If your agreement is that a splinter is an exclusion bid, then partner knows that Qxxxx, xx, Kxx, xxx is a rather powerful hand as both the spade Q and diamond K are elevated in value against known supporting honors; however, if you would splinter with AKJx, AKQxxx, xxx, x, then the diamond K is not elevated in value.

This exclusion agreement reduces the frequency of the splinter but increases the accuracy of the bidding after a splinter. As always, there is a trade-off.

Pick your poison.

[Fluffy]

I tried to do that once aquahombre, and partner keepd redtifying because he never though I had 4 spades, since hten I always raise wtih 4 cards (or bid 2NT raising later).

In this context 5431 is enterelly possible.

[aguahombre]

Whatever works for you. Some people think that huge, space-consuming jumps should be very narrowly defined. In this case when I bid spades at the 4-level I must have four anyway......would not be trying out 3-card support at that level on my own --would rather just pass 3NT by partner after my jump shift. If partner raises the js to 4D, then maybe 4S is still the best contract.

[Cascade]

I expect partner to cooperate with a working minimum opposite my splinters.

Here with only the ♠ AQ for example I would expect a jump to 5♠.

I would expect a cooperative 4♦ with even less - just a little bit wasted in a minimum.

[cherdanno]

aguahombre, on Aug 16 2009, 12:40 PM, said:

jillybean, on Aug 16 2009, 12:38 PM, said:

aguahombre, on Aug 16 2009, 09:16 AM, said:

helene_t, on Aug 16 2009, 11:10 AM, said:

Pass.

If 4C described my serious 4-6 in the majors (minors could be reversed and make same systemic rebid--with 4D rebid for the non-serious 4-6), I have done my job, and partner has decided. Same theme -- I made responder the Captain.

Why 4-6, what do you bid with 4531?

have option of JS to 3-card suit and supporting spades at 4 level next

In standard bidding, 4♣ is a splinter, showing short clubs and 4 spades. It does not show 6 hearts. Also, in standard bidding, the sequence 1H 1S 3D denies having 4 spades.

[cherdanno]

jillybean, on Aug 16 2009, 12:35 PM, said:

Winstonm, on Aug 16 2009, 09:27 AM, said:

jillybean, on Aug 16 2009, 10:47 AM, said:

If you dont move you must be dead, 4N

JB, I think a better way to guage these hands is not based on how good a single hand may be but to keep in mind that the goal of bidding is to reach the maximum contract for the 26 cards in the combined hands.

Sometimes youve got to wrestle the cue out of your partner, it wouldnt surprise me at all if partner had ♦K for example. However, youre right and as a top Canadian player tells me, bidding should be a dialog not a monologue.

It wouldn't surprise me if parnter had ♦K. But it is impossible that he has ♦K, an ace, and the trump queen!

[jillybean]

cherdanno, on Aug 16 2009, 11:20 AM, said:

jillybean, on Aug 16 2009, 12:35 PM, said:

Winstonm, on Aug 16 2009, 09:27 AM, said:

jillybean, on Aug 16 2009, 10:47 AM, said:

If you dont move you must be dead, 4N

JB, I think a better way to guage these hands is not based on how good a single hand may be but to keep in mind that the goal of bidding is to reach the maximum contract for the 26 cards in the combined hands.

Sometimes youve got to wrestle the cue out of your partner, it wouldnt surprise me at all if partner had ♦K for example. However, youre right and as a top Canadian player tells me, bidding should be a dialog not a monologue.

It wouldn't surprise me if parnter had ♦K. But it is impossible that he has ♦K, an ace, and the trump queen!

Impossible?

[aguahombre]

Yes, impossible...if you stay focused on partner's 4S rebid.

[Phil]

I pass. There's a lot of trust involved here with partner needing to make some kind of move with any two big cards: ♠A/Q, ♦K, ♣A.

I could have many worse hands for a splinter of course, say: KJxx, AKxxx, AQx, x. With this strength, I'll make a splinter and not cooperate with slam tries.

[Cascade]

Not impossible but partner has made a serious error signing off with those cards.