[paulg]

Scoring: IMP

(1♦) 1♠ (Pass) 4♥
(Pass) ?

4♥ is a splinter

---

Your call?

[Free]

4♠, not even close imo. I'm minimum and I also have short ♥. Make it KJxxx-xxxx-x-Axx and I might have a choice.

[WellSpyder]

4♠, would you believe?

The hand is not exactly improved by ♥ shortage opposite, and neither is it that much stronger than a minimum to suggest a serious risk of missing something opposite a hand on which partner cannot find another bid.

Neither opponent has managed to double to show ♥s yet, so I don't think I should worry about that now. Or am I suppose to assume that partner must really have hearts after all, and field his misbid by passing?

[Codo]

1. Of course, I would doubt that partner has a splinter. To put it midly.
If declarer has not enough length/Strength to double 4 heart and rho not enough length/strength to bid over our 1 Spade, how exactly would you construct the hands without assuming that the opps are absolutely clueless?

So, I would pass and belive that my partner thinks that 3♥ is a splinter and jumps into game are to play. Not a unusual approach either. And sometimes players have blackouts even in more common situations.
If this results in a 1-1 fit- Oh well, I am not down yet.

2. If this is a law case, I have no idea which bid is supported by any UI I may received.

[gwnn]

4S.

note to self: don't make splinters when playing with Codo

[shyams]

If we assume all players at the table are good, then I would never pass 4♥.

A pass assumes partner forgot that 4♥ is a splinter plus my LHO passed with 7 or more heart cards. It is quite possible that partner has a monster hand with (say) a singleton ♥A.

Whether I'd find a bid other than 4♠ is much harder. I have one very useful card in hand (♣A) and no wastage in hearts. And if partner does have a monster, he'd be most worried about duplication of values in hearts.

I'm sorely tempted to bid 5♣, but in real life I'd probably be chicken and simply bid 4♠.

[Free]

shyams, on Apr 1 2010, 12:17 PM, said:

A pass assumes partner forgot that 4♥ is a splinter plus my LHO passed with 7 or more heart cards.

That's not correct. Either LHO passed with 7 ♥s OR partner has ♥ and forgot the agreement.

[Fluffy]

I Think pass is obvious unless we have a very clear agreement.

I often find myself in this kind of situations, we have clearly stated that 4♥ is splinter, yet my cards suggest clearly that partner forgot. I don't know what is ethically correct. I always assume partner bid accordingly with system and bid 4♠.

This is always a disaster, at least passing you get a chance of something, bidding 4♠ is a sure disaster.

[jillybean]

Codo, on Apr 1 2010, 03:44 AM, said:

1. Of course, I would doubt that partner has a splinter. To put it midly.
If declarer has not enough length/Strength to double 4 heart and rho not enough length/strength to bid over our 1 Spade, how exactly would you construct the hands without assuming that the opps are absolutely clueless?

So, I would pass and belive that my partner thinks that 3♥ is a splinter and jumps into game are to play.  Not a unusual approach either. And sometimes players have blackouts even in more common situations.
If this results in a 1-1 fit- Oh well, I am not down yet.

2. If this is a law case, I have no idea which bid is supported by any UI I may received.

I dont believe you have any UI, unless partner groaned and turned green after putting the 4♥ card on the table.

Anyway, obvious 4♠ , I need to bid my hand rather than accomodate for a possible misbid from partner.

[Jlall]

They are r/w, easily possible that my LHO has 7 hearts and a weak hand and passed 1S. That would give RHO 4 hearts, definitely possible he chose not to X for whatever reasons. 4S.

[pooltuna]

cardsharp, on Apr 1 2010, 04:30 AM, said:

Scoring: IMP

(1♦) 1♠ (Pass) 4♥
(Pass) ?

4♥ is a splinter

---

Your call?

4♠ wtp? the double splinter is a duplication of values and you have very little in the non ♥ suits certainly not enough to even entertain thoughts of slam.

[jjbrr]

Bare minimum, potentially mirrored, xxx in ♦. Doesn't seem too hard.

[paulg]

As some have surmised, when you correctly alerted the 4♥ bid there were signs of consternation opposite.

The player holding this hand passed, thinking it was what the vast majority of players would do. Based on the comments to date, consistent with my view, clearly he was wrong if he is one of the better players. I was not at the event and do not know how good he was, but could have been anywhere between an international to an inexperienced club player. If the latter, then it is often difficult to judge what your peers would do.

[ArtK78]

So far, every time I have seen this happen at the table the 4♥ bid WAS a splinter.

I bid 4♠. At the very least I will win the post-mortem.

[Dirk Kuijt]

As ArtK78 said, and one of my earliest good partners said, "Play for the post-mortem." If I bid 4S, and partner has 7 hearts, I win the post-mortem. If I pass, and partner has the singleton, I lose the post-mortem. If I pass, and partner has 7 hearts, I lose the committee vote. So, it's not close.

[Phil]

Jlall, on Apr 1 2010, 08:50 AM, said:

They are r/w, easily possible that my LHO has 7 hearts and a weak hand and passed 1S. That would give RHO 4 hearts, definitely possible he chose not to X for whatever reasons. 4S.

If you held a void heart, would you feel differently?

Partner's reaction is clear UI, so 4♠ is clear.

Usually bad players now bid 5♥ in this situation. This situation reminds me a little of: Case 20 - Las Vegas.

[peachy]

4S. Unless he has a history of not understanding or forgetting splinters; even if he does have that history, I think I have to bid 4S.

[Jlall]

Phil, on Apr 1 2010, 01:22 PM, said:

Jlall, on Apr 1 2010, 08:50 AM, said:

They are r/w, easily possible that my LHO has 7 hearts and a weak hand and passed 1S. That would give RHO 4 hearts, definitely possible he chose not to X for whatever reasons. 4S.

If you held a void heart, would you feel differently?

Partner's reaction is clear UI, so 4♠ is clear.

Usually bad players now bid 5♥ in this situation. This situation reminds me a little of: Case 20 - Las Vegas.

With a heart void I'd strongly consider a pass, I find them passing with 8 hearts to be much less likely than with 7.