[Zelandakh]

kenberg, on 2014-February-11, 13:19, said:

Let's suppose you have this hand, except I'll replace the ♣ Q by the A, or the K, or leave it as the Q, or replace it with a J. Which of these various hands, if any, do you regard as a splinter?

For me all of these hands are possible for a basic splinter, although the one with the ace should really be upgraded out of range given the 2 aces and 5th trump. A good rule of thumb is ~13-15 points including distribution, that is ~10-12 for a singleton or ~8-10 with a void.

SteveMoe, on 2014-February-11, 14:29, said:

I think there is value in playing 2-range splinters. Here's a useful link:
10-12 and 13-15 seem very workable. I would play as you do, but it's always good to ask.

No need to go all the way to another site for this. I have posted often anough about having 3 ranges of splinters within responses by using 1♥ - 2♠ and 1♠ - 2NT to cover both mini-splinters (invites) and maxi-splinters (~16-19 including distribution (eg ~13-16 + singleton)). It does mean changing to 1♠ - 3♣ as the GF raise. The complete method:

1♥ opening
==
2♠ = mini-splinter or maxi-splinter
... - 2NT = relay
... - ... - 3m = mini-splinter
... - ... - 3♥ = mini-splinter in spades
... - ... - 3♠ = maxi-splinter with side void (3NT asks)
... - ... - 3NT = maxi-splinter with singleton spade
... - ... - 4m = maxi-splinter with singleton in m
2NT = GF raise
3♣ = limit raise (can expand the range a little and use 3♦ as a generic game try)
3♦ = mixed raise
3♥ = PRE
3♠ = splinter with side void (3NT asks)
3NT = splinter with singleton spade
4m = splinter with singleton in m
4♥ = PRE

--

1♠ opening
==
2NT = mini-splinter or maxi-splinter
... - 3♣ = relay
... - ... - 3♦♥ = mini-splinter
... - ... - 3♠ = mini-splinter in clubs
... - ... - 3NT = maxi-splinter with side void (4♣ asks)
... - ... - 4♣♦♥ = maxi-splinter with singleton
3♣ = GF raise
3♦ = limit raise (can expand the range a little and use 3♥ as a generic game try)
3♥ = mixed raise
3♠ = PRE
3NT = splinter with side void (4♣ asks)
4♣♦♥ = splinter with singleton
4♠ = PRE

Notice the recurring pattern for the splinters - that makes it easy on the memory. For example the OP hand is 1♥ - 3NT whereas swapping in the ♣A gets 1♥ - 2♠; 2NT - 3NT.

You can also reverse the limit and mixed raises if desired. If you do that then expand the range of the mixed raise and keep the limit raise tight. I do it this way so that there is as little space above the MR as possible and so that the ranges are still workable if they interfere - but I know at least one other BBF poster uses a very similar response structure with them reversed.

To answer your follow-up question explicitly, the above structure should make it obvious that I see the answer as "No". The 3 types of splinter correspond roughly to invite -> game force -> slam try and form a continuous range. Obviously if you open significantly lighter or more conservatively than average then you also need to adjust these ranges to compensate!

[aguahombre]

Zelandakh, on 2014-February-12, 04:26, said:

although the one with the ace should really be upgraded out of range given the 2 aces and 5th trump.

Yep, X XXXXX AKJX AXX would be just beyond for us; same array, but 1-4-4-4 would be in range.

[Vampyr]

FWIW I prefer splinters to either be a minster or contain 3 or 4 controls (A=2 K=1), and always less than a HCP game force.

I and a lot of people I know think of a hand as being too good to splinter rather than not good enough.

[mcphee]

I think a splinter gets the message across with this hand. The message is, I have a least 4 trumps, game values, slam may be possible if your values are outside of spades. I will not be unhappy if my partner signs off with 4 hearts. I will be a very happy camper if they continue with 4 clubs. I also would never have a have card trick taking side suit. Partnerships could also use 3NT from opener as either serious or non serious which ever they prefer.

[y66]

For me, 1H 3S is 4+ hearts, a small spade, 9-11 HCP and not a 5 card side suit that is a source of tricks. Stronger hands bid 2N or make a 2/1. I've played two-tier splinters a la Steve Robinson in Washington Standard. I like them and would be happy to play them or not depending on the partnership.

[phil_20686]

So I think its been more or less established that tightly bound splinters work best, and bung the rest of your GF hands into Jacoby type things. You can do a lot with the space after 1M-2N. but space is very limited after a splinter.

If you can splinter with a single jumjp (e.g. acol players sometimes play 1M-3m as a splinter) then they can have wider ranges since you have more room.

As to the precise range, I play about 9-12. If its too weak the extra space is too valuable for opponents. They get a free t/o double over a splinter, so its less effective than a preemptive raise in preempting, particularly heart splinters. 9-12, 10-12, 10-13, 11-13 are all fine.

[kenberg]

mcphee, on 2014-February-12, 07:17, said:

I think a splinter gets the message across with this hand. The message is, I have a least 4 trumps, game values, slam may be possible if your values are outside of spades. I will not be unhappy if my partner signs off with 4 hearts. I will be a very happy camper if they continue with 4 clubs. I also would never have a have card trick taking side suit. Partnerships could also use 3NT from opener as either serious or non serious which ever they prefer.

This last point, specifically for 1♥-3♠, occurred to me while doing some grocery shopping (a storm is on its way). Probably easiest: Over 3♠ the bid of 4♥ announces that my hand, not much to begin with, has gotten worse. Bidding 3NT over 3♠ announces that there is nothing extra, or maybe just no clearly better call, but at least the hand has not gone down in value as a result of the splinter. Something like that should allow more leeway in the strength of the splinter, although I agree that a somewhat narrow range is still the way to go.

Thank you all for your thoughts. I have been playing for a long time but for the last twenty years or so I have not been playing all that frequently and it is good to hear current thinking.,

[broze]

The hand is 100% a totally normal splinter for me. Indeed what else? I really can't stomach 2C at all.

Agree with lowerline that requirements for splinters should be different the more room you take up, but I would prefer the word "purer" rather than stronger. 1S-4H for example should be a much rarer bid than 1S-4C. If instead of 4H I can describe my hand more suitably with jacoby, a LR or a 2/1 I will do so. You might say this is "just bridge" though..

[Zelandakh]

kenberg, on 2014-February-12, 09:10, said:

Probably easiest:

I am not sure about your up/down in values approach. Easiest for me is:

3NT = slam try
4m = serious slam interest and cue (or asking bid if you play that)
4♥ = no slam interest

We had a topic along these line in a previous thread and Justin wrote that he likes to use the third step (3NT) to be able to show first round spade control. Even from this source I am not (yet) convinced but am keeping it in the back of my head to analyse at some stage. If you use my method and the splinter is 3NT instead of 3♠ then this "problem" is not there; instead you get to decide whether 4♠ is going to be RKCB or not, and if not whether it is first round spade control or a general slam try.

The more interesting case, in my view, is the middle splinter, 1♠ - 4♦ or 1♥ - 4♣. Most use the in-between bid as a form of Last Train, effectively a slam try but I am considering whether it is not better to use the next 2 steps (4♥+4NT after 1♠ or 4♦+4♠ after 1♥) as cue bids/asking bids instead, even when this means that, for example, RKCB for spades would be 5♣ (Gerber's revenge?).

If it turns out that there is a particular advantage for one approach over another here then it could potentially lead to a major benefit since it would be reusable in all splinter auctions, not just first round splinters. Therefore this subject is quite near the top of my "things to analyse" list. Get ready for the book, due out in a webstore near you around 2044.

[aguahombre]

Zelandakh, on 2014-February-12, 09:37, said:

I am not sure about your up/down in values approach. Easiest for me is:

3NT = slam try
4m = serious slam interest and cue (or asking bid if you play that)
4♥ = no slam interest

This approach is consistent with the view that the Splinter itself is not a slam try. When the Splinter range is minimum and narrow, Responder never feels "unsatisfied" when opener merely bids game and is not tempted to bid again.

We have one exception: Responder can set trumps via Splinter after which RKC is exclusion RKC. If responder merely wants to set trumps and take over with regular RKC, she uses the J2n or whatever method...even with a singleton somewhere.