Wednesday,
October 01, 2003 10:39 PM
Hand Evaluation – Tactics ( Splinter Theory )
PITBULLS:
In
Edmonton , we play “mini-splinters” which range from limit raise values to
unlimited. These are called “mini” because they can be game tries
& are not forcing to game like maxi splinters. It is usually unwise to splinter
with lower than limit raise values as you are just helping the
opponents lead & defend against your otherwise tight game.
Splinters should primarily be a slam try or a limit game try as you giving
information to the enemy . Void showing splinters are extinct
& have been replaced by exclusion Blackwood .
Over the majors , my partners &
I play 3♣ as a splinter in the minors
& 3♦ as a splinter in the other major . This
is so jumps in the other major can be a weak jump shift. We incorporate
limit raises into our 2NT structure. More about that
later.
I
have seen even good players have a “brain cramp” with regard to splinters. A splinter by opener should show
the HCP’s appropriate for the level of the auction. If you are
splintering to the 4 or 3 level as opener ,
you should have the HCP’s also to warrant that action to that
level. Sometimes responder has duplication of value so the
hand belongs at the two level or worse ! Why are you up in the stratosphere with a minimum
hand ?
You must take out some insurance with HCP’s in case partner does have
severe duplication of value. Responder can not judge the auction
correctly if you sometimes splinter with 13 HCP & the next time 19 HCP with
the same bid. Splinter anarchy rules the scene.
♠AKxx
♥Axx ♦AKxxx ♣x
1♦-P-1♠-P
4♣ is
a splinter to the 4 level
. What about ♠AQJx ♥xx ♦KJ10xxx ♣x , partner
responds a spade after your 1♦ opening ? This is
a jump to game not a splinter. Get the auction up high when slam
is remote & you have a huge fit with distribution. Quite often the
opponents will have game their way so enter the double game swing ! “Fast arrival” to game should never be strong
. Find another way to show a flat 19 with a 4 card fit with partner’s major.
Keep flat hands in the NT family is a good anti-Goren
bid. Goren was wrong to have jump
to games strong in the HCP sense. All
established partnerships need this understanding. If not , switch to a strong club system !!
Direct
splinters should not exist in competition except over takeout doubles. Natural
weak jump shifts are considered a much more useful bid by the Bridge World
panel of experts . Bridge is a game of suits not singletons. Getting your
suit into the fray is far more useful than telling the table you have a
singleton which you can describe by other means anyway. Splinters should
not exist after their overcalls or as a passed hand
. With enemy overcalls , you have the opponents
suit to Q bid to show a limit raise or better. You can always Q bid
your singleton control later. As
a passed hand , fit showing jumps are standard
among experts.
Some examples
P-2♠-P-3♥
You do not need to splinter to 3♥ , as any suit (3♥ ) after Q bidding first can show
the singleton & you are at the same level as a splinter. Have
this as a partnership understanding.
♠x ♥KQ10xx ♦Axxx ♣xxx
1♣-1♦-P-2♥
P-2NT-P-3♠
A
fit showing jump to partners diamond overcall , she
bids 2NT to ask for the stiff . You have described a good 5
card heart suit , 4 trump with limit raise or better
values and a singleton spade all
by the 3 level !! Some
partnerships play fit showing jumps after partners’ overcalls as well as
a passed hand.
O.K. Splinters exist
if you are left alone , so they replace the old strong
jump shift bid by responder. Splinters must have 4 or more trump for partner to
judge her hand properly . You are advertising ruffing power as the best feature of your hand with
your splinter. Do not splinter with a good long suit as a source of tricks .
♠xxxx ♥x
♦Kx ♣AKQJxx
This is a terrible hand to make a
splinter bid after partner opens 1♠. Bid 2♣ & jump in spades .
You can Q bid your heart control later if need be. Change the club suit to
♠Axxx ♥x
♦Kx ♣KJxxxx and
that tips the scale in favour of a splinter.
O.K. more into splinter theory. Duplication of value
is the information you are trying to smoke out with a splinter
. If you have a minimum with duplication of value ,
just return to your trump suit. If you have a good hand with duplication of value , leap directly to game. Partners splinter is
unlimited so “serious 3NT” principles apply. You Q bid with good minimums
with no duplication of value & take control with “serious 3NT” with
a maximum with no duplication of value .
Belated
splinters exist also . Belated splinters
at the 4 level is Exclusion Blackwood in that suit. There is no use to
splinter past 3NT . 3NT is
an alternative contract with extreme duplication of value in a suit. This
should be a hard and fast rule to prevent confusion between exclusion Blackwood
& a splinter.
Some
examples
1♠-P-2♣-P
4♦-P
3♦
is a splinter so 4♦ is exclusion KCB
Blackwood
1♦-P-1♥-P
2♦-P-4♠
3♠ is a splinter so 4♠ is exclusion KCB
Blackwood
With
minor fits be careful of bidding 3NT just to show the duplication of value . 3NT should also suggest a contract. Leap to game in
a minor ( fast arrival ) if you have duplication of value & 3NT is
not a suitable contract.
Example
♠x ♥Qx ♦KQJx ♣KQJxxx
1♥-P-2♣-P
3♦-P-?
You
have a choice of bids to show the terrible duplication of value 3NT or 5♣ . The stiff spade suggests that 5♣ would be a better way
to tell partner that you terrible wastage. If the spades & hearts were reversed , 3NT is a better way to show the duplication.
After
a major opener ,
jumping to the 4 level used to show void splinters. Since Edmonton splinters
are at the 3 level, a direct leap to 4 of a minor is exclusion
KCB. A direct leap in the other major is natural & to play.
Splintering after a takeout double is
an exception to the no splinter rule in competition .
The takeout doubler is advertising the other suits so
a “defensive splinter” is a good idea. This can set up a defense against
their game or allows partner to sacrifice if appropriate.
Direct
splinters in the minors do exist . If you jump one level higher than a weak jump shift , it is a splinter. 1♣-3♦/♥/♠ are all splinters with club support & game going values.