Wednesday, October 05, 2005 10:01 AM

Hand Evaluation – HCPS ( Reverse Splinters )

PITBULLS:

Normally when you bid or respond a suit you are showing where you live. Is there any way in particular hands that you show just the opposite ? In other words , you tell partner you have nothing in your suit expect maybe a jack . This way you are telling partner that all your values are elsewhere so act accordingly. One idea that comes to mind to show this HCP concept is a splinter ( jump) in your own suit or a rebid of your suit when the auction dictates that it is nonsensical.

You open 1♥ on ♠AQxx ♥J109xx ♦Ax ♣Kx , partner responds a spade . You bid 2♠ , partner bids 2NT Kokish or 3♦ Kokish. A splinter in your own suit describes your hand the best . You leap to 4♥ saying you accept the game try in spades but you have nothing in hearts. This bid is just another step in the Kokish responses.

Quite often partner will “pattern out” showing a stiff in your bid suit. What if your suit is very weak , so partner has hit a home run ? ♠Kx ♥J10xx ♦Ax ♣Q109xx partner opens 1♦ , you respond 1♥ . Partner rebids 1♠ so you bid 1NT. Partner now bids 2♣ showing extra therefore a stiff or void in hearts. A 2♥ or 3♥ bid is nonsensical in this auction. Define it as a splinter in your own suit saying there is no wastage & I have a maximum with a good fit in your last suit !

♠KJ ♥xxxxx ♦Ax ♣J10xx Partner opens 1♠ , you bid 1NT forcing. Partner bids 2♣ & you decide to give preference to 2♠. Partner bids 3♣ so your hand has grown into a monster. This is a splinter to 4♥ saying you love your hand in support of clubs with nothing in hearts. A reverse splinter but the same idea ( lack of duplication of value).

1♦-P-1♠-2♣ ♠Ax ♥AQxx ♦xxxxx ♣Ax 4♦ shows I have a rock heart raise but nothing in diamonds , the suit I opened.

P-P-2♥-P

4♦

2 way NMF auctions where it is impossible to have a splinter as NT has been rebid.

1♣-P-1♠-P

1NT-P-2♦-P

3♥-P-?

♠AKx ♥xxxx ♦Kx ♣KJ109 shows a spade raise with all values outside the heart suit. ♠QJ10xx ♥x ♦AJxx ♣AQx and a hard to bid slam in spades is reached.

Sometimes in competitive auctions you bid NT with not too much in their suit. Partner is fearful of slam due to duplication of value. Enter the reverse splinter in their suit to tell partner differently.

1♥-1♠-1NT-P

2♦-P-3♠-P

♠J10xx ♥Kx ♦Kxxxx ♣Kx slam opposite ♠x ♥Axxxx ♦AJxxx ♣Ax

These “splinters” are usually in your own suit or if you have bid NT , a jump cannot mean a splinter. These bids help the opening lead so they should be used only as courtesy slam tries. Comments ?