Which singleton is important?
Stephen Fischer
Dealer - West
As South, you pick up
AQ75
K543
T
KQ97
The bidding starts (P) - 1H - (P).
Let's say you decide to bid a Jacoby 2NT (because neither table where
this came up was using splinters), and partner bids 3S to show a singleton.
1) Has your hand improved or not?
2) What now?
3) Do you change your choice if partner's hand is limited to 15 HCP
(Precision)?
4) Do you think you're better or worse off than if you had a diamond
splinter available?
Finally, how do you play the hand in 5H on the H6 lead?
AQ75
K543
T
KQ97
6
AQT92
KQ53
862
(Clearly a diamond splinter would have worked better here.)
mghmaine
"Stephen Fischer" <stephen...@aviarydotnet.au> wrote in message
news:12k16n9...@corp.supernews.com...
The responding hand is too strong to splinter for some, including me.
These hands are better treated with Jacoby, and it is random that a splinter
might have worked better here.
After 3S showing a singleton there, I am still hopeful of a slam. 3NT
ought not to be to play. If Serious 3NT, a non-serious 4C cue might warn
off the minimum opener who also lacks first round D control. If Non-Serious
3NT, same result. If just a waiting 3NT, same result. You ought not to get
past 4H even if trying for slam at the 4-level.
The Martel modifications to Jacoby 2NT are recommended to you. These
require a 3C response with normal minimums. Opener can still find out if
interested with a 3D relay, and the singleton is shown low, middle, high.
If opener is not minimum, an immediate 3D denies a singleton and the
following bids show singleton low, middle, high. Note the memory aid of
singleton-showing bids being always 3H/3S/3NT but note the singletons are
always shown low, middle, high, not "naturally." Finally, the Jacoby
responses of a jump to 4C/4D/4H (after a 1S opener) show 5-card suits to
2-of-top-3, even if minimum.
Michael Hopkins
PriorKnowledge
I play 2-tier splinters (a 10-12 anonymous splinter and a 13-15 direct
splinter). So I would have bid 4D showing this hand. Opener with a
minimum and a wasted D-KQ would sign-off in 4H.
With regular splinters, 14-hcp is perfect for a splinter and not too
strong.
Without splinters, after the 3S rebid by opener showing a singleton
spade, my hand has become worse. The SQ is wasted and the S-ace is not
looking a good as before either. Since we are not playing any
splinters, I assume that there are no defined Jacoby 2N follow-ups. So
I will just sign-off in 4H. If opener has some extra strength, then
opener can carry on, but I've said my peice.
Adam Beneschan
> Matchpoints, NV vs. Vul
> Dealer - West
>
> As South, you pick up
>
> AQ75
> K543
> T
> KQ97
>
> The bidding starts (P) - 1H - (P).
>
> Let's say you decide to bid a Jacoby 2NT (because neither table where
> this came up was using splinters), and partner bids 3S to show a singleton.
>
> 1) Has your hand improved or not?
This question isn't really meaningful to me. It does make my hand look
better than a 3C response would have.
> 2) What now?
RKCB, since the cards I now care most about are the aces and the trump
queen. No other card in partner's hand is all that important, except
maybe the club jack, and I don't know a way to find out about it
(except to start with 2C).
> 3) Do you change your choice if partner's hand is limited to 15 HCP
> (Precision)?
No.
> 4) Do you think you're better or worse off than if you had a diamond
> splinter available?
Hard to say. After a diamond splinter, partner would be in the
driver's seat, I think, since 4D takes up all the room. In this
situation, though, I can be in the driver's seat by using Blackwood,
and it's easier for me to find out about the A of clubs than for
partner to find out about the KQ of clubs. So I guess I'm a little
better off. Unless, of course, partner has the KQ of diamonds :)
> Finally, how do you play the hand in 5H on the H6 lead?
>
> AQ75
> K543
> T
> KQ97
>
>
> 6
> AQT92
> KQ53
> 862
There are just too many possible combinations to think of. After
studying this for a few minutes, I think I'd win in hand and lead a
club to the king immediately. This seems a little better than winning
in dummy and leading a diamond immediately---the latter may seem to
gain if RHO has the ace, but it doesn't seem likely I'd be able to ruff
three diamonds in dummy if RHO ducks (as he probably should), so the
gain is illusory. I'd really have to spend a lot more time studying
this to figure out the best line, though.
-- Adam
Stephen Fischer
My partner's still quite inexperienced, so we're not likely to tinker
with our bidding system. Adding splinters isn't going to happen for a
few months, so modifications to Jacoby or Serious 3NT will have to wait.
The system is at a point where we can play against good opposition and
feel like we know what's going on most of the time, and where she can
concentrate on the play.
What we probably will do is have the agreement that 3NT is never to play
here, so it can be used as a waiting bid. That alone would have saved us.
Kieran Dyke
The Martel thing sounds a lot like what I play, but we also play that a new
suit over 3C/3D (other than the 3D ask) shows responder's singleton in a
hand which was too good for an initial splinter. So we would bid these
hands:
1H:2NT,3C(min):4D(shortness),4H
and responder would be quite sure that they have done enough.
It's possible to tinker with the bids, so that 3H/S/NT are the bids for
showing responder's singleton as well.
Tiggrr
SCya...@gmail.com
1. my hand has not improved, however I don't need much to make slam.
2. I have several bids available...
a. bid 4H - which shows my initial J2NT bid was a minimum
b. cue bid
c. launch into blackwood
d. bid 3nt, a mild slam try - usually with nothing to cuebid
.... I think 3NT is best. With the above hand opener will sign off in
game missing 4 keys.
3. Playing precision, I have different methods... but generally do not
try push for slam with this kind of hand.
4. I think this hand is too strong for a splinter bid.
On the play of the hand I duck the lead to my hand. Pull one more
trump with the Kh revealing the 3-1 break. And lead the diamond
towards my hand at trick 3.
Rich Regan
Bob Lipton
> Stephen Fischer wrote:
>
>>Matchpoints, NV vs. Vul
>>Dealer - West
>>
>>As South, you pick up
>>
>>AQ75
>>K543
>>T
>>KQ97
>>
>>The bidding starts (P) - 1H - (P).
>>
>>Let's say you decide to bid a Jacoby 2NT (because neither table where
>>this came up was using splinters), and partner bids 3S to show a singleton.
Let me get this unlikely system straight: the opener can splinter
after partner has showna forcing raise, but responder can't splinter?
This strikes me as an odd sort of strait jacket to force the team into
>>
>>1) Has your hand improved or not?
Yes it has. While the SQ isn't worth what it was before, the rest of the
hand has improved greatly. All partner needs is x AQxxx Axxx Axx (and
you may reverse the minors) to make a grand slam a likely proposition --
just right for some variety of RKCB. Note that even if you didn't have
the SQ and didn't have the stiff -- say, if your hand were Axxx Kxxx tx
KQx, this hand would be worth a forcing raise. SO you have extras. It
is a pity your procrustean system didn't permit you to tell partner
earlier. Slam tries aren't for the purpose of finding the slams --
they're for keeping out of them.
This is the real use of splinters: it allows you to evaluate your hand
for slam
>>2) What now?
Well, it depends on whatever system you're playing. If your choices are
first round controls and some variety of Blackwood,m then you need to
bid either 4S or4NT.... I prefer 4NT as it gives away less information
to opponents.
Of course, even better would be to play that any call except 4H is
forward going. This allows you to bid 3NT
>>3) Do you change your choice if partner's hand is limited to 15 HCP
>>(Precision)?
No, because as I pointed out above, there is a 14-point hand for partner
that let's you bid the grand slam. Remove the DA and you want to be in
the small slam -- and that's only 10 HCP.
>>4) Do you think you're better or worse off than if you had a diamond
>>splinter available?
>>
>>Finally, how do you play the hand in 5H on the H6 lead?
>>
>>AQ75
>>K543
>>T
>>KQ97
>>
>>
>>6
>>AQT92
>>KQ53
>>862
>>
>>(Clearly a diamond splinter would have worked better here.)
Yes it would. While I would call this an opening hand, it is one only
because of the spade singleton -- you need to get the heart suit in play
before the opponents are at the three level. As such, I don't really
consider the spade singleton an extra value. It is highly ambigiuous
despite such parrot prattle as two and half quick tricks and rule of 20.
As we can all see, a sequence such as 1S-4D would 1L get all the
information off responder's chest immediately and 2: allow opener to
evaluate the problems of the fact that a lot of his opening values are
duplicated in dummy.
I assume righty follows to the first heart.
Well, we need trumps to break 2-2 or at least on the missing aces
usefully offside, or the spade hook on. So let's start by testing the
aces: run this to your hand and lead a club to the king, intending to
lead a diamond back to hand. If both aces are onside and trumps break
3-1, you have five hearts, a diamond ruff, two high cards in each minor
and the SA. If they both fail or nothing happens on the first of each
minor, I can abandon the minors and take the spade hook in safety,
taking five hearts, one card in each minor. Otherwise it gets too
complicat4ed to figure at this point.
Bob
Lorne
news:12k16n9...@corp.supernews.com...
> Dealer - West
>
> As South, you pick up
>
> AQ75
> K543
> T
> KQ97
>
> The bidding starts (P) - 1H - (P).
>
> Let's say you decide to bid a Jacoby 2NT (because neither table where this
> came up was using splinters), and partner bids 3S to show a singleton.
>
> 1) Has your hand improved or not?
No, it got worse but it is still pretty good.
> 2) What now?
I would bid 3N - this should be a slam try since you never want to play in
3N when you start with a major suit raise and partner shows a singleton in a
side suit. If partner cues in C i cue D, otherwise I sign off in 4H.
> 3) Do you change your choice if partner's hand is limited to 15 HCP
> (Precision)?
No - I need reasonably good trumps plus the club ace and that is possible in
a 12 count.
> 4) Do you think you're better or worse off than if you had a diamond
> splinter available?
Not really a valid question. Either you agree splinters can be this good
and you bid 4D or you agree they can't and accept that occassionally you
wish they were.
Adam Beneschan
> "Stephen Fischer" <stephen...@aviarydotnet.au> wrote in message
> news:12k16n9...@corp.supernews.com...
> > Matchpoints, NV vs. Vul
> > Dealer - West
> >
> > As South, you pick up
> >
> > AQ75
> > K543
> > T
> > KQ97
> >
> > The bidding starts (P) - 1H - (P).
> > 2) What now?
>
> I would bid 3N - this should be a slam try since you never want to play in
> 3N when you start with a major suit raise and partner shows a singleton in a
> side suit. If partner cues in C i cue D, otherwise I sign off in 4H.
You wouldn't want to be in slam opposite x AQJxx Axxx Jxx? Either your
partner is a terrible declarer, or you're an unlucky bridge player.
Sure, I gave partner a nice card---the CJ. But my feeling is that I'm
willing to go to slam opposite any two aces and the trump queen. It
might not always work but I think the odds are good. There are too
many good things that can happen (including a favorable layout of the
opponents' cards, or a helpful opening lead).
-- Adam
Stephen Fischer
Thanks for the replies. As I mentioned, about the only thing we're
going to add now is the 3NT as a waiting bid showing interest in slam
but nothing else useful to do. Now partner can bid 4H and I'm sure
we're off two aces. This will get revisited later.
As for the play hand, it gets complex and I'm not sure whether 5H should
be made:
AQ75
K543
T
KQ97
K82 JT943
6 J87
A9742 J86
JT54 A3
6
AQT92
KQ53
862
It seemed at the time right to win the HK and lead a small diamond, to
ensure a couple diamond ruffs in dummy. Of course, you're on a nasty
guess once a spade is returned.