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Unusual vs. Unusual

When the opponents make a Michaels Cuebid or an Unusual 2NT bid, we need good methods to show both invitational and competitive hands.

 

First, we need to define a double. Double shows values and some interest in collecting a penalty defending against at least one of the possible suits. This creates a FORCING PASS situation: we cannot defend undoubled at the 3-level or lower.

 

 

Partner RHO You LHO
       
1♥ 2NT ?

 

♠ KQ2 ♥ J7 ♦ AJ65 ♣ KJ87

It’s our hand and we have great defense against either minor. Double and go for a big penalty.

 

 

Partner RHO You LHO
       
1♥ 2♥ ?

 

♠ A652 ♥ Q74 ♦ 3 ♣ KQT72

It’s not likely that RHO’s minor is clubs, but you never know. You can double, intending to double if they bid clubs or spades but bid 4♥ if they bid diamonds.

 

 

After a Michaels Cuebid or an Unusual 2NT bid, sometimes we know both of their suits, such as 1m (2m) or 1M (2NT), and sometimes we know only one of their suits, like after 1M (2M). We will deal with these separately.

 

When Only One Suit Is Known

This situation is fairly simple: basically treat it like they have overcalled in the suit we know about. With a good hand with a fit for partner, cuebid their known suit. Any other bid is natural and forcing for one round.

 

Partner RHO You LHO
       
1♠ 2♠ ?

 

♠ KJ3 ♥ 985 ♦ KQ652 ♣ K8

Cuebid 2♥

 

♠ K4 ♥ 74 ♦ K83 ♣ KQJ732

Bid 3♣, natural and F1R

 

 

When Both Suits Are Known

We now have two cuebids available. We will call the two suits overcaller has shown “their” suits and the two other suits “our” suits. Cuebidding their lower-ranking suit shows a good hand with our lower-ranking suit (either a limit raise or better if that is partner’s suit, or a game-forcing hand with the fourth suit); cuebidding their higher-ranking suit shows a good hand with our higher-ranking suit. Bidding one of our suits naturally shows a competitive (i.e., non-forcing) hand. There is one exception: When partner has opened 1♥ and we have spades, it is important that we not bid 3♠ (getting us past 3♥) without a GF hand. So in this one case the meanings are reversed: 3♠ is forcing and 3♦ is a constructive hand with spades.

 

Examples:

 

Partner RHO You LHO
       
1♠ 2NT ?

 

♠ KQ63 ♥ Q873 ♦ 843 ♣ 52

Bid 3♠, competitive

 

♠ AJ8 ♥ AQ42 ♦ 85 ♣ QJ63

Bid 3♦, a limit raise or better in spades (cuebidding their higher suit to show our higher suit, spades)

 

♠ Q4 ♥ AQJT65 ♦ 632 ♣ 83

Bid 3♥, constructive but not forcing

 

♠ K2 ♥ AKJ743 ♦ 2 ♣ K653

Bid 3♣, showing a GF hand with hearts (cuebidding their lower suit to show our lower suit)

 

 

Partner RHO You LHO
       
1♥ 2NT ?

 

♠ AQJ65 ♥ Q3 ♦ AT65 ♣ J7

Bid 3♠, GF

 

♠ QJ9863 ♥ 54 ♦ AJ2 ♣ Q3

Bid 3♦, Constructive in spades.

 

♠ QJ84 ♥ Q65 ♦ 54 ♣ AQ32

Bid 3♣, Limit+ in hearts.

 

Be advised: Not everyone plays this convention the same way. Some always use the lower cuebid to show support for partner; some use the higher cuebid to show support. Make sure you discuss this with partner!

 

 

 

Two-Way NMF and XYZ

Two-Way New Minor Forcing (TWNMF) (also known as two-way checkback) is a variation on New Minor Forcing (NMF) that uses both 2♣ and 2♦ as artificial bids, which allows responder to differentiate her GF and invitational hands. Generally, 2♦ is used for GF hands, and 2♣ for invitational hands. There are several variations of TWNMF, so be sure to discuss with your partner in detail. The system suggested here is a relatively simple and fairly standard version that uses 2♣ as a relay to 2♦.

 

Responder’s 2♦ is an artificial and GF checkback bid. Opener responds basically like she would to NMF: first show three cards in responder’s major, then four cards in the other major, and NT with neither. Since we are in a GF, there is no need to jump to show a maximum. Also, opener can bid beyond 2NT with an appropriate hand – e.g., a 5-card minor or 5-4 in the minors. The auction continues naturally from this point.

 

Example:
Opener Responder  
     
1♦ 1♥

 
1NT 2♦

 

 Artificial and GF
?

 

 

2♥:       Three hearts

2♠:       Four spades (and only two hearts)

2NT:    Denies three hearts and four spades

3♣:      5-4 in minors (2=2=5=4)

3♦:       Good 5-card diamond suit (5332)

 

 

Responder’s 2♣ is a relay to 2♦. Opener MUST bid 2♦, because although responder will usually have an invitational hand, she could have a sign-off in diamonds (that is planning on passing the forced 2♦ bid). After the 2♦ puppet bid, responder makes a natural invitational bid (unless she passes 2♦). Jumps typically show extra length. A jump to 3NT shows a GF 5332 and lets opener choose to pass or correct to 4M. (This is the one exception to the rule that 2♣ is either weak with diamonds or invitational. It makes sense to give this sequence some meaning, but clearly it’s forcing to game. I think of it as “invitational to 4 of my major.”)

 

Example:
Opener Responder  
     
1♣ 1♠

 
1NT 2♣

 

 Relay to 2♦
2♦ ? Forced

 

 

2♠:       Invitational with 5-card (or bad 6-card) suit

2♥:       Invitational with 5-4 in majors

2NT:    Balanced and invitational (Only 4 spades) [A direct 2NT shows something different — we’ll get to that soon.]

3m:      Natural and invitational (Only 4 spades)

3♠:       Invitational with decent 6-card suit

3♥:       At least 5-5 in majors, invitational

3NT:    5332 pick a game

 

 

 

Using this structure has some effects on the meanings of responder’s other rebids.

  • 1m-1♠; 1NT-2♥ is pass or correct.
  • 1m-1♥; 1NT-2♠ is invitational with 4-4 in the majors. (With 4=5 invitational you would bid 2♣ and then 2♠.)
  • After 1m-1M; 1NT, jumps to the 3-level in responder’s suit are slam tries (good 6-card suit, setting trumps, asking opener to control-bid). With an invitational hand, responder would start with 2♣, e.g., 1♣-1♥; 1NT-3♥
  • After 1m-1M; 1NT, jumps in new suits show 5-5 shape and are GF with some slam interest. For example, 1♣-1♠; 1NT-3♦ shows 5-5 in spades and diamonds. Opener will bid 3♠ with three spades; otherwise, he will control-bid in support of diamonds.
  • After 1m-1M; 1NT, 2NT is a relay to 3♣. It is usually a sign-off in clubs. (This is how you play a club partscore if you have, say, 4=6 shape. If you want to play a diamond partscore, you bid 2♣ and pass the 2♦ relay.) You can use bids after 3♣ to show some specific GF shapes. Very few people discuss this, and there is no “Standard” structure, so don’t pull this out on a new partner undiscussed! If you want to play this with a regular partner, here is a possible structure. (I have never once made one of these bids, so I would recommend not worrying about them!)

 

3♦:       Five cards in my (i.e., responder’s) suit, four cards in your (i.e., opener’s suit), shortness in the lowerer-ranking suit

3♥:       Five in my suit, four in yours, shortness in the higher-ranking suit

3♠:       Four in my suit, five in yours, shortness in the lower-ranking suit

3NT:    Four in my suit, five in yours, shortness in the higher-ranking suit

 

XYZ

XYZ uses basically the same structure in auctions where when we have named three suits at the 1-level. (The sequence is often written 1X-1Y-1Z, hence the convention’s name.) There are four such auctions: 1♣-1♦; 1♥, 1♣-1♦; 1♠, 1♣-1♥; 1♠, 1♦-1♥; 1♠. In these auctions, 2♣ and 2♦ have the same meanings as in the 1m-1M; 1NT TWNMF auctions: 2♦ is artificial and GF, 2♣ is a relay to 2♦, usually invitational. There is no Fourth Suit Forcing; XYZ does the job instead. Because opener is not as limited after rebidding a second suit as she is as after a 1NT rebid (in either shape or strength), she does not HAVE to accept the 2♣ relay to 2♦. If opener cannot stand to see 2♦ passed (usually because she has too much strength, occasionally because she has too much shape outside of diamonds) she can refuse the relay and bid naturally.

 

The other bids and sequences that apply in TWNMF auctions also apply here: a jump-rebid is slammish and sets trumps (it requires a better suit now, since opener has not promised 2-card support), jump-shifts are GF 5-5s, 2NT is a relay to 3♣. Basically we are keeping exactly the same TWNMF structure in XYZ auctions, with the exception that opener can refuse the relay to 2♦ because she isn’t narrowly limited.

 

 

Jacoby Transfers

After partner opens 1NT or 2NT, we use Jacoby Transfers to show a major suit of 5 or more cards. This is done by bidding the suit directly below the suit we have: we bid diamonds to show hearts and hearts to show spades.

 

A transfer is the beginning of a sequence, and you need to have the entire sequence planned out before you start bidding. When you transfer, opener will always accept the transfer – if you bid 2♥ he is going to bid 2♠. So there is no new information there – opener bids 2♠ regardless of his hand, so you don’t know if he has a fit, if he has a maximum, or anything else. (See below about super-accepts.)

The great thing about transfers is that they can be used with hands of any strength. Since they all but force opener to bid your suit, you can transfer on hands that want to play in two of your major, hands that want to force to game, and hands that are interested in slam. They all start with the same transfer bid. It’s what comes next – the completion of the sequence – that really defines responder’s hand.

 

As responder to 1NT you will break your hand into one of three categories:

  • Weak (0-7 points): The partnership’s combined points are not enough for game.
  • Invitational (8-9 points): Your combined points may be enough for game, based on whether partner is at the upper end of the 1NT range and whether you have a fit.
  • Game Forcing (10+ points): You have the values for game.

 

Weak hands are easy to bid: you transfer to your 5-card major and then pass when partner bids your suit. The weaker your hand, the more you want to play in a suit contract rather than 1NT. So the general rule is that when you have less than an invitational hand and a 5-card major, you transfer to your suit and pass.

 

With an invitational hand, you will follow your transfer with an invitational bid. There are only two invitational bids. With a 5-card suit, you will bid 2NT. With a 6-card suit, since you know the partnership has a fit (opener has at least a doubleton), you will bid 3 of your major.

 

With a game-forcing hand, you will usually bid 3NT. This offers opener a choice of games: he will pass without a fit for your suit and bid 4 of your suit with a fit. When you have an unbalanced hand – at least 5-4, usually 5-5 – you can bid your second suit at the 3-level. This is natural and game forcing.

When you have slam interest, you will often need to find out if opener has a fit. This is especially true if you want to ask for keycards. Transferring to your suit and then jumping to 4NT is quantitative – it is not RKB. To ask for keycards you must determine a fit first. (If you have a 6-card suit and know there is a fit, you should use a Texas Transfer.) With an unbalanced hand, you can transfer and then bid your second suit. You will find out immediately if opener has a fit for your major.

 

Pick a Slam

With a quantitative hand with a 5-card major you transfer and bid 4NT. But what about a hand that is strong enough to force to slam, but doesn’t know about strain yet? The answer is to transfer and then bid 5NT. This is “pick a slam.” With 3-card support opener will choose responder’s major, with a 5-card suit of his own he can suggest playing there (responder can always chose 6NT instead), and with other hands opener will choose 6NT.

 

 

As Opener

When partner transfers, you have no option but to accept. The only other bid you can make is a super-accept: you can jump to the 3-level in partner’s major with a maximum (17 HCP) and 4-card support. This is very rare. The vast majority of the time you will just accept the transfer and see what partner does next.

 

If partner bids 2NT, she is giving you two options: do you want to play in game or a partscore, and do you want to play in notrump or her suit. You have four options:

  1. Pass – you prefer notrump and don’t have enough for game.
  2. 3 of her major – you prefer playing in the major but don’t have enough for game.
  3. 3NT – You accept the game invitation but don’t have a fit.
  4. 4 of her major – you accept the game invitiation and have a fit.

 

If partner bids 3NT, you will either pass with no fit or bid 4 of her major with a fit.

 

If she bids a new suit, your first priority is to raise her major with 3 or more. Otherwise, with the other suits well under control you can bid 3NT. With a great fit and slammish values you can raise the second suit.

 

 

Texas Transfers

When partner opens the bidding 1NT and you have a 6-card major and about 9-14 HCP, you know what the final contract should be: 4 of your major. Texas Transfers allow you to transfer to your major at the 4-level and set the contract. This is different from a Jacoby Transfer at the 2-level, because you are sure of both strain and level.

 

Opener has no choice about accepting this transfer – super-accepts do not exist! Responder is usually setting the contract at 4M and has no slam interest – why would we push the auction to the 5-level?

 

Texas Transfers have a nice preemptive effect – you get the auction to the 4-level quickly, making it more difficult for the opponents to find a potential sacrifice.

 

 

What sort of hand uses a Texas Transfer? Usually, it is a hand that knows it wants to play in 4M. So a decent 6-card major suit and 9-14 or so HCP. With a stronger hand, slam needs to be kept in the picture. A typical hand: ♠ KJ9852 ♥ Q3 ♦ Q65 ♣ K6

 

Having a second way to transfer has a few other implications. There has to be a difference between transferring at the 4-level and transferring at the 2-level and jumping to the 4-level. (1NT – 4♦-4♥ vs. 1NT-2♦-2♥-4♥) Using the principle of Fast Arrival, we say the Texas Transfer is weaker, so transferring at the 2-level and then jumping to game is a mild balanced slam try with a 6-card suit. (If you were unbalanced you would transfer at the 2-level and then auto-splinter.)

 

How about these two auctions: 1NT-2♥-2♠-4NT vs. 1NT-4♥-4♠-4NT?

In the first auction, 4NT is quantitative. It’s just like the auction 1NT-4NT: “Partner, I think we might have a slam if you have a maximum.” We’re just showing a 5-card major suit along the way.

 

In the second auction, you have set trumps via the Texas Transfer, so 4NT is Roman Keycard Blackwood. This is important to remember: if you want to set trumps and then ask for keycards, use Texas.

 

 

In Competition

Texas Transfers apply if the opponents interfere over 1NT as long as their bid is at or below 3♣. For Texas Transfers to apply, you need both 4♦ and 4♥ to be jumps. (If they bid 3♦ or higher, you need 4♦ to be natural or a cuebid.) So if the intervention is above 3♣ natural bidding applies.

 

If a Texas Transfer gets doubled:

Redouble suggests playing 4♦/4♥ redoubled

Pass shows no interest in declaring. Opener will have no tenaces to protect, particularly in the suit that has been doubled. After this responder can choose to declare by bidding 4M or can redouble to ask opener to bid 4M.

Accepting the transfers shows tenaces that opener wants to protect.

 

 

Advanced Agreements

There isn’t too much here. One discussion you need to have is whether a Texas Transfer sets up a forcing pass. Our suggestion is no. Sometimes we will Texas on cheese.

 

 

Stayman Part II

The basics of Stayman are very simple, but there are additional aspects that not everyone understands fully.

 

Slam

When you have slam interest, you still start with Stayman when you have a 4-card major (or both). After any response opener makes to Stayman, a jump to 4NT by responder is quantitative. This is just the same as if you raised 1NT directly to 4NT; you just looked for a major-suit fit along the way. This quantitative bid after Stayman means you did not find a fit.

 

When you do locate a fit and have slam interest, you need to agree on trumps before you can use other slam tools like control-bidding and RKB. The way you agree trumps after Stayman is to bid 3 of the other major. This bid has no natural meaning, since with a 5-card major you would have transferred. This bid says, “We have a fit, we have enough for game, and I am interested in slam.” It is alertable. Over this 3 of the other major bid, opener will either cooperate with the slam exploration by control-bidding (or occasionally bidding RKB), or sign off with a hand totally unsuitable for slam.

 

Responder can also splinter when she finds a fit. A jump to 4♣, 4♦, or 4♥ is a splinter. Unfortunately, since the jump to 3♠ over 2♥ is the general bid agreeing trumps, responder cannot splinter in spades. If you want a slightly better solution, you can look at the Baze Convention.

 

 

Examples:

1NT – ?

 

♠ KQ65 ♥ AQ52 ♦ A98 ♣ K6             Bid 2♣. Over 2♥ or 2♠, bid 3 of the other major. Over 2♦, bid 6NT.

♠ AJ43 ♥ Q7 ♦ AJ53 ♣ A65               Bid 2♣. Over 2♠ bid 3♥; over 2♦ or 2♥ bid 4NT.

♠ AQ65 ♥ QJ63 ♦ A762 ♣ 3                 Bid 2♣. Over 2♥ or 2♠ splinter with 4♣.

 

 

Garbage and Crawling Stayman

Generally, you need invitational or better values to use Stayman. This is because you need to be able to bid 2NT if you don’t find a fit. But if you’re willing to pass whatever bid partner makes, including 2♦, you can bid Stayman with a weaker hand. Remember, there are only three possible bids opener can make in response to Stayman, so if you think all of those would make a better contract than 1NT, you can use what is known as Garbage Stayman.

 

♠ Q873 ♥ J542 ♦ J6532 ♣ —

This is the classic Garbage Stayman hand. If partner has a major, you have a fit. If not, 2♦ is probably a better spot than 1NT.

 

You won’t always have this perfect a hand. You can use Garbage Stayman with shapes like 4=4=4=1, 3=4=5=1, and 4=3=5=1. The thing they all will have in common is shortness in clubs.

 

 

When you know you want to play in 2 of a major, you can use what is known as Crawling Stayman. This is very similar to Garbage Stayman, except that you have no intention of playing in 2♦. If opener bids 2M, you will play there. If he bids 2♦, you will bid 2♥, which means, “We are playing either 2♥ or 2♠. Pass unless you have 3 spades and 2 hearts.” Ideally you will have 4 spades and 5 hearts for this bid, but sometimes you will do it with 4-4 or 5=4 shape.

 

♠ Q987 ♥ J6532 ♦ 5 ♣ 632

You could just transfer to hearts and pass, but 2 spades will be a much better contract if partner has 4 spades and 2 hearts . You can use Crawling Stayman: bid 2♣, planning to pass if partner bids 2♥ or 2♠ and to bid 2♥ if he bids 2♦.

 

 

Invitational 5-4s

With 5-4 in the majors and a GF hand you use Smolen. With an invitational hand, Smolen is not an option. With 5 spades and 4 hearts, use Stayman. If opener bids 2♦, bid 2♠, showing this hand. With 4 spades and 5 hearts, transfer to hearts and then bid 2♠.

 

 

♠ AJ543 ♥ KT54 ♦ 54 ♣ 87

Bid 2♣. If partner bids 2♥ or 2♠, raise to 3, invitational. If he bids 2♦, bid 2♠, showing 5=4 invitational.

 

♠ KQ65 ♥ KT983 ♦ 5 ♣ 983

Transfer to hearts and then bid 2♠.

 

 

Stayman

When your partner opens 1NT and you have 4 cards in a major (or in both), you’d like to ask partner if she has 4 of them as well. You do this by bidding 2♣, the Stayman convention. This bid says nothing about clubs – it is ARTIFICIAL. It simply asks a question: “Partner, do you have a 4-card major?” Opener has 3 possible answers:

 

  • 2♦: I have no 4-card major. (This is also artificial – it says nothing about diamonds.)
  • 2♥: I have 4 hearts. (I could also have 4 spades.)
  • 2♠: I have 4 spades, but I do not have 4 hearts.

 

Basically you bid your cheapest 4-card major, and bid 2♦ if you don’t have one. Stayman really asks for a major that is at least 4 cards long, so you can bid your major if you have 5.

 

Even though the 2♣ and 2♦ bids are artificial, Stayman is such a ubiquitous convention that these bids are considered standard and do not need to be alerted.

 

 

What sort of hand do you need to bid Stayman as responder? You need at least an invitational hand (9 HCP) with at least one 4-card major. Why do you need an invitational or better hand? Because what happens when partner doesn’t fit your major? Are you going to leave her in 2♦? When you don’t find a fit, you need to be able to bid 2NT to show an invitational hand (8-9 HCP). With a weaker hand with a 4-card major you have to pass 1NT. If you have a stronger hand (10+ HCP), you can bid Stayman and then force to game.

 

While an invitational hand opposite a 15-17 HCP 1NT is technically 8-9, balanced hands with 8 HCP are not really worth an invitation. You’re much likelier to get too high than to reach a good game. With 8 HCP you should only use Stayman if 1) you have a 5-card minor in addition to your 4-card major or 2) you have 4 cards in both majors. Never invite with 8 HCP and 4333 shape.

 

 

You need to have a plan for the rest of the auction when you bid Stayman. Since there are only three possible answers opener can give, you need to be prepared for what you are going to do after each of them. Stayman is the first bid in a sequence, so you want to plan that sequence out.

 

When you have an invitational hand – 8 or 9 HCP – you need to follow up your Stayman ask with an invitational bid. There are only two invitational bids. If partner bids your 4-card major, raise it to 3. If not, bid 2NT.

 

With a game-forcing hand you have three options after partner’s response to Stayman. If you have found a fit, you jump to game. If not, with a balanced hand you bid 3NT. With an unbalanced hand, you can bid a minor suit. This shows at least a 5-card suit and game-forcing values.

 

 

 

Examples:

1NT – ?

 

♠ KQ65 ♥ Q652 ♦ A98 ♣ 86              Bid 2♣. Over 2♥ or 2♠, raise to game. Over 2♦, bid 3NT.

♠ AJ43 ♥ 87 ♦ QJ53 ♣ J65                  Bid 2♣. Raise 2♠ to 3♠; bid 2NT over 2♥ or 2♦.

♠ 2 ♥ QJ63 ♦ AQJ32 ♣ J43                 Bid 2♣. Raise 2♥ to 4♥; bid 3♦ (natural and GF) over 2♠ or 2♦.

♠ Q985 ♥ J52 ♦ 43 ♣ 8743                  Pass. Not strong enough for Stayman.

♠ KQ2 ♥ A96 ♦ QJ54 ♣ 754               Bid 3NT. No need for Stayman without a 4-card major.

 

 

Two-Tiered Splinters

Responder’s traditional splinters have a very narrow range – about 10-12 HCP. Since these double-jumps take up so much room we need them to be very well defined. But even when opener has a suitable holding opposite the shortness, he needs extra values to be interested in slam. And responder can be stuck with stronger hands with support that cannot show their shortness. The solution is to have two ranges of splinters.

 

Here’s how it works:

 

The standard double-jump splinter in a minor retains its normal meaning – 4-card support, singleton or void in the suit being bid, about 10-12 HCP.

 

With a stronger hand – about 12-15 HCP – and shortness in any suit, responder bids one step over 3 of opener’s major. So after a 1♥ opening, 3♠ shows the stronger splinter; after 1♠, the stronger splinter is shown with 3NT. This means that if you want to splinter in spades over a 1♥ opening you now use 3NT instead of 3♠. This is the only situation where a “classic” splinter changes its meaning.

 

After the ambiguous stronger splinter, opener usually relays to the next bid, asking responder where her short suit is. Responder shows her suit low-middle-high. So:

 

 

Opener Responder  
     
1♠ 3NT

 

 (Unspecified splinter)
4♣ (asking) 4♦

 

 Club shortness
4♥

 

 Diamond shortness
4♠ Heart shortness

 

 

All of the immediate splinter bids are alertable. So are any relays at the 3-level. Everything at the 4-level is a delayed alert – it is not alerted during the auction but is explained before the opening lead.

 

Examples:

1♠        ?

 

♠ Q984 ♥ AJ54 ♦ KJ53 ♣ 3

A classic 4♣ splinter.

 

♠ Q984 ♥ AK54 ♦ KJ53 ♣ 3

Bid 3NT to show a stronger splinter. When opener asks with 4♣, you will bid 4♦, showing club shortness.

 

 

1♥        ?

 

♠ 9 ♥ QJ65 ♦ AJ542 ♣ Q98

Bid 3NT. This is a “classic” splinter in spades.

 

♠ 9 ♥ QJ65 ♦ AJ542 ♣ AQ9

Bid 3♠, showing a stronger splinter. When opener relays with 3NT, bid 3♥, showing spade shortness.

 

 

 

Splinters

The three most important pieces of information you can convey in an auction are game-forcing values, a fit for partner’s suit, and shortness. Splinters show all three things with one bid. That’s why they’re my favorite convention in bridge.

 

Splinters always show three things:

 

  1. Game-forcing values.
  2. 4‑card (or longer) support for partner’s suit.
  3. Shortness (singleton or void) in the suit being bid.

A splinter is generally a double jump into an unbid suit. A classic splinter auction is 1♠ – 4♣. In some auctions, when a natural jump-shift is not necessary, a splinter can be made with a single jump.

 

A splinter is always game-forcing, but the strength for a splinter varies based on how strong a hand partner has shown: you need enough strength to create a game-force opposite partner’s weakest possible hand. Because you have a fit and shortness, you can force to game with fewer HCP than you would with a balanced hand or without a fit.

 

  • If you are responder, your partner has an opening hand, so you only need about 10 HCP. (You can think of this like a Limit Raise that has upgraded itself [or accepted its own invitation] because of its ruffing value.)
  • If you are opener and your partner has made a one-over-one response (for example 1♦‑1♠), she has only promised 5 or 6 HCP, so you need a hand that evaluates to around 20 points – around 17 HCP plus the singleton) to force to game.
  • If you are already in a game-force, no extra values are needed.

As you know, voids are more powerful than singletons, so you can be a couple HCP weaker to splinter with a void.

 

Always having 4‑card support for partner when you splinter is very important. Your splinter is announcing ruffing potential, and that potential is significantly less with only 3‑card trump support. Partner needs to know she can count on you for that fourth trump.

 

It’s also very important that splinters have a narrow strength range. Bids that take up this much room need to be very tightly defined, otherwise they cause more problems that they solve.

  • Responder’s splinter shows around 10‑12 HCP.
  • Opener’s splinter shows around 17‑20 HCP. (With more, opener likely would have opened 2♣.)
  • Splinters in GF auctions can have a wider range, since they take up much less space.

 

 

Here are some example 4♣ splinters for both opener and responder in support of spades:

 

Responder                                                                    Opener

♠ KT65 ♥ AJ65 ♦ K543 ♣ 3                                         ♠ KQ54 ♥ AKJ3 ♦ AQ63 ♣ 2

♠ J983 ♥ K43 ♦ AK976 ♣ 7                                         ♠ AJ32 ♥ AQJ643 ♦ K43 ♣ —

♠ A652 ♥ KJ874 ♦ T652 ♣ —                                     ♠ AT98 ♥ A62 ♦ AKQ95 ♣ 6

 

 

The Splinter Bid

The Classic Splinter

The classic Splinter bid is a double jump in a new suit after partner has bid 1M. Usually this means jumping to the 4‑level, though when your short suit is spades the splinter bid will be at the 3‑level. Both opener and responder can splinter – opener’s splinter just shows a much stronger hand since responder could be very weak.

 

A few examples:

 

Opener Responder   Opener Responder
         
1♠ 4♣ 1♥ 1♠

 
4♦

 

 

Opener Responder   Opener Responder
         
1♥ 3♠ 1♦ 1♥

 
3♣ Not a splinter! (Only a single jump)

 

 

Splinters in GF Auctions

Notice that in the classic splinter auctions the splinter bid is the cheapest call in that suit for which we do not need a natural definition. Take the auction 1♥-1♠; ? Say opener wants to bid clubs. We need natural definitions for both 2♣ (second suit, minimum or intermediate hand) and 3♣ (GF jump-shift); the first available bid in clubs that isn’t needed to show a club suit is 4♣, so that’s what we use for the splinter. When a single jump isn’t needed as a natural bid, we can use it as a splinter, saving some valuable room.

 

The most common time when a jump-shift isn’t needed as a natural bid is when we are in a game-forcing auction. One of the principal reasons we strive so hard to set a game-force at a low level (via 2/1, Fourth Suit Forcing, etc.) is so that we can save room when we make natural bids by not jumping, leaving us as much space as possible to explore for game or slam. Playing 2/1 GF, there is no need for opener to ever jump to 3♥ to show a heart suit after 1♠-2♦; she can just bid 2♥ and keep the auction low. Maybe her partner has spade support and is planning to bid 2♠. Or perhaps her diamonds are excellent and she intends to rebid 3♦. However the auction proceeds, there is very little to be gained by taking up an entire extra level of bidding with a natural bid.

 

Once we see that 3♥ is not needed as a natural bid, it becomes available for an artificial definition. And the most valuable definition we can give it is a splinter. So in GF auctions – when we do not need natural jump-shifts – we can splinter with a single jump. In this case, a 3♥ bid would show 4+ card diamond support and a singleton or void in hearts. This consumes one extra step of bidding space (without the splinter available, opener would make a natural raise of 3♦) but communicates not just the fit but also the essential information of shortness. Because the single jump takes up so much less space, it becomes much more practical to splinter in support of a minor suit.

 

Examples:

 

Opener Responder   Opener Responder
         
1♠ 2♥ 1♥ 2♣

 
4♣ 3♠

 

 

Opener Responder   Opener Responder
         
2♣ 2♦ (GF) 1♥ 1♠

 
2♠ 4♣ 2♣ 3♦

Not a splinter! (Not in GF)

 

 

Minor-Suit Splinters

It’s possible to splinter in response to a 1m opening bid, but this agreement is much less common – be sure to discuss it with your partner before trying it out. Minor-suit splinters promise better trump support – at least 5 cards – since opener’s suit could be so much shorter than after a 1M opening. They also require a much stronger hand, since the most likely game after a minor-suit splinter is 3NT. Now we need not only full game HCP values, but usually a little extra, since the hand is a misfit (opener must have values opposite responder’s shortness if she is bidding 3NT), and misfits require extra strength. Responder should aim to have at least 15 HCP for this splinter. The auction 1♦-4♣ is especially problematic, since it bypasses 3NT; responder should have serious slam expectations to make this bid. Opener can make a minor-suit splinter after the auction starts 1♣-1♦; this bid is quite rare, but there is no other logical meaning for 3M.

 

 

Examples:

 

Opener Responder   Opener Responder
         
1♦ 3♠ 1♣ 1♦

 
3♠

 

 

Auto-Splinters

On rare occasions, we can splinter in support of our own suit. This only happens when partner has shown a balanced hand, which lets us be confident of a fit when we have a 6‑card suit. The most common example of an auto-splinter is after a Jacoby Transfer:

 

Opener Responder
   
1NT 2♥

 
2♠ 4♦

 

Responder is showing slam interest with 6+ spades and shortness in diamonds.

 

 

Evaluating After a Splinter

Splinters are a slam-exploration tool. They are not there to help us get to game (they force us to game) or to help us find a fit (they establish a fit); they are there to help us find good slams (and stay out of bad ones). One of the most common types of “light” slams (i.e., slams that make with less than the normal 33 HCP) is when we have a good trump fit and one (or both) hands have useful shortness; that’s exactly what splinters are there to find.

 

Wasted Values

The most important word in the last sentence – and the one most easily overlooked – is “useful.” All singletons are not created equal: their value lies in what partner holds in the suit. Say partner has a singleton club and your clubs as ♣ 8432. That’s great! His singleton has turned your four losers into one. That’s very useful. Say instead your clubs are ♣ KQJT. Not useful at all: you still have the same one loser you had to start with.

 

We refer to honors (other than aces) opposite partner’s shortness as “wasted.” It’s not necessarily that they’re worthless – in the example above when you hold ♣ KQJT, you’re still going to knock out the ♣ A and have three club tricks. But they’re wasted in the sense that they represent an over-evaluation of the partnership’s strength. Both you and partner have given a positive value to your club holdings: you counted your clubs as 6 HCP, while partner counted his singleton and fit as valuable assets and upgraded his hand – if he splintered as responder, he should have Limit-Raise HCP values that he has upgraded to a game-force based on the club singleton. Hand evaluation – whether counting HCP or upgrading a hand based on shape – is an attempt to predict a hand’s value at taking tricks. Tricks can only be taken one way – either by high cards or by ruffing – but not both. So your club assets are competing with each other, rather than complementing each other: they give you two ways to win the second round of clubs (you could cash your ♣ Q or ruff it in the dummy), but that’s not particularly useful.

 

Put another way, in both the examples above (when you held ♣ 8432 and ♣ KQJT opposite partner’s singleton) you have one club loser. In one you are using 0 HCP to hold the suit to one loser, in the other you are using 6 HCP. When you’re looking for a light slam you need all of your honors to be working together; the problem with having all those club honors is that 6 of your precious HCP are used up in clubs, meaning they’re not in the other suits, where partner’s honors must be. We all know that honors in combination are more valuable than honors by themselves. (Would you rather have your major suits be ♠ KJxx ♥ Qxx or ♠ KQJx ♥ xxx?) The “wasted” club values don’t mean you won’t take club tricks with your honors, but they mean your honors are in the wrong place, isolated from partner’s honors (in the other suits) rather than in combination with them. The ♣ K doesn’t lose value because it’s opposite the singleton, it loses value because it’s not the ♦ K. Let’s look at the full hands:

 

Responder’s hand:      ♠ QJ32 ♥ 432 ♦ AQJ32 ♣ 2

 

Opener’s hands:    1. ♠ AK987 ♥ A8 ♦ K7 ♣ 8432                   2. ♠ AK987 ♥ A8 ♦ 87 ♣ KQJT

 

Hand 1 is 3 HCP weaker, but it has the right HCP – the ♦ K, filling in responder’s suit, rather than the ♣ KQJ opposite responder’s shortness. Slam with hand 1 is excellent – barring awful splits declarer has 5 spades, 5 diamonds and 1 heart, and can ruff a club for his 12th trick. With hand 2, slam requires the diamond finesse (assuming they lead a heart). Not awful, but not nearly as good.

 

Your primary evaluation when partner shows shortness should be about wasted values. If you have wasted values, you will need significant extra values for a slam; if you have minimal wastage, slam might be possible with less than the normal 33 HCP.

 

The best holding you can have opposite a splinter is xxx(x). Absolutely nothing wasted. Next best is Axx(x). The ace would be more valuable in another suit, combining with partner’s cards, but it isn’t a duplication of values, since your holding wins the first round of the suit and partner’s singleton controls the second round (and beyond).

 

The next best holdings would be Jxx(x) and AJx(x). Just 1 HCP wasted. Holdings get worse as you add queens and kings, with KJx(x), KQx(x), KQJ(x) being the worst.

 

 

The 34-Point Deck

When you don’t have wasted values opposite partner’s shortness, it means all of the partnership’s high cards are concentrated in the other three suits and usually complementing each other. The opponents might have 10 HCP in the short suit, but that’s only worth 1 trick. We call this concept the 34‑Point Deck. A normal deck has 40 points. When you have a fit and shortness, the king, queen, and jack of your short suit are basically valueless; there are only 34 relevant HCP – the ace of the short suit and the 10 HCP in the three other suits.

 

In a normal 40‑point deck situation you need about 33 HCP for slam. That’s 82.5% of the HCP. When you are in a 34‑point deck situation, you don’t need the same number of HCP, you need the same percentage of relevant HCP: you need about 82% of the 34 relevant HCP. That’s about 28 HCP. (28 is 82.35% of 34).

 

When you find a good trump fit and have shortness opposite no wastage, the magic number you’re hoping to find for slam isn’t 33 HCP, it’s 28. That means just a very little bit extra is needed to get from GF values to slam values. You should be very aggressive in moving toward slam when you have no or limited wastage opposite partner’s splinter.

 

To communicate your interest in slam to partner, you control-bid (or ask for keycards). To communicate your wasted values and lack of interest, bid game immediately (Fast Arrival).

 

Common Splinter Questions

Are Splinters on in Competition?

Because they are both very useful in competition and usually bids that have no other logical meaning, it’s a good idea to leave splinters on when the opponents enter the auction. Splinters are especially valuable in suits the opponents bid naturally. The biggest caveat here is that the bid you intend as a splinter must not be needed for a natural bid. For example, after 1♥ (X) or 1♥ (1♠), a jump to 4♣ has no other useful meaning and should still be a splinter. After 1♥ (3♦), 4♣ can’t be a splinter, since you need it to show clubs.

 

Should I Splinter with an Honor?

This is a classic conundrum: should you splinter when your singleton is an honor. I prefer not to. The point of a splinter is to help partner evaluate her honors; if you splinter with a singleton ace, partner will think her king in that suit is wasted, when it actually is combining with your ace to have some extra value. That said, that king would almost certainly be more valuable in another suit, so her considering it “wasted” isn’t necessarily wrong. Splintering with singleton aces is much better than with singleton kings and queens. Jacks are less problematic, and splintering with a singleton jack is usually just fine.

 

Are Splinters Alertable?

Yes, all splinters are alertable. But some aren’t alertable until after the auction. ACBL’s alert rules are that bids at the 4‑level and above don’t get alerted during the auction – they require a “delayed alert,” which means you wait until the auction is over and, assuming your side is declaring, explain the bid before the opening lead. The reason for this is that alerts at this level are more likely to help the alerting side (“Oh good, partner remembered that” or “She alerted that? I wonder what she thinks it means”) than the opponents. However, there is one exception to this rule: on the first round of the bidding (i.e., until opener has taken a second call) there are no delayed alerts – all alertable bids are alerted normally.

 

This means that all of responder’s first-round splinters are alertable, because they happen during the first round of the auction. (eg. 1♠‑4♦). Opener’s splinters are only alertable at the 3‑level. (So you would alert 1♣-1♥-3♠, but would make a delayed alert for 1♦-1♠-4♣.) Splinters in GF auctions are alertable at the 3‑level (eg. 1♠-2♦-3♥) but not at the 4‑level (eg 1♠-2♥-4♣). I wish it weren’t this confusing, but these are the rules. When in doubt, err on the side of over-alerting rather than under-alerting.

 

How Do I tell the Difference between a Singleton and a Void?

Initially, you can’t. As the auction progresses, you might have the chance to clarify. If the splinterer later control-bids her suit, it shows a void (not a singleton ace). If you have agreements about how to show a void when partner asks for keycards, you can do that. Singletons are so much more common than voids that when partner splinters you should assume it is a singleton until proven otherwise.

 

Is 1♠-4♥ a Splinter?

Yes, but this is an important thing to discuss with your partner. Some people feel very strongly that anyone’s first bid of 4M should be to play. For me, since we already have a way to bid that hand – start with 2♥ and then bid 4♥ – the splinter is the more important bid. As always, a sound partnership agreement is more important than having the “right” agreement.

 

Can a Passed Hand Splinter?

It’s very rare that a passed hand would want to force to game, especially since partner’s opening bid in 3rd or 4th seat could be a little light. Usually you’re better off using Drury and not hanging partner if she’s a little light. However, these bids don’t have any other meaning, so while it’s very rare, I would assume that P-1♠-4♣ was a splinter. I’d expect a splinter by a passed hand to usually be a void rather than a singleton; that’s the best reason I can think of for a passed hand to force to game.

 

 

What Is a “Mini-Splinter”?

A Mini-Splinter is a splinter that is not forcing to game. The only time these exist in our system is when opener makes a Jump-Reverse – a single jump in a suit higher ranking than the one she opened (i.e., a suit in which she could have reversed). For example:

 

Opener Responder
   
1♣ 1♥

 
3♦

 

 

2♦ would be a reverse, so we don’t need 3♦ as a natural bid. (Opener has one forcing way to bid each of the unbid suits – a reverse or a jump-shift – but doesn’t get two; one is enough.) We define this bid as a Mini-Splinter: splinter shape (i.e., 4-card support, singleton or void in the splinter suit) but not necessarily GF values. An example hand for opener in this auction would be ♠ K65 ♥ AQ76 ♦ 3 ♣ AQ873.

 

Responder can sign off in 3♥ if she does not want to go to game; anything else is GF. Opener can have a stronger hand and continue on after the signoff.

 

What would 4♦ mean instead? It’s a GF splinter. It’s stronger than the Mini-Splinter, since it forces us to game. Some play it as showing a void, which seems like a good agreement to me.

 

 

Smolen

Partner opens 1NT and you have a GF hand with 5-4 (either way) in the majors. What do you do? Start with Stayman. If partner has a 4-card major, your worries are over. If not, over 2♦ you jump in your 4-card suit, in order to let opener play a potential 5-3 fit in the other major. This is Smolen.

 

Is it that simple? Yup. You hold ♠ KQ865 ♥ QJ43 ♦ 7 ♣ K62.

 

Opener Responder
   
1NT 2♣

 
2♦ 3♥

 

 

 

This shows a game-forcing hand with 5 spades and 4 hearts.

 

What does opener do after the Smolen bid? With no fit, she bids 3NT. With 3 cards in responder’s 5-card major, opener bids 4M. Easy!

 

 

Delayed Texas

You can use a combination of Smolen and Texas Transfers when you have 6-4 in the majors. You start with Stayman and, if partner bids 2♦, you can transfer to your 6-card suit at the 4-level.

 

♠ KQ9854 ♥ AK54 ♦ 5 ♣ 98

 

 

Opener Responder
   
1NT 2♣

 
2♦

 

 

4♠

 4♥

 

 

 

 

 

Smolen Over 2NT

Unless you are playing Puppet Stayman, Smolen also applies over a 2NT opening. There is no jumping here – you just bid your 4-card suit at the 3-level if opener bids 3♦.

 

♠ QJ653 ♥ A984 ♦ 654 ♣ 6

 

 

Opener Responder
   
2NT 3♣

 
3♦ 3♥

 

 

With 6-4, things are just a little more complicated over 2NT, since you can’t bid Texas right away over the 3♦ bid; a 4♦ bid needs to be natural.

 

 

Opener Responder
   
2NT 3♣

 
3♦ 4♦

 

 

That would be a hand like ♠ QJ65 ♥ 54 ♦ AK987 ♣ 54

 

So you have to bid Smolen at the 3-level first, and then if opener bids 3NT you make your Texas Transfer.

 

 

♠ QJ65 ♥ KT8743 ♦ 32 ♣ 5

 

Opener Responder
   
2NT 3♣

 
3♦

 

 

3NT

 

 

4♥

 3♠

 

 

4♦

 

Scrambling 2NT

I hate playing 2NT. Just like I hate playing 4♣ or 4♦. Sometimes it’s necessary, but you never want to suggest playing in 2NT when you know it’s a partscore deal. Put another way, I will only bid 2NT as an invitation, hoping partner will accept and bid 3NT. If partner has limited her hand and we don’t have a game, you don’t want to choose 2NT as your partscore.

 

This is especially true in competitive auctions, particularly when the opponents have found a fit. I’m happy to play 3NT with a stopper in their suit, but not 2NT. If you think eight tricks is your limit, and you have good values in their suit, you might consider a double. Now you only have to take 6 tricks and can get a better score.

 

This means 2NT bids are very often not offers to play in competitive auctions, especially when the opponents have a fit. In these cases we can assign a conventional meaning to 2NT to help us find the best partscore. Taking away the natural meaning of 2NT is not a new concept – think of the conventional meaning of 2NT in Lebensohl.

 

 

Here are some examples:

 

LHO Partner RHO You
       
1♥ Dbl 2♥ Pass

 
Pass Dbl Pass ?

 

 

♠ K3 ♥ J54 ♦ 9632 ♣ T873

 

LHO has opened a 1♥ and been raised after our partner made a takeout double. With such a weak hand you weren’t going to bid the first time. But now partner has made another takeout double and you must bid something. But what? Obviously not spades, so it has to be a minor. But which minor? Partner probably has something like ♠ AQxx ♥ xx ♦ KQx ♣ AQxx, but is just as likely to hold ♠ AQxx ♥ xx ♦ KQxx ♣ AQx. If you have to pick a minor it’s just a guess, and there’s a 50% chance you will end up in the 4-3 fit.

 

This is where the Scrambling 2NT comes in handy. Using 2NT as a place to play makes no sense: you were too weak to bid the first time and they have bid and raised a suit. You can’t possibly want to play 2NT. Even if you had good heart cards, you’d probably rather convert the double to penalty and go for the throat. So if 2NT cannot be natural you can use it to scramble to find your fit. So 2NT basically shows both minors. It says, “I know you asked me to choose a suit, but I am throwing it back at you.” Now partner will bid her 4-card suit (bidding up the line with both).

 

Here’s another one:

 

You LHO Partner RHO
       
1♣ 1♠ Pass 2♠

 
?

 

♠ 4 ♥ K6 ♦ KQ62 ♣ AJT654

You want to compete and probably belong in 3♣, but diamonds might be the right strain. But 3♦ would be a reverse. Scrambling 2NT comes to our rescue. 2NT cannot be to play, so it is Scrambling, showing two places to play. You opened 1♣, so partner knows your clubs are longer than your second suit. Could my second suit be hearts? Yes. Scrambling 2NT is not necessarily for the minors; it just shows two places to play. Your hand could just as easily be:

 

♠ 4 ♥ KQ62 ♦ K6 ♣ AJT654

 

 

LHO Partner RHO You
       
1♠ Pass 2♠ Pass

 
Pass Dbl Pass ?

 

 

♠ J62 ♥ QT65 ♦ Q985 ♣ K3

The opponents have bid and raised spades, but partner isn’t going to let them play in 2♠, so she balanced with a double. Most people would bid 3♥ without a thought. But partner doesn’t have to have a perfect takeout double; she’s balancing, just preventing them from playing at the 2-level. Wouldn’t she double with ♠ xx ♥ KJx ♦ Kxxx ♣ Qxxx? Why play in the 4-3 fit when you don’t have to? 2NT cannot be to play, so it’s Scrambling, showing two places to play. Partner will bid her cheapest 4-card suit. If she bids clubs, you bid 3♦; she’ll know you had diamonds and hearts and will either pass or choose 3♥. If she bids diamonds or hearts, you’ve found a fit and will pass. If she bids diamonds but also has four hearts? Oh well. The goal is to find a fit, any fit. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good.

 

Isn’t it nice letting partner in on the decision now and then?