BETTER BIDDING by BERNARD MAGEE

Slam Bidding (Part III)

Splinter Bids pre-emptive (e.g. in the partnership se- quence 1♥ – 3♠, the 3♠ bid showed a Hand B ot another convention!” a weak hand with seven spades), but there ♠ 4 number of you might be is little point to this when your partner ♥ A 9 8 4 3 “Ncrying, but this is a very has opened the bidding and might have ♦ J 6 worthwhile weapon to have in your a very good hand. So the double-jump ♣ K 8 6 4 3 slam bidding armoury. In fact, at expert response in a new suit (for example, 1♥ level, “splinters” are almost regarded as –4♦) can be used for something else “natural” bids. and my suggestion is to use it as a Too weak for a splinter bid – bid 4♥ as The value of a singleton is obvious to splinter. a pre-emptive raise. be seen when playing in a suit contract; knowing in which suit that singleton is Responding to 1♥ can help your partner evaluate his hand Hand C and often lead to reaching very good ♠ K Q J 10 9 7 4 slams on minimal values. ♥ 3 So, what is a splinter bid? It is a West 1 ♦ J 4 double-jump response in a new suit ♠ A5 4 ♣ 6 4 3 after a one-level major-suit bid by either ♥ K J 4 3 responder or opener (i.e. 1♥ – 3♠, ♦ 4 1♠ – 4♦, or 1♥ – 1♠ – 4♣). ♣ A 8 6 4 3 No fit for partner! Respond 1♠ first and A splinter bid shows: then jump in spades later.

1. The strength for game (at least 12 If partner opens 1♥, make a splinter bid Opener’s splinter bid high-card points if it is responder of 4♦, perfectly describing your hand. who “splinters”, e,g. 1♥ – 4♣, and Your hand satisfies all three require- A splinter bid by opener must be based at least 15 high-card points if it is ments: enough for game (here, 12 HCP), on more than enough strength for game the opener who “splinters”, e.g. four hearts and a singleton diamond. and at least 15 points. Generally, a jump 1♥ – 1♠ – 4♦) This is an extremely descriptive type to the four level in a new suit can be 2. Four-card (or longer) support for of bid, and enables your partner to judge played as a splinter bid: partner’s suit whether a slam might be on by assessing 3. Shortage in the bid suit (singleton his holding in your short suit. We will or void) see this West hand opposite two different West 2 East hands later, but first let us consider ♠ A Q 7 4 In traditional Acol, high-level first-round some situations where a splinter bid ♥ A K 8 7 5 responses in a new suit were played as might or might not be appropriate. ♦ Q J 4 Consider the following three hands (A ♣ 6 – C) responding to a 1♥ opener: MOUSE MAT West East Hand A 1♥ 1♠ ♠ 4 4♣ £575 ♥ K Q 4 3 CODE AH01 ♦ AJ 4 You open 1♥ and hear your partner ♣ A 8 6 4 3 respond 1♠; you have enough strength to game but rather than going straight from the Mail Order Service for game, you should make the much 01672 519219 Perfect for a splinter bid – make a more descriptive bid of 4♣. double jump to 3♠. Continued on page 8 ‹

Page 7 BETTER BIDDING continued from page 7 Can you see how, as long as your side has plenty of trumps, a singleton can in- crease the playing potential of your two It describes your hand perfectly: four that he is not so happy: he has wastage hands together? There are admittedly good spades, a singleton club, and more opposite his partner’s singleton diamond three tricks in the heart layout, but in than enough strength for game (at least and his weakness in spades is a warning the club layout you might well be able to 15 points, here 16). sign that bidding on would not be good. make three or four, by winning the ace Very often, over a raise to 4♠, the 1♠ Hence East goes back to 4♥. On a spade and ruffing two or three times. This abi- bidder can be stuck, whereas now he is lead you can make only ten tricks. lity to ruff is paramount, hence the need in a great position: not only can he assess for good trumps. his hand opposite your shortage, but he Assessing your hand So how do you know when to bid on? can make a cue-bid below 4♠ if he wants to try for slam (I will show the Once your partner has made a splinter responding East hand later). bid, how do you know whether you are Count your points excluding the happy or not? The perfect holding oppo- king, queen and jack of partner’s Responding site a singleton is a hand with no wasted short suit; add on for distribution to a Splinter bid values, either four small cards as in the etc. If you reach 15 as opener (or 12 East hand in Layout 1 or A-x-x-x: as responder), consider trying for Take a look at two East hands along- slam either by cue-bidding or using side the West 1 hand shown earlier: Key-card Blackwood. N ♦ 4 W E ♦ 9 8 7 6 S Layout 1 ♠ A5 4 ♠ 3 Layout 3 ♥ K J 4 3 N ♥ A Q 9 7 5 N ♠ K 9 5 4 ♠ A Q J 6 3 W E W E ♦ 4 S ♦ 9 8 7 6 ♣ 4 S ♣ A 8 7 6 ♥ A K 4 3 N ♥ Q J A 8 6 4 3 K Q J Q J 9 4 W E A2 ♣ ♣ ♦ S ♦ ♣ 3 ♣ 9 8 7 2 By no wastage I mean that in the dia- West East mond layout above you have no high- 1♥ card points and yet you will lose only West East 4♦ 4NT one trick in the suit; in the club layout 1♠ 5♠ 6♥ you use just 4 points and lose no tricks 4♣ 4♦ End in the suit. Compare that with the spade 4♥ 4NT and heart layouts below: 5♥ 6♠ East has a minimum hand in terms of End high-card points, but the hand fits beau- tifully with West’s, since West’s diamond N You open 1♠ as East and West bids 4♣, ♠ 4 W E ♠ KQJ 6 shortage ensures that the diamond losers S a splinter, showing shortage in clubs, can be ruffed. In fact, if West can supply four-card spade support and at least 12 three of the missing four key cards, a high-card points. You evaluate your hand; slam will be easy, so East uses Key-card N counting the points outside clubs, you W E Blackwood and West shows three key- ♥ 6 5 4 S ♥ AK Q have 14 and can add 1 for your five-card cards (including the king of trumps, here suit: that’s 15, just about enough to try the heart king), allowing a great slam to for slam. With weakness in hearts, you be bid on just 24 HCP. In spades you are using 6 points and cue-bid 4♦ to show your interest in yet you will still lose one trick; whilst slam and when partner cue-bids 4♥ you in hearts you will not lose a trick, but can use Key-card Blackwood and go for Layout 2 you have had to use up 9 points to the slam. ♠ A5 4 ♠ 9 8 7 6 manage that. Continued on page 9 ‹ ♥ K J 4 3 N ♥ A Q 9 7 5 W E ♦ 4 S ♦ K Q J ♣ A 8 6 4 3 ♣ 3 SUPERSCORER West East Duplicate Bridge Scoring Program for Windows 95 or later 1 ♥ Single or multi section Single or multi session Any movement scored 4♦ 4♥ 95 Enter names using initials Prints Master-points £52 End Uploads Sim Pairs results Creates HTML files inc p&p By shuffling the suits around to make up From the Mail Order Service 01672 519219 the East hand in Layout 2, you can see

Page 8 BETTER BIDDING continued from page 8 think about slam. With 9 HCP, a six- card suit and a singleton along with his queen in partner’s suit, there is certainly not cue-bid 4♦ or 4♠, then slam has no reason to be excited. East cue-bids the Layout 4 chance. West is able to cue-bid 4♦ to ace of diamonds and after West has cue- ♠ K 9 5 4 ♠ A Q J 6 3 show his ace of diamonds, and now East bid the ace of hearts, he uses Key-card ♥ A K 4 3 N ♥ 7 2 uses Blackwood; two key-cards are Blackwood and goes for 6♠. 25 points W E ♦ Q J 9 4 S ♦ A2 enough to propel him to slam. might not seem much for a slam, but ♣ 3 ♣ Q J 7 2 Layout 6 is another example of hand- when these points are spread over just evaluation: three suits they are enough.

West East Showing a void 1♠ Layout 6 4♣ 4♠ ♠ 4 ♠ K Q J By making a splinter and following with End ♥ K 10 4 3 N ♥ A Q J 2 a cue-bid in the same suit, you suggest a W E ♦ K 9 8 7 S ♦ Q J 4 void in the suit (or more rarely a singleton This East hand is very similar to the East ♣ A K 8 5 ♣ Q 9 3 ace). Bidding this way does require a in Layout 3, but when evaluating oppo- good level of partnership trust, because it site the singleton you must not take into might sound as though you are showing account the queen and jack of clubs (they West East an eight-card suit rather than a void! are wasted) and thus your total comes to 1♥ just 11 high-card points and 1 for length 3♠ 3NT – not enough to try for slam. End Layout 8 ♠ K 9 8 7 ♠ A5 The thirty-point pack A response of 3NT to a splinter suggests ♥ A 8 4 3 2 N ♥ K Q J 7 5 W E that your holding in partner’s short suit ♦ A J 8 7 S ♦ Q 2 You may have come across this expres- is very strong and that the hand might ♣ Void ♣ 9 8 4 3 sion before and wondered what it meant. play better in no-trumps. East has 18 When one suit can be excluded from high-card points, but remember that you your calculations, then you can throw must exclude the king, queen and jack West East out those ten points and play with the of spades – this leaves just 12 points 1♥ other thirty. The splinter bidder has with no distribution at all. The hand is 4♣ 4♥ shown 12 or more high card points, so if well short of a slam try, but 3NT is an 5♣ 5♠ you have 15 that makes 27 out of 30, excellent bid and playing Pairs it will 6♥ End which is likely to be enough to avoid get an all-important extra ten points. losing a trick as long as you have control In Layout 7, West 2, featured on page West makes a 4♣ splinter bid, but East, of each of the suits. 7, is the opener and this time East will declines the slam for he only has 12 HCP have to evaluate as responder: and 1 length-point from his hearts: 13 in all. However, when West bids again, Layout 5 showing first-round control in clubs, ♠ 4 ♠ 7 6 5 Layout 7 East’s hand grows in value – with his 13 ♥ A Q 4 3 N ♥ K 10 9 8 7 2 ♠ A Q 7 4 ♠ K 9 8 6 5 3 and partner’s minimum 12, they have 25 W E ♦ A J 8 7 S ♦ 2 ♥ A K 8 7 5 N ♥ Q 2 out of 30 points, from which there is W E ♣ J 9 8 5 ♣ AK Q ♦ Q J 4 S ♦ A likely to be only one loser. East cue-bids ♣ 6 ♣ 9 8 7 5 5♠ just in case his partner has higher ambitions, but West is happy with 6♥. West East 1♥ West East Conclusion 3♠ 4♣ 1♥ 1♠ 4♦ 4NT 4♣ 4♦ Splinters are a useful aid to bidding 5♥ 6♥ 4♥ 4NT slams. I am often asked: “How might End 5♥ 6♠ we have got to this or that slam?” and the End answer would be: “With a splinter bid.” In Layout 5, East hears the spade splinter They might look complicated, but the and does his evaluation: 12 high-card When East hears the club splinter he is actual mechanics are relatively straight- points, a singleton and a six-card trump very happy: his rubbish can be ruffed forward – it is the “evaluation” bit that is suit – about 16 points. Worth a go; in fact, away. It is important to note that here, difficult! I recommend giving them a if partner holds the ace of diamonds and since the splinter bid was made by the go as they come up more often than you the ace of hearts, a slam has a reaso- opener, East is combining his hand with might think, but must add my usual pro- nable chance, but rather than rush out a minimum of 15 HCP outside the trump viso: only play them if both members of Blackwood you can slow things down suit (rather than 12 as in Layouts 1-6), your partnership understand them and by cue-bidding 4♣; if your partner can- so he needs about 12 total points to want to try them. Good luck!

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