[pstansbu]

I've heard advice previously that it's a bad idea to splinter with a singleton Ace - I only realised I hadn't discussed this with partner when I bid heeded the advice and bid 2NT on the following hand. Clearly lesson 1 is to agree . Aside from that, a general and a specific question:

• What do people think of that advice?
  
• What should I have bid on this hand?

Second question might be automaticall answered by the first of course...

Partner opens 1♥ and RHO passes.

---

We play 4 card Majors, so there is a reasonable chance of a 5-4 fit but not guaranteed. In the light of that partner felt I was too light to bid 2NT as well as preferring a splinter.

[Vampyr]

A forcing raise is fine.

The purpose of splintering is to find thin slams. There is little room left, so the information has to be useful to partner. When KQx of the splinter suit could be great or completely wasted. the information is not useful to partner.

Since the splinter takes up so much room, it is worth defining it very narrowly: 3 or 4 controls (A=2' K=1) with not enough in HCP to make a forcing raise. OR! A monster that is going to bid again if partner signs off.

[fromageGB]

Vampyr said it.

Take away a Q then I would favour a 9/10 mini-splinter if you play one, as showing the strength and shape is now more important. This is better than making a generic game try that is typically more balanced. When you have the hand you have it is far less misleading to upgrade it to a 13 count and bid 2♠ or 2NT or whatever your GF 4-card raise is.

[ggwhiz]

By agreement we don't splinter on a stiff King either. Too much risk of turning partner off when that's your secondary source of tricks.

The same applies to opener. After a forcing jacoby 2nt we don't show these as singletons either.

[Vampyr]

ggwhiz, on 2016-November-27, 08:21, said:

The same applies to opener. After a forcing jacoby 2nt we don't show these as singletons either.

Agreeing this is very useful. I'll bet it doesn't occur to a lot of people; for example me.

[Jinksy]

I think splintering is ok here. It's possible P will downgrade key KQ(Jx) holdings in spades, but normally if we have slam on it will be because he has supporting honours in spades and hearts - which is just what the splinter asks for. You'll also likely be able to show the ace later if P explores slam, either by cueing the suit again or in a Blackwood response.

[mike777]

pstansbu, on 2016-November-27, 03:06, said:

I've heard advice previously that it's a bad idea to splinter with a singleton Ace - I only realised I hadn't discussed this with partner when I bid heeded the advice and bid 2NT on the following hand. Clearly lesson 1 is to agree . Aside from that, a general and a specific question:

• What do people think of that advice?
  
• What should I have bid on this hand?

Second question might be automaticall answered by the first of course...

Partner opens 1♥ and RHO passes.

---

We play 4 card Majors, so there is a reasonable chance of a 5-4 fit but not guaranteed. In the light of that partner felt I was too light to bid 2NT as well as preferring a splinter.

a bit too good to splinter, agree with others, just make your forcing game raise, not splinter.

[Vampyr]

Jinksy, on 2016-November-27, 13:02, said:

I think splintering is ok here. It's possible P will downgrade key KQ(Jx) holdings in spades, but normally if we have slam on it will be because he has supporting honours in spades and hearts - which is just what the splinter asks for. You'll also likely be able to show the ace later if P explores slam, either by cueing the suit again or in a Blackwood response.

If partner would make a slam try knowing that, say, ♣KQ are known to be wasted, then you will not be dropped short of slam when you don't splinter. So the splinter here is is useless at best, and can be counter-productive when you do have a slam on. Partner will sign off with club cards, and you don't have anything close to enough to go on.

It may not even be very important whether partner has lots of fitting honours in ♠♥♦, because ♣KQJ may be a source of pitches. But you can find out these things without taking up all the bidding space to the four-level. You get to show one thing about your hand, and it is club shortness you choose? OK, whatever, but I really don't know how partner is supposed to evaluate.

[helene_t]

Actually ♣K or ♣Q or KJ are likely vasted here - it is true that the king is a trick but there are no losers to discard on it. ♣KQ might be useful if partner has Axx or maybe Kxx in one of the pointed suits.

I think that the splinter will most likely make partner evaluate correctly. A king in a pointed suit is almost certainly useful while ♣K or ♣Q probably not and that is the point of a splinter.

[Tramticket]

I'm not totally against splintering with a singleton ace, but I won't do it if I have better options.

A 2NT response is one option. Also, a simple 1♠ change-of-suit response may help you judge whether you should be considering a slam. It would be easy to construct hands where 6♠ (or 6♦) are making but 6♥ is failing.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

splintering with an singleton Ace is not nice, hence it is a bad idea, ...,
but sometimes the alterbatives are worse.
Basically, look at the alterbatives, if you have one, that feels better, go
for it, otherwise make the splinter.

Regarding your partners comment: On average the lower limit for a splinter and
for a forcing raise are the same, both raises are forcing to game.
If you are strong enough for the splinter, you are strong enough for the forcing
raise, the difference is, who decides, to go on / stay low, with the splinter
your partner is the one to decide, going via the forcing raise, it is you, who
decides.

What to bid with the given hand: Most likely the forcing raise is better, but it
depends a bit on the version you are using.

With kind regards
Marlowe

PS: The suggested 1S response is also a good option, given that you dont feel pretty
strong about 2 NT / 4C, it may give you the chance to find out, if you have a double fit,
or if you have a 9 card fit or not, or if partner has clubs.

[Vampyr]

P_Marlowe, on 2016-November-28, 06:46, said:

Regardng your partners comment: On average the lower limit for a splinter and
for a forcing raise are the same, both raises are forcing to game.
If you are strong enough for the splinter, you are strong enough for the forcing
raise,

For many a forcing raise promises a certain number of HCP, while a splinter may have significantly fewer.

[Left2Right]

One of the main purposes of all shortness showing bids is to induce partner to evaluate his hand for duplication. Without this insight, partner can't know what his hand is truly worth; so how can he be expected to know how best to continue?

If you have any doubt about just how important this is, try my constraint file that produces such hands.

See DOVconstraint

Don't forget to use the switch: aStiffHonor = 1 induces a singleton A or K, aStiffHonor = 0 allows any old singleton.

When you look at these practice hands, devalue all honors in the partnering hand to zero other than an ace. See how accurately this affects partner's valuations.

You'll also learn the Sad Song of Duplication: "Oh woe is me; if only the X of Y were the A of B." This is where you can envision how much better the hand would play if those face cards that are opposite the shortness were in some other suit.

[msjennifer]

It appears to me that a few are following mini-splinters just as some ,or may be many perhaps ,use Stayman 2C even with a practically useless hand,the so called Garbage Stayman.Personally, I dislike both as it only leads to confusion unless used judiciously.They are alright for regular partners who also know the same.We use a splinter bid to promise a four card support with two top honors,no five carder side suit with two top honors and a guarantee of at least a King in the the two remaining suits.We do not make a splinter bid in a suit headed by K or Ace.
With the given hand with no King even in anyone of the remaining two suits,I,personally, feel it very unwise to use a splinter in Club with Ace in it. A temporising bid of 1Spade allowing partner to describe his hand at a very economic level is not going to confuse partner at all.(unless you only have the devious intention of preventing opponents from preempting in clubs).

[m1cha]

pstansbu, on 2016-November-27, 03:06, said:

I've heard advice previously that it's a bad idea to splinter with a singleton Ace

The purpose of splinter is to help partner correctly evaluate the hand.
Now imagine partner splinters in ♦ where you hold ♦ KJT2.
- What is this suit worth opposite the expected small singleton?
- What is this suit worth if partner holds a void?
- What is this suit worth if partner holds the singleton ace?
Did that splinter with a singleton ace help you?

[Caitlynne]

Splintering with a singleton Ace is a poor idea because the point of showing shortness is to help partner understand whether his/her values are working or duplicative.

If you show shortness in diamonds while confirming support for partner's heart suit and partner holds Axx, AKxxxx, xxx, x this is a huge hand despite its 11 HCP. You have fantastic trumps (should be no losers), first round control of spades, and second round control of clubs. Two diamond losers can be ruffed away to produce two tricks. But, should partner hold QJx, AQxxx, KQxx, x instead, this is a dreadful hand despite being such a sound opening bid because of the duplication in diamonds.

Notice how this analysis changes dramatically for the second hand if that singleton diamond is the Ace. Now the KQxx, instead of looking like waste, is pretty darned good. The KQ will provide pitches for dummy's side suit losers.

So, when you have a singleton Ace, it is usually best to make some kind of general forcing raise - e.g., a Jacoby 2NT bid. And, in fact, that is what I would recommend with the actual hand given.

[Kaitlyn S]

This situation is discussed in the ACBL's Major Suit Raises course. See page 26 of the following link:

Major Suit Raises II

I believe this does a fairly good job of answering your question.

(Side note: That material is on the ACBL website and free to anybody that wants to teach from it. Student texts are available from Baron Barclay for $7 each which is probably at cost - I think the ACBL just wanted to make the material available and isn't interested in making a profit. I disagree with those who think I'm unfairly dissing the ACBL in my "Integrity of the Masterpoint" thread; the ACBL is a fine organization and I'm trying to help them.)

[CCWryde]

Why anyone would want to use up bidding space on this holding is beyond me. Simply make a forcing bid......my p and I would bid 1 Spade (promising 4S's and waiting for p to further describe his/her hand); followed by another new suit (forcing).....I count asset points, so this hand is certainly worth 13+....

[Jinksy]

People are way too hung up on this ♣KQ business. For that to be key to a slam, P would need first or second round controls in the side suits he wants to pitch (at least one first), and both those suits plus trumps good enough to play for at most one loser after they've cashed their ace - as well as their powerful club holding, which is at least 4 cards, so that they can pitch down to a stiff in one of dummy's side suits, and only one ruff needed when they do. Ie a hand about as good as this:

K
AQxxx
Axx
KQJx

I doubt P will immediately give up even after hearing a club splinter on that hand. You haven't denied the AC, and he can ask about it, or cue 4♦ to seek further interest from you.

Meanwhile, let's look at a splinter-positive hand for South:

KJx
AQxxx
Ax
xxx

How bidding will go depends a lot on your 2N continuations, but what happens after say 1♥ 2N / 3♦* 4♣ / 4♦? (where 3♦ is a non-shortage-showing positive noise)

At this stage South has shown his strength (and arguably then some), and will pass a 4♥ bid by North. Even if North pushes to the 5 level you might subside there when neither can be sure of a play for 12 tricks. Is South likely to be encouraged by a second cue of clubs? It sounds like your honours won't be complimenting each other that well - if N has Qx KJxx Qxxx AKx, slam will have little chance).

Meanwhile if N had splintered, you'd sail into slam.

IMO the bigger risk with splintering is that if P has a slightly weaker hand (say, Kxx AQxxx Ax xxx) you might reach the five level and go off. But obsessing over partner's pessimal holdings for one path only is not the way to decide your bids.

[Vampyr]

Jinksy, on 2016-November-30, 14:09, said:

People are way too hung up on this ♣KQ business. For that to be key to a slam, P would need first or second round controls in the side suits he wants to pitch (at least one first), and both those suits plus trumps good enough to play for at most one loser after they've cashed their ace - as well as their powerful club holding, which is at least 4 cards, so that they can pitch down to a stiff in one of dummy's side suits, and only one ruff needed when they do. Ie a hand about as good as this:

K
AQxxx
Axx
KQJx

I doubt P will immediately give up even after hearing a club splinter on that hand. You haven't denied the AC, and he can ask about it, or cue 4♦ to seek further interest from you.

Partner will be interested in slam on this hand regardless of how you forced to game, so what did you gain by splintering?