M J Bridge

Bidding

 Responder root page

Home

Conventions

Hands

Theory

The splinter bid


In their basic form these bids consist of a double jump shift - e.g. 3 over partner’s 1 or 4 over partner’s 1 or 1.


They agree partner’s suit with at least four-card support, show a shortage (void or singleton) in the bid suit, and are forcing to game on a hand of seven losers or better.

8

Q J 9 7

A K T 5

J 8 6 4

Partner opened 1.

Four-card support and a side-suit singleton in a seven-loser hand.

Bid 3, showing precisely this holding and forcing to the heart game.


These bids have the great advantage of showing partner the nature of your support immediately whilst at the same time taking bidding space away from the opponents.


Game-going hands without a shortage will have to find some other route to game.

My preferred convention in this situation is the game-forcing Jacoby 2NT.  (Others might play either a delayed game-raise or a 2NT ‘limit or better’ raise or even just a good old-fashioned jump into the game.)

In the improver’s version on this page any game-going hand with a shortage will travel by way of the splinter route.  Any alternative route to game will therefore deny such a shortage.


Frequently the hand will be a little light in high-card points - less than the twelve or so normally required for a constructive raise to the four-level - note in the example above that the hand has only eleven points one of which may well be useless.

However, on occasion it will be stronger than this and opener will have to bear this in mind on his rebid.


I should though mention that this straightforward implementation of the idea is not the choice of many modern-day expert partnerships.

A variation more in line with current expert thinking will be found under extending your methods.


My feeling is that splinter bids in their basic form should be introduced at a fairly early stage - pretty much at the same time as you learn to evaluate the potential of your support in an unbalanced hand using the losing trick count.

Post-beginner and above

Opener’s first bid

Opener’s rebid

Context  -  Acol bidding - Responder’s first bid - partner opened one major in first or second seat - improvers’ methods - support bids.

This page last revised 29th Jun 2021