[kenrexford]

Last night.

My RHO, as Dealer, opened 1♠. I overcalled 2♦, passed to partner, who leapt to 4♥. I tanked for a moment and then passed. We made 6. I jokingly commented that I had to make sure that this was not a splinter. Partner said of course not.

Two rounds later. My LHO as Dealer opened 1♠. Partner overcalled 2♦, passed to me. I had long hearts and values and thought it would be funny to just blast 4♥ myself, so I bid 4♥. Partner then went into the tank and eventually made a painful pass. He commented that he thought 4♥ had to be a splinter, but looking at a stiff heart figured that I just forgot.

As punishment, though, partner's death hand was just right for me to get caught in a cross-ruff with transportation problems and the like, for down 4.

[blackshoe]

"Bids mean what I want them to mean, neither more nor less". With apologies to Lewis Carrol.

[barmar]

If you haven't played in a 2-1 (or worse) fit at the 5 level or higher, you haven't played enough bridge. Who among us hasn't passed or been passed in a cue bid or splinter?

Actually, I think the more common confusion is over doubles. In competitive auctions, it can sometimes be hard to tell whether partner's double is takeout, penalty, or just cards.

[pirate22]

the second hand was an anomily,despite the result,but the discipline was there

[ggwhiz]

After a similar sequence of hands without your consistent approach, one of our players said "Partner, we play splinters all of the time or none of the time. NOT some of the time!"

[Cyberyeti]

A friend of mine reports playing with a social friend of his (who was a much worse bridge player) for the first time, he's looking at a 1♠ opener with a stiff heart, the auction goes 1♠-P-4♥ and he's not sure if his partner would know what a splinter was, so he passes, and she plays in a 1-0 fit.

[ggwhiz]

Here's one from Eddie Kantar

Mike Lawrence, a new partner, insists I learn a new convention. I agree. The convention is that after a major suit opening bid, a jump to the three level of the other major is an artificial bid, showing an opening hand with at least four card support for partner's major plus an UNKNOWN singleton. Opener can ask for the singleton by bidding the next step. Everything is going fine (because the convention has never come up) until we are playing in the Nationals Men's Pairs in Houston surrounded by kibitzers. Mike opens 1S, next hand passes, and I have: S. - H. AKJ10xxxx D. QJ C. AKx.

I completely forget our new convention and respond 3H to show my great hand. Mike alerts. They ask and he tells them I have spades with an unknown singleton. He jumps to 4S which means he doesn't care where my singleton is. I bid 5H. He alerts. They ask. He says: "I have a VOID IN HEARTS" and then bids 6S! I bid 7H! He alerts again. They ask. He says: "Cancel all the other alerts, I'm passing!" Mike has: S. AKQ10x H. xxx D. xx C. QJx. They lead a club and I make it! The kibitzers are so disgusted that they all leave!

He has a lot of fun stuff at www.kantarbridge.com/humor.htm

[kenrexford]

I experienced a similar one.

My wife learned splinters but missed that 1♥-P-3♠ would be a splinter. We ended up in 6♥, our seven-card fit, rather than 6♠, our 9-card fit. Missing the spade Ace, but hearts splitting 3-3 (I held AKQxxx opposite a stiff), the slam turned on who was on lead to effectively set up the winning side trick (A opposite QJ, but finesse failing).

As I held the side Ace, hearts was unbeatable but spades hopeless on that (standout) lead.