Help
Late to the thread. I like the auto-splinter and otherwise agree with Frances.
However, there is a gadget, written up in the BW years ago, that caters to this at little cost systemically (not: no cost)
Use 3♣ over 1N as artificial gf, one of 3 hand types: both blacks, or spades with precisely 4 hearts (thus allowing the 3♥ jump shift to promise 5, which can be very important for responder to know) or, and the one that comes into play here, a huge one-suiter very close to a 2♣ opening bid. Responder usually relays with 3♦, which is the call here, and now opener bids 3♠ which sets trump and is forcing.
Slam is trivial now.
I've played the gadget off and on for almost 20 years now, dependent on whether I can get my current partner to agree, and I've yet to see a poor result, not that it arises frequently.
2 Club opener? 2/1 ACBL
#41
- Group: Advanced Members
- Posts: 13,090
- Joined: 2005-June-15
- Gender:Male
- Location:Canada
- Interests:Bridge, golf, wine (red), cooking, reading eclectically but insatiably, travelling, making bad posts.
Posted 2014-October-13, 13:06
'one of the great markers of the advance of human kindness is the howls you will hear from the Men of God' Johann Hari
#42
- Group: Advanced Members
- Posts: 7,786
- Joined: 2004-September-05
- Gender:Male
- Location:Galloway NJ USA
-
Interests:Bridge, Poker, participatory and spectator sports.
Occupation - Tax Attorney in Atlantic City, NJ.
Posted 2014-October-13, 15:04
mikeh, on 2014-October-13, 13:06, said:
Late to the thread. I like the auto-splinter and otherwise agree with Frances.
However, there is a gadget, written up in the BW years ago, that caters to this at little cost systemically (not: no cost)
Use 3♣ over 1N as artificial gf, one of 3 hand types: both blacks, or spades with precisely 4 hearts (thus allowing the 3♥ jump shift to promise 5, which can be very important for responder to know) or, and the one that comes into play here, a huge one-suiter very close to a 2♣ opening bid. Responder usually relays with 3♦, which is the call here, and now opener bids 3♠ which sets trump and is forcing.
Slam is trivial now.
I've played the gadget off and on for almost 20 years now, dependent on whether I can get my current partner to agree, and I've yet to see a poor result, not that it arises frequently.
However, there is a gadget, written up in the BW years ago, that caters to this at little cost systemically (not: no cost)
Use 3♣ over 1N as artificial gf, one of 3 hand types: both blacks, or spades with precisely 4 hearts (thus allowing the 3♥ jump shift to promise 5, which can be very important for responder to know) or, and the one that comes into play here, a huge one-suiter very close to a 2♣ opening bid. Responder usually relays with 3♦, which is the call here, and now opener bids 3♠ which sets trump and is forcing.
Slam is trivial now.
I've played the gadget off and on for almost 20 years now, dependent on whether I can get my current partner to agree, and I've yet to see a poor result, not that it arises frequently.
I remember playing this gadget with Dave Treadwell solely for the purpose of distinguishing between a 4 and a 5 card heart suit. I don't remember him mentioning the possibility of the strong one-suited spade hand. But it certainly makes sense.
#43
- Group: Advanced Members
- Posts: 13,090
- Joined: 2005-June-15
- Gender:Male
- Location:Canada
- Interests:Bridge, golf, wine (red), cooking, reading eclectically but insatiably, travelling, making bad posts.
Posted 2014-October-13, 16:27
ArtK78, on 2014-October-13, 15:04, said:
I remember playing this gadget with Dave Treadwell solely for the purpose of distinguishing between a 4 and a 5 card heart suit. I don't remember him mentioning the possibility of the strong one-suited spade hand. But it certainly makes sense.
I think the one-suiter was my modification, but it was so long ago that my memory may be deceiving me
'one of the great markers of the advance of human kindness is the howls you will hear from the Men of God' Johann Hari
#44
- Group: Advanced Members
- Posts: 1,745
- Joined: 2014-January-12
- Gender:Male
- Location:Bari (ITALIA)
- Interests:I'm also on YOUTUBE with a channel of music songs .
Posted 2014-November-23, 03:29
kenberg, on 2014-January-05, 10:06, said:
I think getting confiently to 6♠ is tough. To see why, imagine playing this hand on the lead of the queen of hearts. Winning on the board and running the Jack of spades seems like a very bad idea. If it loses to the King and a diamond comes back there goes your entry so you lose a heart and the contract. So you win the heart in hand and, probably, lead a small spade just in case there is a 4-0 split. You win the return, draw trump, cash the top clubs, get to the board with whichever red suit entry still exists, and toss a heart on the Queen of clubs.
The point is that you are making use of every one of dummy's high cards. I have no bidding gadget to inform me that partner has the Jack of Spades, the King of Hearts, the Ace of Diamonds, and the Queen of Clubs.
OK, if we waited for a sure thing we would neveer do anything in bridge or in life, but still I think there will be some concerns.
Would I open 2♣? Maybe. Not so much to get to salm as because I can think of lots of hands where if I open 1♠ I might be scoring up +170. But if I do open this with 2♣ I think it will still be iffy. 2♣-2♦-2♠-2NT I suppose. Maybe 2♦ shopwed values, it does with some, but if it didn't then the 2NT rebid did. But now what?
I'm fine with the TWO4 auction, but I suggest that after the 4♦ self-splinter it might be best for the responding hand to take over with rkc. Let's say that they are playing 1430. 4♦(splinter)-4NT-5♦(3, not 0 on the auction)-5♥(Queen ask)-6♣-6♠. Might E be worried that the missing key is in clubs or hearts? Yes, but then spades are solid and Qxx of hearts might well be adequate to bring this in.
The point is that you are making use of every one of dummy's high cards. I have no bidding gadget to inform me that partner has the Jack of Spades, the King of Hearts, the Ace of Diamonds, and the Queen of Clubs.
OK, if we waited for a sure thing we would neveer do anything in bridge or in life, but still I think there will be some concerns.
Would I open 2♣? Maybe. Not so much to get to salm as because I can think of lots of hands where if I open 1♠ I might be scoring up +170. But if I do open this with 2♣ I think it will still be iffy. 2♣-2♦-2♠-2NT I suppose. Maybe 2♦ shopwed values, it does with some, but if it didn't then the 2NT rebid did. But now what?
I'm fine with the TWO4 auction, but I suggest that after the 4♦ self-splinter it might be best for the responding hand to take over with rkc. Let's say that they are playing 1430. 4♦(splinter)-4NT-5♦(3, not 0 on the auction)-5♥(Queen ask)-6♣-6♠. Might E be worried that the missing key is in clubs or hearts? Yes, but then spades are solid and Qxx of hearts might well be adequate to bring this in.
This hand makes me to think: when opened 2♣, 2♦-2♠ and not excluding 2NT(= balanced 9-10 points) that allows us to figure as is it. The problem is if in spade we have the King or not (and in this case a type of cue bid in heart helps to know it.