[straube]

Can one splinter after partner splinters? I've always wanted to, but I've never seen it at table.

Today I held AJxxx Kxxx void AQxx

and after my spade open, a pickup partner splintered 4C.

So I obviously have some interest but where are partner's values? Textbook splinters promise a control (A or K) in the side suits so we could have diamond wastage. OTOH, partner ought to have the HA.

Well, I guess I should bid 4H or even RKC the hand, but would 5D show diamond shortness? Maybe that wouldn't be the right call with this hand, but maybe I could construct a similar hand that would qualify.

Partner turned out to have Qxxxx AQJxx xx x so he might have strained to bid 2H and then 4S. If I'd bid slam and found him with Qxxxx xx AQJxx x I'd have been less thrilled.

[1eyedjack]

In my view a splinter suggests a fairly even distribution of values in the other suits. If you have a heavy concentration of values in one suit over another, possibly you should rethink whether a splinter is the most descriptive way to approach the hand.

Good topic, though. I quite often want to splinter in a suit bid naturally by partner - he does not have to have a concentration of soft values in the suit that he bid (or even much in the way of values in that suit at all) - and yet I don't see much in discussions about how to show a splinter in that suit.

[apollo1201]

Agree with 1eyedjack.

When you splinter, it is that your shortness is the only "special feature" of your hand that is worth mentionning "en route" to game. And youndescribe it immediately so partner can advise.

So splintering above a splinter makes little sense since by splintering, your partner told you everything and leaves you to decide (or start cueing). And just imagine the level you'd reach (1S-4D-6C in a worst-case scenario)!

Here, 2H followed (if possible, above the 80% expected 2S rebid) by a splinter would be a more accurate description. Anyway, the auction would take a different turn and you'd quickly reach 5 or 6M (w/ some luck required).

OTOH, exclusion BW can apply if you play so.

[jallerton]

straube, on 2016-October-30, 14:12, said:

Can one splinter after partner splinters? I've always wanted to, but I've never seen it at table.

In principle, the answer to your question is yes, but in practice the auction will often be too high to make the second jump sensible. If the auction commences 1♠-4♣, Opener's jump to 5 of a red suit does imply a void, but a lot of expert players would attach a more specific meaning: Exclusion RKCB.

A consultative return splinter would make more sense at a lower level. For example you might play mini-splinters by a passed hand. If the auction goes (uncontested) Pass-1♠-3♣-4♦ then that would be a splinter; as you point out the 3♣ bid did not specify the relative holdings in the red suits, so a return splinter asks partner to judge the wastage there.

[Jinksy]

straube, on 2016-October-30, 14:12, said:

Can one splinter after partner splinters? I've always wanted to, but I've never seen it at table.

Today I held AJxxx Kxxx void AQxx

and after my spade open, a pickup partner splintered 4C.

So I obviously have some interest but where are partner's values? Textbook splinters promise a control (A or K) in the side suits so we could have diamond wastage. OTOH, partner ought to have the HA.

Well, I guess I should bid 4H or even RKC the hand, but would 5D show diamond shortness? Maybe that wouldn't be the right call with this hand, but maybe I could construct a similar hand that would qualify.

Partner turned out to have Qxxxx AQJxx xx x so he might have strained to bid 2H and then 4S. If I'd bid slam and found him with Qxxxx xx AQJxx x I'd have been less thrilled.

We play the (common I think?) treatment that 1♥ 3♠ and 1♠ 3N show a splinter in an undisclosed side-suit. 90% of the time opener will bid the next step to ask, or just sign off in 4M, so we've made the other bids into resplinters - ie a minimum, with a suit opposite which a splinter would be encouraging (or slightly super-minimum with slight wasted values in all the suits), and shortage of our own, asking P to then reveal his shortage only if he likes what he hears.

Where 4N features in this is up for debate (atm it would still just be RKCB), but it can work quite nicely to let you find some nice 23-point slams - and we weren't aware of any other suggested continuations.