[apollo1201]

MPs, red vs. green

Partner deals and opens 1D, RHO passes, you bid 1H with

Ax
8xxx
QX9xx
Qx

That was the easy part. Now LHO sticks in a 2C overcall, partner splinters 4C (17-19 uncontested, but here...undiscussed), and RHO comes back to life with a 5C bid.

Why can’t they just be quiet...so now?

[mikeh]

apollo1201, on 2018-October-30, 15:53, said:

MPs, red vs. green

Partner deals and opens 1D, RHO passes, you bid 1H with

Ax
8xxx
QX9xx
Qx

That was the easy part. Now LHO sticks in a 2C overcall, partner splinters 4C (17-19 uncontested, but here...undiscussed), and RHO comes back to life with a 5C bid.

Why can’t they just be quiet...so now?

We need him to hold a 'good' hand for the splinter....'good' meaning the high end of the already strong range shown by him.

How do we find that out? We pass.

Pass is forcing. He will bid 5R with a very good hand...usually 5H but he can bid 5D with, say, 2=4=6=1 or 3=4=6=0. Otherwise he will double and we can expect to collect between 300 and 500.

Yes, I can see that defending will result in a score less than our game, but I'd rather be +300 than -100, or worse. There is no reason partner can't be KQx AJxx AKJxx x as one easy example, and while 5H isn't down off the top, I don't like my chances.

Make it Kxx AQJx AKJxx x and I do like my chances.....note, however, that partner should 'like' Kxx AQJx better than KQx AJxx....when we pass, denying the ability to bid 5H but allowing him to do so, a weak trump suit is often the reason.

I think that bidding directly, which will definitely work some of the time, is allowing oneself to be pushed around. I see that a lot in advancing players, who have learned that aggression is usually 'good' but lack the discipline to allow partner to be involved.

Note also that while I have suggested a 3=4=5=1 hand, he could be 4=4=4=1, in which case he should almost always double (he doesn't know we have a 5th diamond and 4441 hands generally play worse than do 5431 hands), or be 4=4=5=0m or 3=4=6=0, and nhow he will almost always bid.

[The_Badger]

apollo1201, on 2018-October-30, 15:53, said:

...partner splinters 4C (17-19 uncontested, but here...undiscussed)...

Mikeh's excellent reply covers all the bases. The only thing I would add that even though the auction is contested, the range of the splinter should remain the same.

[steve2005]

mikeh, on 2018-October-30, 16:57, said:

We need him to hold a 'good' hand for the splinter....'good' meaning the high end of the already strong range shown by him.

More like a perfect hand!
He needs AKQ hearts and hearts not to split 4-1
He pretty well needs AK which I think they will have
and they need A♣ singleton or K♠

or some holdings with a club void
The hearts holding is the tricky one and on this sort of bidding a 4-1 break is more than the standard 16% so may need J too.

[mikeh]

steve2005, on 2018-October-30, 22:31, said:

More like a perfect hand!
He needs AKQ hearts and hearts not to split 4-1
He pretty well needs AK which I think they will have
and they need A♣ singleton or K♠

or some holdings with a club void
The hearts holding is the tricky one and on this sort of bidding a 4-1 break is more than the standard 16% so may need J too.

We’re not looking for slam with our forcing pass, and if Rho has a stiff, it’s more likely in diamonds than hearts. AKxx will usually be adequate trump support. This is mps. At imps, taking the sure plus (?) has a lot more going for it.

[apollo1201]

The_Badger, on 2018-October-30, 21:14, said:

Mikeh's excellent reply covers all the bases. The only thing I would add that even though the auction is contested, the range of the splinter should remain the same.

I am amazed, Mikeh almost found the hand. And yes the FP is clearly the good way to show I am not against playing higher. Invite that partner will take and bid...6, actually owning an Ace extra (21 prime HCPs) vs average splinter:
KQxx
AKQx (H were 3-2!)
AKxx
x

We turned up playing 6H 3 times out of 28 deals, always making, with this pick-up partner!