TWO4BRIDGE

Let's review what "you" don't like about the 4♦! splinter: 1) Shows an immediate "minimum" GF raise with at least 4 cards but not a powerhouse ( with a stronger hand I would Jac2NT even with shortness ). 2) A stiff so Opener can evaluate wastage; 3) 8 cards ( maybe 7 ) in the rounded suits with "stuff" in them for the GF raise. If Partner next cuebids 4♥ ( over 4♦ ), that's all I need to hear -- I'm going 4NT-RKC .

4♦!

I'll take a stab at the 3rd option: 5H! - 6C! ( ♠K and ♥K ) 6D = never mind, I needed the ♣K

3♥ is forcing after going thru NMF or checkback, because the invitational sequence with a 3♥ bid would be: 1C - 1H 1NT - 3H jump "All jumps are invitational ( or weak depending an prior agreement ) ".. "All GF sequences go thru NMF ( or checkback ) first " ...

This is a "poster child" hand for using 4S! kickback RKC when ♥ are trump -- because you can get an efficient ♠K reply : 1C - 1H 1NT - 2C! 2H! - 4S! ( kickback RKC ) 5C (1/4) - 5S ( specific K-ask ) 5NT ( ♠K; NT shows the asked for feature ) - 6C ( 2nd K-ask 6NT ( ♣K ) - ?? But now I can only count to 12 -- I don't know about the ♣J ... not to mention the ♥J. I think I'll pass 6NT .

the_clown said: I found it very interesting for the hands shown... but... ...I've been puzzled a little bit when thinking about alternate holdings. How does replier show ♥K only, or ♣K only, or ♥K and ♣K but no ♠K ??

Why should the South hand venture toward slam if the direct 2S rebid does not promise "extras" ? He knows Opener has to have ast least ♠AKQ plus enough extras for any chance.

I have to admit, that is quite clever ! !

Historical note... Back in Dec. 2001, an East Coast expert posted ( on a now defunct message board ) the following hands with the same question about a 2S rebid in a 2/1 GF auction after a 1H open: Hand 1 A K Q x A K J x x x x x x Hand 2 J x x x A K Q x x Q x x x That is when I came up with the structure in my post #8 : Hand #1 1H - 2D! 2S = 4 cards Sp, natural, reverse strength (ie. extras ) Hand # 2 1H - 2D! 2H! ( any minimum ) - 2S! ( asks ) 3C! ( 4 5 3 1 )

Here's my reply from the last thread...showing my system... where a direct 2S rebid would show "extras" and a 2H! rebid announces a minimum opener. 1H - 2C!/2D! ?? ..2S = 4 cards Sp, natural, reverse strength (ie. extras ) ..2NT = NO 4 cards Sp, but extras ..2H! = announces a minimum opener; may have 4 cards Sp ........2S! = asks ..............Flannery type replies with 4 cards Sp: .............. 3C! = 4s/5h w/Cl shortness .............. 3D! = 4s/5h w/Diam shortness .............. 3H! = 4s/6h ( extra Ht length); 3S! asks shortness ( Zel improvement ) .............. 3S! = 4s/5h and 2-2 in the minors .............. 2NT! = No 4 cards Sp ( this is the 2nd way for Opener to bid 2NT --showing a minimum open )

I'm not sure, but I would call 2C as only one round force as "non-vanilla" = "non-GF".

I have to agree as to the "huge wtf to 4C ..." . Soo, I'll pull out the 2S! GF Gadget after a 1H response ( Gnasher released himself as inventor of the gadget ): 1D - 1H 2S!( maybe artificial but GF nonetheless ) - 2NT! ( asking for clarification ) 3D! ( long Diam, no 4s, no 3h ) - 4D 4H! ( kickback-RKC ) etc as in my post # 4 .. to 7NT Edit: The latter 3D! bid is the 2nd way to bid 3D.... and here it is GF, so you will at least get to game.... an option of which includes 3NT. The former way, although highly invitational, is NF : 1D - 1H 3D And the use of 3NT to show this hand stifles the bidding ( IMO ): 1D - 1H 3NT

1D - 1H 4D! = CWNN ( Convention With No Name = 6d/4h , GF )

Hardy Style for the 1D - 2C! ( 2/1 GF ): 1D - 2C! ( 2/1 GF ) 2D ( 1st priority is to show 5+d ) - 4D! ( Minorwood; I'm ready to "ask" ) ?? ... 5D! = even ( 0 or 2 )+ void somewhere ... 5H! = odd ( 1 or 3 ) + Ht void ... 5S! = odd + Sp void ... 6C! = odd + Cl void After: 5S! ( gotta be 3 keys + Sp void ) - 6C! ( K-ask; showing all key cards and dQ; 5NT would be dQ-ask ) 6H! ( hK; cheapest bid K ) - 7D ( counting: 1s, 3h, 4d, 3c and 2 Sp-ruffs ) [ Responder doesn't know about the running Cl suit for a cold 7NT ] . [ Responder isn't afraid to use the 6C! ( K-ask ) because the only outstanding K is the hK; with no outside K's, the reply would be 6D ] .

After the 5♦ reply: Edit: Actually, after 5♣ reply ( 3rd step = 2 - dQ ): 5♥ ( asking for cheapest bid K ) - 5♠ ( sK ) 5NT ( 2nd K-ask ) - 6♥ ( hK ) 7NT ... counting 2s, 3h, 7d, 1c

If partner had 3 card ♠ support, he could make a clear-cut 3♠ raise ( over 2NT ) . If partner had 4 card ♠ support, he could immediately bid Jac2NT or make an immediate splinter raise depending on whether he "wanted informatiom" or "wanted to give" information... and forget about showing his 5+card ♥ suit..... ( I knoww, I know ... some like to muddy up the waters by showing a "source of tricks" first ) That leaves an "auto-splinter" for his good, long suit: ♥ . Analogous situations that I KNOW are auto-splinters are the following where Opener has rebid 1NT: 1C/1D - 1H 1NT - 4C/4D/3S all would be auto- or self-splinters for ♥ as trump. Edit: I seem to recall a similar thread recently involving a 2NT rebid by Opener after a 2/1 Response .... something like: 1H - 2D 2NT - 4C = auto-splinter ? ( I've forgotten the concensus ) .

I think it is called a " BBO DBL " .

Ask yourself: Who has the ♣ 4 ? It's probably partner... which would give Declarer: Q 10 9 7 . Edit: It does not hurt to falsecard the 9 since the 7 will go on his J next. So switch to what you think is partner's "long major" . If it were ♥ ( and assuming 6 of them ), that would mean South would have opened 1NT with a stiff . Switch to ♠ A and continue.

My post #9 was incorrect. West's DBL is a T/O for ♥ ...( West/East's first bids were not "real" suit bids ) ... ostensibly showing ♠ but not necessarily guaranteeing 4 cards. Soo, East can bid 2S over 2H ... showing 4 cards and implying the upper end of his 1D! artificial weak initial response. If East DBLed ( over 2H ) , I would interpret it as "Responsive" -- only showing the minors, and denying ♠.

[ Deleted because incorrect ] . See post # 15 .

I don't play the Big Club, but why the 3♥! bid ? Why not show one of your suits at this juncture ... like 2♠ .

Many opened 1D and most opps interfered with ♥ bids, but many reached 6D. A few just opened 6D. And a few opened 2C... and it worked because partner had CLUBS ... who would have thought ? 2C! - 3C! ( 5+ card suit w/2 of the top 3 honors ) 7D Partner's hand: ♠ 10 8 6 5 3 ♥ K Q 10 ♦ void ♣ K Q 10 6 5 It might be argued apriori that 7C could be safer.

One situation where you may not want to play the Ace is to get to partner's hand later ( he has shown the J ) for a lead switch thru dummy .

What's your plan ? You are Dealer. IMPs Red vs white. ♠ void ♥ void ♦ A K Q J 10 9 7 4 ♣ A 9 7 3 2 I'll post more later....

ditto