Splinters over No-trump

[TIE53]

I've noticed while playing with GIB recently that it will often splinter directly over a 1-NT opening. Is the point of this just to give the opener a chance to run to a suit-contract if they don't have a stop in the bid suit? Otherwise, I feel like this just gives the opponents an obvious suit to lead. Is this just a peculiarity of GIB or is this something that high-level bridge players actually use?

[1eyedjack]

Yes it is a powerful tool. In a single bid it usually tells partner

1) in which denomination you should be playing (potentially any one of 4, including NT and the other three suits), and

2) whether there are slam prospects.

 

If opener is stuffed with wasted values opposite the shortage, it turns the cold tap on slam prospects, and perhaps guides you to NT even if there is a fit elsewhere.

If opener has nothing in the suit opposite the shortage, and particularly with a side suit fit, he gets excited.

 

Information leakage to the opponents is of course a concern, as it is with any constructive methods. If you have a singleton in a wide open suit, I venture to suggest that there is a reasonable chance of them leading it whether you tell them to or not.

 

By the way I don't suggest that GIB's splintering policy is perfect.

[steve2005]

GIB uses 3♦/3♥/3♠ to show 4441 or 5440 no 5M

Yes when it comes up opener in good position to set trump or NT

However, these are amongst the rarest distributions possible and I consider it a waste of 3 useful bids.

 

A more common scheme is to use 3♥/3♠ for 31 in majors and 5-4 in minors which has the advantage that these hands come up more often and can be used for some similar distributions.

 

In any case it is possible to handle all these hand 3-suited hand types using Stayman if you want to put the effort into it but not many people do this.

[helene_t]

GIB uses 3♦/3♥/3♠ to show 4441 or 5440 no 5M

Yes when it comes up opener in good position to set trump or NT

However, these are amongst the rarest distributions possible and I consider it a waste of 3 useful bids.

 

A more common scheme is to use 3♥/3♠ for 31 in majors and 5-4 in minors which has the advantage that these hands come up more often and can be used for some similar distributions.

GIB bids the (31)(54) hands by bidding minor suit stayman followed by showing the singleton.

 

This is not ideal since it does not distinguish between (13)(54) and (03)(55) and (12)(55), so opener won't know if there is 3-card support for a major suit contract.

 

Another thing is that GIB can't splinter in clubs since 3♣ is transfer to diamonds. Maybe one could play 3♦ as a splinter in an unknown minor. Then opener could use 3♥ as an asking bid.

 

Is it possible to bid all the (4441) hands via Stayman? I suppose you could allow Stayman followed by 3♣ with (441)4 hands. In the GIB system it shows 5+ clubs but maybe we have enough bidding space to allow it to be 4+ clubs.

[Zelandakh]

Is it possible to bid all the (4441) hands via Stayman? I suppose you could allow Stayman followed by 3♣ with (441)4 hands. In the GIB system it shows 5+ clubs but maybe we have enough bidding space to allow it to be 4+ clubs.

Back in the day I used to use the sequences:

1NT - 2♣; 2♦ - 2♠

1NT - 2♣; 2♥ - 2♠, and

1NT - 2♣; 2♠ - 3♦

 

...as various forms of Baron but it would be a simple matter to re-brand them to deal with shortages rather than looking for fits. So it is certainly possible, even more so given that I also had many diamond-based hands in 2♣ that other systems probably bid via a transfer. Note that you do not need Stayman followed by 3♣ naturally if you arrange to handle all of the club-based hands elsewhere! ;)

[Vampyr]

Many years ago I played with one partner: 2♠=Minor suit Stayman or a diamond bust, and 2NT as a club bust or GF 4441. I think that was the way round it was. Obviously the former could also incorporate some minor-suit slam tries.

 

Edit: crossed the above post. 2♠ Baron is very popular here. I don't know how it works or whether it could be used to pinpoint a singleton.

[iandayre]

Many years ago I played with one partner: 2♠=Minor suit Stayman or a diamond bust, and 2NT as a club bust or GF 4441. I think that was the way round it was. Obviously the former could also incorporate some minor-suit slam tries.

 

Edit: crossed the above post. 2♠ Baron is very popular here. I don't know how it works or whether it could be used to pinpoint a singleton.

 

This was the method advocated in Max Hardy's books on 2/1. I always found it to be worth playing.