Most unwelcome response to a 1 bid

[Cyberyeti]

If I bid diamonds then splinter, I’m not saying I have four spades and heart shortness. I don’t need to be so precise.

 

How do you splinter over 1♠-2♦-2♥ ? (which must be quite likely)

[Douglas43]

Quite like playing 3NT=16-18. Allows more dialogue on the 13-15 hands.

[helene_t]

Last Sunday, I went to Amsterdam to play a tourney with a Dutch friend. We played miserably but one of our few good boards was:

xxx

AKQxxx

xx

Ax

 

1♥-(pass)-3NT*-(pass)

pass!

 

3NT shows a balanced 12-14 with support. I reasoned that partner probably wouldn't have any ruffing value, that we quite possibly just have some 10 or 11 tricks to cash without any suit to develop, and that the hand probably plays best in his hand. So I passed. 3NT+1 was quite good as almost everyone made the same number of tricks in a heart contract.

[mikeh]

How do you splinter over 1♠-2♦-2♥ ? (which must be quite likely)

I don’t

 

But we do have a LOT of room compared to having bid 3D over 1S. As for ‘quite likely’, that’s a very bold statement.

 

2H is definitely possible, but ‘quite likely’ overstates the probabilities by ‘quite a lot’, lol. He has at most 8 non spades and may have fewer. While our shape impacts the odds, the chances of half or more of his non spades being hearts is not particularly high. He’s far more likely than not to hold 3 or fewer….note that the opps likely lack the hcp/suit length and texture, to bid, especially if we have slam, so one cannot safely infer anything much from their silence.

[Cyberyeti]

I don’t

 

But we do have a LOT of room compared to having bid 3D over 1S. As for ‘quite likely’, that’s a very bold statement.

 

2H is definitely possible, but ‘quite likely’ overstates the probabilities by ‘quite a lot’, lol. He has at most 8 non spades and may have fewer. While our shape impacts the odds, the chances of half or more of his non spades being hearts is not particularly high. He’s far more likely than not to hold 3 or fewer….note that the opps likely lack the hcp/suit length and texture, to bid, especially if we have slam, so one cannot safely infer anything much from their silence.

 

Less likely for you, MY partner WILL have a second 4 card suit unless 15+ or has 6+ spades and it's more likely to be hearts than either of the others.

[AL78]

While I would never use J2N with that hand, I can at least understand those who would. At least that gets across two of the four critical elements of the hand: a big fit and some slam interest.

 

I don't play 2/1 so I would bid J2N with that hand.

[mikeh]

But maybe because of vagueness?

 

"5+ diamonds" = ? [♦xxxxx and ♦KQJTxx both ok?]

"good spades" = ? [♠Axx and ♠xxxx both ok?]

"short hearts" = ? [singleton and void both ok?]

"slam interest" = ? [AJx x AQJTx xxxx and AJxx x AQJTx Kxx both ok?]

 

Is AJx x AQJTx KJxx a possible hand?

Lol

 

 

You think that I would treat xxxxx as equivalent to KQJ10x?

 

No…even you aren’t that silly.

 

I’m not going to dignify the rest of your ‘questions’ with detailed answers since you’re either an extremely bad player or you think I am (or both of course) or you’re trolling. But you might want to consider that the post that you suggest was too vague was in specific response to a precise example posted by cyber. Why you think I was exhaustively defining all similar hand types is beyond me.

 

But should you want to learn a little more about the game…..I have lessons available…for a price. I think I’d charge extra for you😀

[kereru67]

I guess in general my feeling is that bidding is a conversation, and if your partner makes an open-ended bid, you should avoid conversation-shutters like an immediate 3NT. If you must jump in response to an open-ended bid, then make it a bid that clearly defines your hand (e.g. splinter, or a very precise shape and point count in the case of 3NT). After that, your partner is in charge and decides the final contract.

[mycroft]

I agree with your last two sentences. But I reiterate that *in this auction*, 3NT is no more a "conversation-shutter" than 3♠ splinter. In many auctions, sure. Just not this one.