[sceptic]

Scoring: IMP

---

West North East South

 1♣    Pass  2♣    Pass
 Pass  2♦    3♠    Pass
 5♣    Pass  Pass  Pass
 

Firstly what do you think of my 3 spade splinter (easy I have feelings)

we were playing 2/1 no inverted minors

and opinions on the play please?

[Elianna]

I would prefer to back up a step, and discuss your 2♣ bid. If I understand you correctly, you're NOT playing inverted minors, right? Then shouldn't your bid show 6-9 (maybe a bad 10 if you're conservative) HCP? Yet clearly, you have more than that, and so you were trying to play catch-up after. I think that's the bid that may put you in a bind.

I also don't understand why north didn't bid some level of diamonds at his/her first chance.

Anyway, so I don't know how to feel about your 3♠ splinter. Did partner figure it out?

[sceptic]

we were playing inverted minors I hd a brain storm

[PriorKnowledge]

More questions:

• Why did North pass 1C? (maybe worried about 4 card spade suit? strange)
  
• If you were playing inverted minors, then 2C shows 10+ and forces to 2N, 3C, or game. So why did opener pass?
  
• Why would North reopen rather than pass out the opps strong auction in a partial?
  
• I would prefer an immediate 3S splinter rather than a 2C bid

[luke warm]

sceptic, on May 5 2005, 02:53 PM, said:

we were playing inverted minors I hd a brain storm

this is confusing me... assuming you *were* playing inverted minors, why did west pass 2♣?

aside from that, i like the 3♠ bid

[sceptic]

I bid inverted minor, my p was not aware of this, which explains why he never bid 2NT. I had inverted minors on his profile from ages ago when I last played with him, some considerable time I think at least a good few months, it is quite possible he did not realise

[han]

I like your 3S so much that I would have bid it immediately. There is a good chance that you are no longer able to show your splinter after your forcing raise, for instance if partner bids 2NT or 3C. (although perhaps some play 1C-2C-2NT-3S as a splinter???)

[Gerben42]

If partner did not understand the inverted minors then why would he understand 3♠ as a splinter and not a 7-card suit? I like East's bidding, dislike Norths (and West passing my forcing bid).

[bearmum]

sceptic, on May 6 2005, 09:53 AM, said:

we were playing inverted minors I hd a brain storm

I have a problem when U post question assuming "2/1 and NOT inverted minors " and THEN later change to "we were playing inverted minors I hd a brain storm "


Maens EVERY answer is predicated on a false premise

[aisha759]

Hi
I need to put my 2 cents worth here...
1.) Whether you are playing inverted minors or not, and since North did not overcall with a 1♦ bid, arent you supposed to show a four carder by bidding 1 ♦?
2.) If you are not playing inverted minors 3♠ sounds like nice bid.
3.) If you are playing inverted then hmmm 2 ♣ and then 3♠ sounds descriptive enough, since you would have shown a 4 carder ♠ right away...

I also like the 3 ♠ bid, tend to agree with jimmy (as usual)
But he knows that already.....

Aisha

[pigpenz]

its a nice bid the splinter, but if the opponents hadnt balanced there would be no story So would you have bid it over a 2♥ response from partner if he hadnt passed or would you have bid 3♥. 4♥ may even have some play on the hand so i would have to make a choice between 3♣'s or 3♥'s.

[helene_t]

aisha759, on May 10 2005, 05:26 PM, said:

1.) Whether you are playing inverted minors or not, and since North did not overcall with a 1♦ bid, arent you supposed to show a four carder by bidding 1 ♦?

No, you bid 1♦ either
1) if you are interested in a diamond contract or
2) if you have no good bid so you have to lie about a minor suit, e.g. if you have a GF hand with club support and don't play inverted minors.

So if you can support clubs, you do.

[Walddk]

Your 2♣ is an underbid if you don't play inverted raises. You have plenty for 3♣ (limit). On the other hand, I think you did fine when you splintered in 3♠, catching up when you realised that you had underbid. The only problem with 3♠ is that it may get you too high.

I am sure you can see that it's somewhat contradictory to first bid 2♣ that can be passed, and moments later force the partnership to the 4-level.

Partner will hopefully not interpret 3♠ as natural (find a new partner). I mean, you didn't bid 1♠ first time around, did you?

As to the play, I can't see any reasonable line that will lead to defeat.

Roland

P.S. I now see that you actually did play inverted raises (your brain storm). In that case I like your bidding a lot.

[Walddk]

aisha759, on May 10 2005, 10:26 AM, said:

1.) Whether you are playing inverted minors or not, and since North did not overcall with a 1♦ bid, arent you supposed to show a four carder by bidding 1 ♦?

No, what's the point of introducing a new minor when you have support for partner's and no major to show? We can only play in one suit at a time, and I am not inclined to act as an information office assistant to my opponents.

Another common mistake is to introduce a new major when you already have a fit for partner's. For example

♠A10853
♥K984
♦4
♣Q74

1♥ - ??

Give him a sound limit raise in hearts right away. Whether that is 3♥, 3♦ (Bergen) or 3♣ (reverse Bergen) doesn't matter, but forget about spades. If you introduce them, partner will never believe that you have four cards when you support hearts later.

Roland

[P_Marlowe]

aisha759, on May 10 2005, 10:26 AM, said:

Hi 
I need to put my 2 cents worth here...
1.) Whether you are playing inverted minors or not, and since North did not overcall with a 1♦ bid, arent you supposed to show a four carder by bidding 1 ♦?

Hi,

if you are not playing inv. minors, it is a good idea
to bid diamonds or clubs, even if you are holding a
fit for partners minor, because you are still interested in 3NT.

Because otherwise it may be impossible to show the
stopper for 3 NT on a convienient level.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[Walddk]

Jlall, on May 11 2005, 10:07 AM, said:

Walddk, on May 11 2005, 02:22 AM, said:

aisha759, on May 10 2005, 10:26 AM, said:

1.) Whether you are playing inverted minors or not, and since North did not overcall with a 1♦ bid, arent you supposed to show a four carder by bidding 1 ♦?

No, what's the point of introducing a new minor when you have support for partner's and no major to show? We can only play in one suit at a time, and I am not inclined to act as an information office assistant to my opponents.

Another common mistake is to introduce a new major when you already have a fit for partner's. For example

♠A10853
♥K984
♦4
♣Q74

1♥ - ??

Give him a sound limit raise in hearts right away. Whether that is 3♥, 3♦ (Bergen) or 3♣ (reverse Bergen) doesn't matter, but forget about spades. If you introduce them, partner will never believe that you have four cards when you support hearts later.

Roland

Agree with roland, you should support with support over majors, theres no need to introduce the spade suit (however I would splinter with his example hand).

I would too, Justin, but I just didn't want to make things too complicated. Now that you mention it, my bid is 3♠ showing 9-11 hcp and an unspecified singleton. 3NT asks where if opener is interested at all (4♥ = spades).

The good thing about this method is that you don't necessarily reveal where your singleton is. Opener sometimes couldn't care less and just bids 4♥.

If you have a void, however, opener should always be interested. Therefore a jump to 4mi will show the same range with a void (3NT = spade void).

Yes, I also use it over 1♠, and I am sure you can figure out what the responses (and inquiry) are, but let me tell those of you who might be interested:

3NT = 9-11 hcp, unspecified singleton. 4♣ asks (4♠ = clubs).
4new = 9-11 hcp, void in that suit.

Very good method which I can recommend wholeheartedly.

Roland