[mr1303]

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Deciding that you have too much outside your 2 suits to open a Muiderberg 2S at this vulnerability, the bidding proceeds as shown.

What would you call here? You have no agreements as to what 2NT or 3C would mean. 4D is a splinter here.

[Phil]

I like 4♦. As JLall has said in the past, "they pay game bonuses at MPs, too".

4♦ is great for slam investigations - imagine partner with short clubs and the red aces, and it shows some values in case they save and partner wants to smack it and start giving me diamonds ruffs.

[JLOGIC]

I would just bid 4s and double them if they bid over it. Getting to slam just is not a consideration to me when Lho has opened and tho has bid. Sure we could have one but preempting them fully and keeping them in the dark is worth it to me.I

[mikeh]

I was going to say almost word for word what Justin said, so I upvoted it.

We'd need magic cards for slam to be on, given that both opps have some values, and in the meantime we have given them bidding space.

We want them to make the last guess and to make it with the least amount of useful information. Say we bid 4♦ and LHO, who is often short in spades on this auction, stretches (or has an easy time, for that matter) to bid 4♥. We know that our side is bidding 4♠, whether it be partner or us. So then, we have splintered and bid 4♠ after LHO has shown his heart support. Since we have splintered, a slam try, they won't usually be in a forcing pass auction, so they can safely pass it out when both have bid their hands to the limit.

Compare this to the problems we create for them by just blasting 4♠. Sure, we'll miss a tiny number of low-high-card slams that make when he has a perfecto, but in the meantime we become difficult oppenents and will generate a larger number of positive swings.

For one thing, and this is only a part of the situation, it is dangerous for the opps to play us for this good a hand, and go quietly when they are maximal for the sequence.

[lalldonn]

I like 4♠ but I wouldn't be doubling if they bid over it. It seems weird to me but idunno maybe it's a good idea.

[billw55]

Hmm, I see my original thoughts may have been a little off, but I'll post them anyway.

If this hand is a partscore battle, we're winning it because we have the spades. So I don't think I need to preempt partner. His hand can still be fairly wide ranging, so I bid 3♣, let him decide to stop in 3 or bid 4 or whatever.

[the hog]

4S at MPs, Imps or whatever.

[Thiros]

4♠. Go, go, go. Let them stew over their five-level choices.

It's true, 4♦ is a splinter and will let us get to six when partner has the likes of ♠KJxxx ♥xx ♦Axxx ♣AQ. Nothing is stopping partner from holding this hand, apart from raw, sheer probabilities. At matchpoints, more important than slam-chasing, is cutting off LHO's 4♥ bid. We bid and make a slam and we get a top the 5% or 10% of the time it is on. We have 10 tricks in spades and they find 5♥-X down three, we have a zero.

[SteveMoe]

Partner might be on as little as KQxxx xx KJxx xx for a 1-level overcall. 2♣ to see if s/he has a 7 loser hand before committing to 4♠.

[PhilKing]

I definitely splinter. If they get to, of all things, 5♦, I would like my partner to know that I have:

1. Good trump support.

2. Something resembling game values.

3. Short diamonds.

If we splinter, partner can make an informed decision. We often have a choice between blasting and describing, but here we handicap ourselves by withholding information should they bid on. Why bother playing splinters if we are not going to use them here?

I wouldn't be shocked if it turned out they were able to double 4♦ and reach game when had I just blasted I would have stolen the pot, but I don't think that's a particularly likely scenario. It's a "monster fit" scenario where we often need to prepare our side for the key 5-level decision. Maybe we need to bid five over five, maybe we need to double them and maybe we have a slam (true story - partner once held a void club in a similar auction). I don't know - perhaps partner will, but he won't if I don't tell him what I have.

[MrAce]

PhilKing, on 2012-December-17, 20:28, said:

I definitely splinter. If they get to, of all things, 5♦, I would like my partner to know that I have:

1. Good trump support.

2. Something resembling game values.

3. Short diamonds.

If we splinter, partner can make an informed decision. We often have a choice between blasting and describing, but here we handicap ourselves by withholding information should they bid on. Why bother playing splinters if we are not going to use them here?

I wouldn't be shocked if it turned out they were able to double 4♦ and reach game when had I just blasted I would have stolen the pot, but I don't think that's a particularly likely scenario. It's a "monster fit" scenario where we often need to prepare our side for the key 5-level decision. Maybe we need to bid five over five, maybe we need to double them and maybe we have a slam (true story - partner once held a void club in a similar auction). I don't know - perhaps partner will, but he won't if I don't tell him what I have.

This is exactly what i think. 4♦ helps pd a lot if they keep on bidding, i also almost never put slam to priority when they open, but 4♦ is just a perfect description of my hand and i will accept pds decision after that without worrying about it.

After all pd sees that i am coming from pass with an unbalanced hand and close to opening values, he cant expect more than what i have imo.

Leaking info is not that of a big issue here either, my hand will be dummy after first lead.

[Codo]

Yes 4 ♦ helps anybody. One partner and two opps....

In the modern times we have, the double from RHO just shows hearts, so they both do not know about their diamond fit and 4 ♦ let them into the secret so easily.

[dake50]

I actually like 4D. Not for sure we are outgunned
and partner is well placed. Shoot this one out in 4S.
Aside, how about
S:Axxxx
H:KJx
D:Qx
C:xxx
for 4D also?
Won't that win DQ in defence?
Won't that mislead them over 4S?

[mr1303]

Well, the auction proceeded:

1C 1S X 4S
P P X

All pass.

This sadly went 1 down for -200 and a bottom

Partner held:

QJxxx
Ax
Jxxx
xx

P felt that it was important to overcall 1S over 1C to kill their space.

[the hog]

mr1303, on 2012-December-18, 17:46, said:

Well, the auction proceeded:

1C 1S X 4S
P P X

All pass.

This sadly went 1 down for -200 and a bottom

Partner held:

QJxxx
Ax
Jxxx
xx

P felt that it was important to overcall 1S over 1C to kill their space.

I agree totally with the 1S overcall.

[mikeh]

good bids sometimes generate bad results. Get used to it or quit the game

[PhilKing]

If you splinter they won't double.

[dake50]

QJxxx
Ax
Jxxx
xx

***4S loses 2xC +DA +SK offsides? I'll try that one forever.