[straube]

We're playing a 14-16 NT. I'd be interested to see some examples of minimum hands that would transfer to a major and self-splinter.

For example 1N-2D, 2H-4C showing 3-6-3-1 or better.

Also would be interested in where the cutoff would be to invite slam with a balanced hand.

For example 1N-2H, 2S-4S

Where do we draw the line? Thanks

[blackshoe]

Well, if responder has a balanced 17, and opener has 16, that's enough for slam. So I'd make a balanced invite with 17 or 18 hcp. Splinter hands are stronger than their hcp because of their shape. But you need well placed aces and good intermediates rather than queens and jacks. With that and about 15 or so, I would self-splinter.

[mikeh]

If you have a reasonable 6 card major and a side stiff, picture a reasonable hand for opener that grows up opposite your stiff, such that slam will be a decent contract. If you can readily conjure up examples of such hands, make the splinter


Friday evening partner held x AQ10xxx xx Axxx

I opened a 15-17 1N and after I accepted the transfer partner bid 3S


My hand was close to a super-accept, but I only had 15. I held Axxx KJxx Axx Kx


The stiff spade was enough for me to drive to slam

Had I held something like AQxx Jxx AQxx Qx we’d stay in game

Don’t get too hung on on high card points. Focus on tricks. For slam purposes focus especially on controls and ‘working cards’. As opener, anything but an Ace in the short suit should be discounted. I’d even look unkindly on the King if I held AK.... not as much as if I held Kxx or KQxx, but the K with the Aceis not worth what it would be were it opposite length

[straube]

Thanks to both of you, particularly for the example hand. I've seen example hands in books before, but if I could find a list of them I could "digitize" them in terms of queen points (or controls). For example, the one hand has 7 queen points. Just a project I'm working on.

[pescetom]

Mikeh said it about the splinter.
With a balanced hand and slam invitation values I think you should be bidding a quantitative 4NT after the transfer.
A jump to game is sign-off.

[mikeh]

 pescetom, on 2019-September-23, 14:46, said:

Mikeh said it about the splinter.
With a balanced hand and slam invitation values I think you should be bidding a quantitative 4NT after the transfer.
A jump to game is sign-off.

It is normal, if playing texas transfers (the same as jacoby transfers but at the 4 level rather than the 2-level over 1N and the 3-level over 2N) to play that the sequence 1N 2R 2M 4M is a 'mild slam try'. When splinters are available, the jump to 4M is by default a semi-balanced hand, and will always have at least 6 cards in the major.

One needs more hcp strength for this than for the splinter. Btw, with my example hand of x AQ10xxx xx Axxx, I would not recommend a splinter with say x AQ10xxx xxx Axx, and I hope that the reason is self-evident. But if not, recourse to that old standby valuation tool of losing trick count may help. The 1=6=2=4 hand has a LTC of 6 but the 1=6=3=3 has a LTC of 7: a full trick less. LTC is a crude tool and I recommend its use as an adjunct, not a primary tool. Here, however, it is easy to see that opposite my hand of Axx KJxx Axxx Kx, the 1624 hand is laydown and the 1=6=3=3 has virtually no play.

Note also that the 'standard' method of adding points for shortness also makes the 1=6=2=4 hand stronger than the 1=6=3=3 hand.

For me, playing 14-16 1N, as I do in my serious partnerships, a transfer then 4M, as a slam try, would typically contain a reasonably good suit (never something like Axxxxx, often something like AQ10xxx or better) and about 15 hcp.

The more I hold in queens and jacks, the more hcp I will need, and conversely a hand rich in controls needs slightly fewer.

Opener's job, as in all slam decisions, is primarily about fit and controls, rather than merely counting hcp. When one is looking for slam with a combined 29-31 hcp, there is a real risk, if one is merely adding 4-3-2-1 points, that the opps can cash two quick winners.

So we want to (a) be able to take 12 tricks once we are in and (b) avoid two quick losers. The 6 card suit helps with the first issue and the requirement that both players are aggressive with controls and passive without takes care, usually, of the second.

As for 1N 2R 4N, that is also invitational, but shows exactly a 5 card suit.

Note that generally speaking the 6th card in the major, shown by 1N 2R 2M 4M, is worth a trick. When one only has a 5 card suit, but is inviting slam, one needs compensating high cards....thus if I were playing a 14-16 1N and had a chunky 5 card suit, say AQJxx, I'd want about a good 16 to invite slam, and would be happier with 17 (note that most 16 counts would NOT be 'good', by definition we have good, average and bad, and so good can never be as much as half).