Splinters Bids

A Splinter Bid is a way of promising a fit in partner's major, enough points for game and shows a singleton or void in the suit bid.  It is always a double -jump shift.
1S-[p]- 4D: agrees Spades,shows an opening hand value and a singleton or void in Diamonds.
1H-[p]-3S:agrees Hearts,shows an opening hand value and a singleton or void in Spades.
1H-[p]-4C:agrees Hearts,shows an opening hand value and a singleton or void in Clubs.
1D-[p]-1S-[p]-4C: agrees Spades,shows enough points for game, even opposite potentially 6 pts, with a singleton or void in clubs.

If the singleton or void suit is opposite a poor suit holding then you only have one looser, obviously not so useful if you have lots of winners in that suit and down valus the usefulness of a singleton or void.

Remember we use a jump shift for a weak 6 card suit.

Using a 2 club bid over 1NT showing at least  5-4 in the majors and around 9-15 HCP's.  If you have 8 HCP's with two 5 card majors and possibly a void still bid 2 Clubs - go by your instincts.  With a long club suit you will have to decide whether to defend especially if they and all are vunerable ad you think you may get the contract off or will need to bid 3Clubs. if you are third in hand still use it, as if eveyone has passed it is likely the points are even but beware of vunerability.

 Responding

Most of the time you will simplt choose to play in your longest major suit.  With 4 or more in the major you can bid as if partner had opened.
If you have at least 6 clubs and doubletons in both majosyou can pass 2 clubs.
If you have equal length in both majors you can respond with 2 diamonds asaking partner to bid his longest suit.
To bid no trumps you need to be a little stronger than an opening bid with stops in the minors do not forget your partner is bidding on shape not HCP's.
 

In summary:

1. It is useful to have a bid which shows both majors when the opponents open 1NT.
2. The requirements for an overcall vary according to vulnerability and position.
3. The overcaller’s partner makes a limit bid with a known fit. With equal length, he can bid 2 to ask about the overcaller’s longer major.

Bid Middle of 3 touching suits , or the one below the singleton
 

2 Club Opening

1 23+ points
2 9 Playing Tricks and and 16 HCP's
3 8 Playing tricks and conforming to the rule of 25, ie HCP's plus number of cards in longest two suits adds up to 25.

The Losing-Trick Count

This method of hand evaluation complements the normal point-count method but is much more accurate in spotting border-line game and slam bids.  It works on the principle that the strength of a hand depends not just on how many points it has, but where those points are in relation to the length of the suits e.g. AK and Jx in two suits are 8 points, but AKJx are a better 8 points.

The system centres around two important numbers - 7 and 18.

1.           An opening bid

This is a 7 losing trick count hand or better (6 or 5 etc.).  To count losers, take each suit and count how many of the A K or Q are missing e.g. AQ9 has one loser, the King.  You can have up to 3 losers in a suit, but fewer with less than a 3-card suit e.g. K9 is one loser, J9 is two losers -

                             A Q 9 8 7   K 4 2   Q J 6    4 3

               Losers          1               2         2           2       =    7 therefore open 1S

                             K Q 7 6    A 3     A Q 6    9 8 7 6

               Losers          1        1 1            3      =     6, a better hand

2.           The magic number - 18

You can usually infer partner's losing trick count quite quickly, if he passes first, he has more than 7 losers.  If he passes then jumps, he will have 8 losers i.e. almost an opening bid.  A pass then a simple bid or raise is likely to show 9 losers.  If partner bids then jumps, he will have a better than 7 loser hand, say 6 or even less if he goes straight to game.

To analyse the combined strength of the two hands, add your number of losing tricks to your inference of partner's losers.  Then take this number away from 18 to find the maximum level you should play at.  For example you hold :

               K 9 8 5     K 6 5    A    8 7 6  -  a 7 loser hand (S, H, D, C)

Partner opens 1C, you respond 1S, partner raises to 2S.  He has a 7-loser hand as he has shown a minimum opener.  Add his 7 to your 7 making 14, take away from 18 to find that you can go straight to 4S.

               A K Q 8 7   K Q 9    A 6 3   9  -  only a 4-loser hand

Partner passes, you open 1S, he jumps to 2NT showing an 8-loser hand (as he passes he has worse than 7-losers, but not much worse as he has now jumped).  Add his 8 to your 4 and take away from 18.  So, you should be in 6 spades if you are not missing 2 aces (Blackwood).

Try this system in conjunction with the normal point-count method.  It can highlight makeable games on 20 points or slams on a few more if the shape is right.  It is not so accurate, however, on no-trump hands where, if you have a short suit, this will be a disadvantage if the defence can run several tricks in this suit before you can get in.

There are different versions of McKendrick, but the one often used is a 2 Spades response to a 1 No Trump opening by partner, which shows either an ordinary 11 high card points or a long 6-card (plus) Minor suit (weak), asking opener to bid 2 No Trump with 12-13 high card points or 3 Clubs with 14 high card points - (Note: minimum or maximum range). Then the responder, with 11 high card points, will pass partner's 2 No Trump rebid or convert to 3 Clubs to 3 No Trump.

If the responder instead has a weak hand with a long Minor suit, then he will convert as necessary to either 3 Clubs or 3 Diamonds. (Note: with an 11 high card points hand the responder does best to examine the hand to assess its playing strength and to consider Stayman when the hand contains a 4-card Major suit, rather than be rigid.)

Flint Pender is an escape from 1NT Doubled when weak 6 or less points.

It operates in a similar way to Transfers ie you bid a suit below the one you wish Partner to bid.

The advantage of using Flint Pender is that the strong hand remains declarer and their hand is concealed.

If you cannot use Flint Pender as only a Four Card Suit then use the following.

If you do not have a five card suit pass, your partner alerts, unless there is an intervening bid your partner must redouble.
If weak then bid your 4 card suit and if patner has less than 3 will bid their 4 card suit, until a 4-3 fit is found.  If strong the redouble can be left in though the opposition is then likely to bid.
ONCE YOU START TO BID AFTER 1 NT DOUBLED, IT. IIS LIKELY THE OPPOSITION WILL BID. RESULT  YOU NO LONGER HAVE TO BID

4441 hands
RuB Red suit singleton bid bottom suit apart from hearts then middle!
BuM Black suit singleton bid the middle.
I was just advised to remember RuB and BuM which I think I overheard someone else saying.

2 Club Opening

1 23+ points
2 9 Playing Tricks and and 16 HCP's
3 8 Playing tricks and conforming to the rule of 25, ie HCP's plus number of cards in longest two suits adds up to 25.

Flint Pender is an escape from 1NT Doubled when weak 6 or less points.

It operates in a similar way to Transfers ie you bid a suit below the one you wish Partner to bid.

The advantage of using Flint Pender is that the strong hand remains declarer and their hand is concealed.

If you cannot use Flint Pender as only a Four Card Suit then use the following.

If you do not have a five card suit pass, your partner alerts, unless there is an intervening bid your partner must redouble.
If weak then bid your 4 card suit and if patner has less than 3 will bid their 4 card suit, until a 4-3 fit is found.  If strong the redouble can be left in though the opposition is then likely to bid.
ONCE YOU START TO BID AFTER 1 NT DOUBLED, IT. IIS LIKELY THE OPPOSITION WILL BID. RESULT  YOU NO LONGER HAVE TO BID