When the opponents arrive in a game after a splinter auction it pays to lead a trump. Do not lead the splinter suit. The beginners mistake is to think that the shortage is going to go away. But the question is where is it going to go to. 

Next, when do you splinter and when do you bid 2NT Jacoby. Personally, a Splinter is limited to 11 or below. OK maybe a bad 12. But at least this makes life easier for the opener in determining the difference between signing off in game or going onto slam.

East has a tricky decision after West rebid 2♣ . This is correct as 2♥  would show 17+. At the table East blasted 5♣ which has no play. A solution is to play 2♦ as third suit forcing, and 2♠ as a correction showing a 5th or even a 6th spade. You lose the ability to bail out to 2♦ with a 4-4 in the diamond suit but that seems to be a small price to pay. If East choses to bid 2♠  this is not forcing although it does announce an additional spade and various actions are open to West to make some sort of invitational bid with a 3rd spade. In this example with good stops in the heart suit 2NT shows this sort of hand with minimum opening strength. A bid of 2♠ would show the same point count but a third spade.

I was fortunate enough to be sent this hand recently by former Swedish international Nick Sandqvist. I say fortunate, because it was sent to a circulation list which included some of this country's finest players. Let's kick off with the options, which are Pass, Double and 3NT. Joe Fawcett sums up the choices as "3NT seems too rich and pass too feeble". No one selected the 3NT option but the "panel" were divided over the other two options. English international, David Gold chose to double - Would double without worrying too much about it.I think positively, not negatively. Here is the counter argument in support of a pass. Here is Neil Rosen's analysis. Pass for me. Partner hasn’t acted already so may well have some club length as would strain to bid with a singleton. Bidding will collect too many minus scores from failed games, though obviously we might be making something here.

After a stunning start, two dissapointing matches. The first match of the new sees Habeas Corpus play the 2nd leg of the RAC encounter. London Underground have built up a commanding league.  

Although Lords and Ladies finished at the bottom, it was by the smallest of margins. This was a stirling effort after accepting the challenge of being catapaulted two divisions. Curiously the RAC seem to be destined to achieving the dubious distinction of picking up the wooden spoon in three of the five divisions. Some would call that greedy.