[ArtK78]

straube, on 2013-April-06, 15:04, said:

Yep. CA and DT. Dummy wins. ST successful finesse. Now SA and SK clearing trump. Low heart to J. Cash DK and low heart to QH. West endplayed himself and has to lead a club for ruff and sluff.

I am sorry. You meant HELP.

That is ugly.

[ggwhiz]

I stand by the 5♠ bid in normal circumstances.

Does the 5♣ bidder play rubber bridge for cash? Does he have a lot?

[neilkaz]

Perhaps I am missunderstanding something, but given the limited 1♠ opening, do the 5♠ bidders actually expect to make it quite often? Do the 5 ♠ bidders think that there can't be enough combined defense to set 5♣ often? Personally, I'd not bid 5♠.

[Vampyr]

fromageGB, on 2013-April-05, 16:29, said:

Maybe I'm more conservative than you, because unopposed this is not a limit raise for me, but 4♣ splinter. .

This doesn't make sense to me. You would force to game, implying mild slam interest, but consider the hand too weak to invite game?

[fromageGB]

Vampyr, on 2013-April-07, 10:19, said:

This doesn't make sense to me. You would force to game, implying mild slam interest, but consider the hand too weak to invite game?

Not at all. This is not a strong splinter and does not imply slam interest, as I have 4♣ as a weak splinter and a stronger hand with a shortage starts with 2NT and shows the club shortage on the second bid. That would imply slam interest or possible suitability. A weak splinter just describes the hand so that partner may go slam seeking if strong enough with no wasted clubs, or can make a judgement in a competitive situation. He knows I have less than game strength in terms of high cards.

Of course my bids are based on an unlimited 1♠ open, and if I played a limited spade I may well have different methods.

If I did not have 2 strengths of splinters, then this hand warrants a game invitational bid, such as a limit raise, but for me a splinter shows this hand, while a limit raise implies a bit more strength and less distribution. Sometimes the splinter may take you too high, but other times it helps to have the distinction. (I don't have 3♣ available for a mini-splinter.)