A recent
BBO Forum post posed the following question. What do you rebid after you open 1D and your partner responds 1S and you hold.
♠ A K J 9
♥ A
♦ A K J 8 5 2
♣ Q 3
The answers were as interesting as they were wrong. Some actually proposed a 2H reverse!!!, others favored a jump to 3H (splinter). One got really "creative" and thought 5C as an asking bid would be best (partner is to describe his club control).
Of course, playing Inquiry 2/1, this hand requires no such dramatics. We have a safe (as compared to 5C) and sane (as compared to 2H) method of bidding this hand. We start with the 2NT (jacoby by opener), and proceed logically from there. Let's run over the various options for raising partners spades after we open a minor and see why the Inquiry 2/1 approach works better than these seat-of-the-pants modficiations.
With game "forcing" values, we have several options. Super splinter to 4H (void, control in the fourth suit -- remember we can not have strong two suiter), normal splinter (3H), Jump to four of our minor, jump to 4S, and 2NT by opener.
- Jump to 4H here is a super splinter, showing both a void and a control in clubs
- Jump to 3H here is a descriptive splinter: singleton heart (not ace), and no club control
- Jump to 4D here is six great diamonds, four hearts, 2-1 in the other two suits, no ace in either
- Jump to 4S is 4-2-5-2 with great values, but no controls in the other two suits
- 2NT any strong game invite hands with four card support, or any game force hand with four card support that doesn't fit neatly into the options above.
We will start by looking at what is wrong with the "spllinter" bid of 3H.
How do you bid this hand after 1D-P-1S-P?
♠ A K J 9
♥ 2 ♦ A K J 8 5 2♣ Q 3
Of course, we splinter with 3H. This shows, in inquiry 2/1, a singleton heart (never the ace), giid support, and no CLUB control (ace or king), and values for game. PArtner without a club control can signoff right now. To not signoff, shows a club control. This also allows partner to cue-bid diamond QUEEN when he HOLDS a club control (as any non-signoff shows possession of the club control). Also, if partner is lacking both the club ACE and heart ACE, he also knows to signoff. Let's look at some example hands he could reasonable hold.
♠ Q T 9 8 2
♥ K Q J ♦ Q T 3♣ K J
As nice as the above hand is, after 3H, he knows you are missing two aces. Good news, you avoid 5S when they can get diamond ruff at trick two.
♠ Q T 9 8 7 6 4 2
♥ A K Q♦ void♣ J T
More good news, partner knows about the two quick club losers and stops in 4S.
♠ x x x x x x
♥ J x x x♦ Q♣ K x x
Again, painless stop
♠ x x x x x x
♥ J x x x ♦ Q T ♣ A x
Here partner can actually imagine possible slam. A 4D cue-bid (promising either heart ace or club ace, and if not heart ACE then absolutely club ace) and slam is bid automatically.
Now, back the hand in question. Where you have the singleton heart ACE or a hand like the one above with a small heart, but you where you have a club control. In Inquiry 2/1 you are not allowed to splinter with those hands. Instead you have to reply 2NT. Let's start with one with a club control (we will make it the ACE, but on hands above where responder has the ACE, then it has to be the club King). So we give opener...
♠ A K J 9
♥ A
♦ A K J 8 5 2
♣ A 3
After 2NT by opener, we will see how the auctions would have proceeded with each of the responder hands.
♠ Q T 9 8 2
♥ K Q J ♦ Q T 3♣ K J
Over 2NT, this hand is definitely thinking slam. The approach could be 3C (no slam interest to be followed by showing slam interest), or bidding 3H asking opener for shortness. If opener is short, it is singleton ACE or void or singleton with control in the other side suit. This is the way I would go. The bidding, 1D-1S-2N-3H-4C (short heart... so either void stiff ace, or a club control), 4D cue-bid, opener will now take control, and slam bid.
♠ Q T 9 8 7 6 4 2
♥ A K Q♦ void♣ J T
Over 2NT here, responder can explore with 3H as well. Here when partner bids 4C, the correct try is 4H (last train) denying diamond control. That will work as well. Or responder can bid 3C then make slam try.
♠ x x x x x x
♥ J x x x♦ Q♣ K x x
This time, you might try real 3C (no game interest) and when partner insist on game with a 4H splinter (and does not signoff in 4S) your hand becomes very good indeed. You will show the spade "Q" when partner blackwoods after your 4C cue-bid
♠ x x x x x x
♥ J x x x ♦ Q T ♣ A x
Here you would bid 3D (game, no slam). Partner's 4H splinter over 3D leaves you room to get very excited. That splinter now shows short heart, club control, 4 spades, and lots of diamonds (since he will not have 3 suiter not strong two suiter). 4-1-5-3 is worse distribution, and that would be strong.
Which brings us to the hand in question. When you bid 2NT, you can very nearly take control. Over whatever your partner bids, you rebid 4D, pinpointing the need for the club control. If you lacked controls in both side suits, you would not have bid 2NT (important caveat of this method), but rather gone with the picture jump to 4S.
It will be interesting to see what the companion hand to this monster is, to show how well (or poorly) the different treatments people choose did.
