Thursday, September 18, 2003 5:27 AM

Masked Splinters

PITBULLS:

The Bergen approach to simple major raises makes a lot of sense to me . Having all simple raises showing 3 card support rather then 4 simplifies competitive decisions and game tries. There is no such thing as making a simple raise with 4 trump playing the Bergen style . The hand is either a jump raise or a “masked” 3♦ mini-splinter bid . What I dislike about Bergen raises is the limit bids taking away splinters or fit showing jumps . Tom Gandolfo came up with a clever idea to get around this.

Tom suggested that the limit raise in the major should fall under the umbrella of the Jacoby 2NT. Jacoby 2NT is defined as a limit raise or better and after a Club response which shows all weak hands in our modified Jacoby 2NT, a return to the major can be passed. This means we do not need a Bergen 3♣/♦ bid to show limit raise values.

This treatments leaves the door open for “masked” splinters an idea introduced to me by Subash Gupta. Subash suggests forcing to game splinters be changed to 3♣ over either major opening. The 3♣ bid is idle because limit raises have been moved to the Jacoby 2NT. This frees the 1♥-P-2♠ as weak and natural and 1♠-P-3♥-P as a weak jump shift. After the 3♣ bid showing any forcing to game splinter , 4 of the trump suit shows a weak hand disinterested in even enquiring about the stiff and can be passed. The idle 3♦ bid can now show any mini splinter and non game forcing. The beauty of the 3♣/3♦ ( masked splinters) is if partner is weak , the principle of concealment kicks in. If partner has a weak hand and game is reached the opening leader has no clue where the singleton is located. Only give the opponents information on a “right to know” basis. If you have lots of points who cares if they know the singleton suit as you are investigating slam.

If we want to investigate the location of the splinter after 3♣ , we can ask by bidding 3♦. These are merely step responses consistent with our Jacoby 2NT query. 3♦ is the ask and the next step shows the club singleton, the next step shows the diamond singleton and the 3^rd step the major singleton. All our stiffs are shown at the 3 level with 3 responses. If partner has a huge splinter hand and opener signs off at 3 of a major , a new suit by partner is the splinter.

1♠-P-3♣-P * asks 1♠-P-3♦-P * asks

3♦*-P-3♥ ( ♣ stiff ) 3♥*-P-3♠ (♣ stiff )

-3♠ ( ♦ stiff ) -3NT ( ♦ stiff )

-3NT ( ♥ stiff ) -4♣ ( ♥ stiff )

The jump raise shows the simple major raise with 4 trump. The law of total tricks is based on the number of trump so we should be disciplined in that regard. Splinters and limit raises were invented for 4 or more trump . Partner evaluates her hand on the basis of the 4^th trump. Knowing that partner does not have 4 trump for a simple raise is a huge advantage for game tries and defensive purposes. You reach NT games where 9 tricks might be easier and you do not stretch with game tries when you know partner has only 3 trump. When partner has 4 trump , a game try is normally a jump to game ! Law raises have nothing to do with HCP’s ! Its whether you have 4 trump or not . Even in competition , I hate making a simple raise with 4 trump . It seems to violate the “law of total tricks” and partner can not evaluate his hand properly. I will always go to the 3 level with 4 trump and treat the hand as pre-emptive . With 8 HCP’s and 4 trump we are getting into Q bidding territory in competition anyway.

Forcing NT is reserved for the limit raise with 3 trump. Jacoby 2NT always shows 4 trump with no singleton and no good side suit . With a modified 2NT and fit showing jumps as a passed hand , the major suit structure is complete. The 2NT bid as a passed hand shows a simple raise with 4 trump or a limit raise with 4 trump ( Drury) . With BJ , we play modified Drury . As usual with passed hands , systems are off and so are splinters. We play strong jump shifts as a passed hand with at least a 4 card fit for partner. This treatment applies to overcalls when you are a passed hand also.