[goingoren]

my partner opens 1spade, RHO doubles (I presume for take out) and I hold

---

I kind of want to splinter in spades but I think my hand might be too weak for such aggressive action? I bid 4 spades right away but what would you have bid with this hand?

[MrAce]

 goingoren, on 2015-June-06, 17:02, said:

my partner opens 1spade, RHO doubles (I presume for take out) and I hold

---

I kind of want to splinter in spades but I think my hand might be too weak for such aggressive action? I bid 4 spades right away but what would you have bid with this hand?

This is a kind of hand too strong for 4♠ and a bit light for splinter for many people. Most have tools for this type of hand. Under the circumstances and options available for you, I think your choice is very reasonable. I would be fine with either splinter or 4♠ in your shoes. I personally would go with splinter. Aces are good cards, 5th spade is awesome.

[nige1]

 goingoren, on 2015-June-06, 17:02, said:

I kind of want to splinter in spades but I think my hand might be too weak for such aggressive action?
I bid 4 spades right away but what would you have bid with this hand?
my partner opens 1spade, RHO doubles (I presume for take out) and I hold

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Agree with Mr Ace: 4♣ = 10. 4♠ = 9.

[mike777]

btw sidenote.

Playing full Bergen raises...this is a 4d(art) raise to show this hand type.

[goingoren]

i meant splinter in clubs obviously

[PhilG007]

 goingoren, on 2015-June-06, 17:02, said:

my partner opens 1spade, RHO doubles (I presume for take out) and I hold

---

I kind of want to splinter in spades but I think my hand might be too weak for such aggressive action? I bid 4 spades right away but what would you have bid with this hand?

You didn't say what the vulnerability was on the deal. If non vul then definitely 4♠ If,however you are vul,
then 3♠is quite sufficent on this hand. Either way,the intention is to make life as difficult as possible for the doubler's partner.

[toucanish]

 goingoren, on 2015-June-06, 17:02, said:

...what would you have bid with this hand?

redouble

[goingoren]

what are the advantages to redoubling? I guess we save a lot of space if partner wants to try to cuebid his way to slam and we hold the master suit so it's not really the end of the world if our opponents find out about their fit.

[mikeh]

 goingoren, on 2015-June-07, 07:57, said:

what are the advantages to redoubling? I guess we save a lot of space if partner wants to try to cuebid his way to slam and we hold the master suit so it's not really the end of the world if our opponents find out about their fit.

No advantage at all.

Redoubling tells partner that we own the hand, usually with hcp and it suggests defence. Most would play that redoubling then supporting spades shows opening values. IOW, redouble distorts the hand, and misinforms partner. Bridge is a partnership game and all actions have meanings, with partner entitled to rely on that information. Don't lie to partner in these situations.

[gnasher]

I'd happily bid 4♠, and I wouldn't want any other way to show this hand. You know that the opponents have a fit somewhere; don't make it easy for them to find out how good it is.

[fromageGB]

I think it depends on methods and agreements. Absent any, then I think 4♣ is much better than 4♠ (which is better than other simple bids), because not only does it tell where you want to play, it makes it easier for partner if oppos bid further. If they bid 4♥ or 5♥ then he is quite possibly with a singleton/void heart, and now he can use that knowledge to judge cross-ruffing potential for 5♠.

If I had a mini-splinter available, then that would be my bid.

[wank]

seems like an obvious 4♣ bid. 2 aces ffs.

[broze]

A few people seem to be treating this problem as if there were no double by RHO. Put me down for 4S - I agree with Gnasher. Without the double this would of course be a wtp 4C bid. It's closer if we are w/r when the opps will never be saving. There I might try 4C.

[Winstonm]

I think it is a great question. I believe it is also right to want to splinter but equally wrong to do so unless it is part of a close system of understanding. IMO, this is the type of discipline (the self-denial of the superman bid) that allowed the old Blue Team to dominate World Championship bridge for so many years.

Depending on agreement, I believe this hand to be at minimum a queen of diamonds short of a splinter, perhaps a bit more even. But then I learned that splinters were mild (or quite strong) slam tries, not an expression of exuberance about bidding game.

[wank]

yes 4s would make it harder for the opps if they have the hands to act, but by failing to describe your hand you also make it more difficult to judge whether to bid on if they do act. for example, if it goes 5c pass pass to us, we're bound to double to show it's our hand, despite our shape unsuitability.

but i think the chances of their acting are being overplayed. the opps can easily have a good save, but both be unable to act (lho too little strength to bid, rho too little to act again).

[WesleyC]

I'd happily splinter 4C, even if that usually shows a slightly stronger hand. In a high level competitive situations, the side with more Aces usually owns the hand and by splintering we get to involve partner in the choice of whether to play or defend.

[Zelandakh]

Your initial choice of 4♠ is fine but redoubling the next time round when RHO re-opens with a double would probably not have been the majority choice. Notice that 4♠XX would have gone down on decent defence. East might have done better beginning with a 2♥ overcall, particularly in a pick-up partnership.

[alok c]

4S is O.K.

[Phil]

4♣ and I can't find a lot of good in 4♠.

It seems unlikely we are stopping our opponents from bidding by giving them double, 4♦ or 4♥ and this seems like a reasonable trade-off to allow partner to make the right 5 level decision.

There's really nothing else on the radar to consider.

[cherdano]

Agree with Andy here. Bidding 5/5 is rarely right, and especially so with two aces and empty suits - so "helping partner make the right 5-level decision" is not a frequent concern. Sometimes 4♠ will stop them from bidding. Other times it will push them to bidding 5 (when otherwise they could have bid X/4♦/4♥ and then be quiet), after which we often get a good result after I double. Partner still has a chance to get it right on the rare occasions where it's right to pull - our sequence shows a hand with lots of offense and some defense.