Practice 5H01 Main

Splinter Bids

by Richard Pavlicek

West

4 ¹
5 NORTH
Pass
Pass
Pass East
1
4
6 South
Pass
Pass
All Pass Board 1 5
J 10 8 6
Q 10 9 4 3
K J 9 Trick
1 S
2 S
3 E
4 E
5 W
6 E
7 W
8 E
9 E Lead
A?
8
A!
2
2
5
Q
10
7! 2nd
3
10
6
7
5
8
10
8
2 3rd
9
J
J
J
9
A
K
2
5 4th
4
3
3
4
4
9
6
Q
? W L
0 1
1 1
2 1
3 1
4 1
5 1
6 1
7 1
0 0
A Q J 2
K 9 7 5 2
J
Q 10 3 Table K 10 9 7 3
A Q 4 3
A 5 2
4
Note 1
Bidding
Play
splinter bid
Slam decision
Delay drawing trumps
Automatic squeeze Play

8 6 4
—
K 8 7 6
A 8 7 6 5 2
6 East 9 top tricks North is squeezed made 6 -980

West

Pass
Pass
Pass North

1
4 NT!
6 EAST
Pass
Pass
Pass
All Pass South
1
4 ¹
5 Board 2 K 8 2
Q 7 6 5 3
4
A 8 6 5 Trick
1 E
2 S
3 E
4 S
5 N
6 S
7 N
8 S
9 N
10 N
11 S Lead
9
5!
4
6!
3
7
7
9
A
5
K 2nd
J
3
Q
8
2
10
4
K
7
9 3rd
3
4
5
5
A
6
J
Q
2
9 4th
2
J
8
2
8
A
6
3
4
J W L
1 0
1 1
2 1
3 1
4 1
5 1
6 1
7 1
8 1
9 1
10 7 6 5 3
8
K 10 8 3
K J 4 Table 9 4
10 4 2
A J 2
Q 10 9 7 3
Note 1
Bidding
Play
splinter bid
Key-card Blackwood
Dummy reversal
Set up dummy’s suit Play

A Q J
A K J 9
Q 9 7 6 5
2
6 North 9 top tricks Win the rest made 6 +1430

West

Pass
All Pass North

4 ¹ East

Pass SOUTH
1
4 Board 3 K Q J 10 2
2
Q 7 4 3
A 7 2 Trick
1 W
2 S
3 N
4 N
5 N
6 S
7 N
8 N Lead
10
4
Q
J
2
Q
A
7! 2nd
2
3
7
3
6
K
Q!
6 3rd
J
K
6
8
A!
2
3
4 4th
K
5
4
5
7
8
5
8 W L
1 0
2 0
3 0
4 0
5 0
6 0
7 0
7 1
3
K 10 7 5 4
A 10 5
10 9 8 5 Table 7 5
J 9 8 6 3
K 9 2
Q J 6
Note 1
Play

Defense splinter bid
Elimination technique
Ruff/discard endplay
Unblocking play Play

A 9 8 6 4
A Q
J 8 6
K 4 3
4 South 8 top tricks W endplayed (lose 2) made 4 +420

WEST
1
4
6 North
Pass
Pass
All Pass East
3 NT¹
4 South
Pass
Pass Board 4 2
K J 9 2
Q 9 8 4
J 10 9 2 Trick
1 N
2 W
3 W
4 E
5 N
6 W Lead
J
K
7
6!
10
6 2nd
3
2
2
4
Q
4 3rd
8
3
A
Q
K
J! 4th
A
J
5
K
8
2 W L
1 0
2 0
3 0
3 1
4 1
5 1
K Q 10 9 8 7
Q 8 3
A 7 6
A Table A 6 5 4 3
A 7 6
K J
Q 4 3
Note 1
Bidding
Play balanced forcing raise
Control-showing bid
Combine chances Play

J
10 5 4
10 5 3 2
K 8 7 6 5
6 West 10 top tricks Win the rest made 6 -1430

Practice 5H05 Main

Top Splinter Bids

Splinter Bids II

West

2
All Pass NORTH
1
4 ¹ East
1
Pass South
1
4 Board 1 A 9 7 6
3
A K 8 7 5
A Q 3 Trick
1 W
2 N
3 S
4 N
5 E
6 S Lead
J!
6
3
3!
8
K 2nd
A!
2
4
A
J
J 3rd
6
K
A
5
10
3 4th
2
10
4
7
7
2 W L
1 0
2 0
3 0
3 1
4 1
5 1
10
J 10 7 4
Q J 10 9
J 10 9 8 Table 8 4 2
A Q 9 8 6 2
6
K 6 4
Note 1
Play

Defense splinter bid
Shun finesse
Obtain early discard
Choose lead at suit Play

K Q J 5 3
K 5
4 3 2
7 5 2
4 South 8 top tricks Lose 2 more tricks made 4 +420

West

3 NT¹
4
Pass! North

Pass
Pass
Pass EAST
1
4
5 South
Pass
Pass
Pass Board 2 —
J 9 4
10 9 5 3
K 9 7 5 3 2 Trick
1 S
2 S
3 N
4 E
5 W
6 E
7 W Lead
A
6
5
5!
3
6
9 2nd
8
J
A!
2
3
10 3rd
7
K
6
J
K
Q 4th
4
10
Q
2
4
9 W L
0 1
0 2
1 2
2 2
3 2
4 2
Q J 9 3
A K 7 2
Q 4
Q J 8 Table A K 8 6 5
Q 3
A K 8 2
10 4
Note 1
Bidding
Play

Defense balanced forcing raise
Bid of 5 in a major
Avert overruff
Finessing technique
Choose lead at suit Play

10 7 4 2
10 8 6 5
J 7 6
A 6
5 East 11 top tricks Win the rest made 5 -450

West

Pass
Pass
Pass North

1
4 NT
6 East

Pass
Pass
All Pass SOUTH
1
3 ¹
5 Board 3 A 9 2
Q J 6 5 4
10 3
K 10 3 Trick
1 E
2 S
3 N
4 S
5 N
6 S
7 S
8 S
9 N
10 N Lead
10
3
2
3
9
A
K
4
Q
6! 2nd
A
4
7
8
8
2
5
Q
4
5 3rd
7
A
2
J
K
3
10
5
2
6 4th
4
6
5
9
10
6
7
J
Q
? W L
1 0
2 0
3 0
4 0
5 0
6 0
7 0
8 0
9 0
0 0
Q 10 5 4
8 7
Q 9 5 2
Q J 7 Table K J 8 7 6
10 9
J 7 6
9 5 4
Note 1
Bidding
Play splinter bid
Key-card Blackwood
Automatic squeeze Play

3
A K 3 2
A K 8 4
A 8 6 2
6 North 10 top tricks West is squeezed made 7 +1010

WEST
1
4 ! North
Pass
All Pass East
4 ¹ South
Pass Board 4 Q J 10
10 8 7
9 5 3
Q J 10 6 Trick
1 N
2 N
3 N
4 W
5 W
6 W
7 E
8 W
9 S
10 E
11 E Lead
Q
J
10
A
K
5
2!
4
5
Q
7 2nd
3
4
6
6
10
7
J
5
3
9
10 3rd
9
7
8
8
K!
K
Q
6
J
6
9 4th
2
5
4
2
4
2
3
8
3
8
9 W L
0 1
0 2
1 2
2 2
3 2
4 2
5 2
5 3
6 3
7 3
8 3
5 2
A 9 6 5 4
Q 4
A K 7 3 Table K 6 4 3
K Q J 3
K 7 6 2
8
Note 1
Play
splinter bid
Avert overruff
Crossruff Play

A 9 8 7
2
A J 10 8
9 5 4 2
4 West 7 top tricks Crossruff the rest made 4 -620

Practice 5H09 Main

Top Splinter Bids

Splinter Bids III

West

Pass NORTH
1
Pass! East
Pass
Pass South
3 Board 1 A 6 5
A J 7 4 2
8 6 2
K 8 Trick
1 E
2 N
3 S
4 N
5 S
6 N
7 E
8 W
9 E Lead
10
2
2!
5
5
6
9
7
Q 2nd
3
9
4
9
3
K
Q
K
5 3rd
Q
K
A
J
7
8
A
A
9 4th
A
8
7
3
4
6
2
4
8 W L
1 0
2 0
3 0
4 0
5 0
5 1
5 2
5 3
5 4
4 3
Q 8
A J 10 3
J 9 7 6 3 Table K 10 9 7
10 9
9 5 4
A Q 10 2
Bidding

Play Limit raise
Follow up major raise
Lead toward honor Play

Q J 8 2
K 6 5 3
K Q 7
5 4
3 North 6 top tricks Win the rest made 3 +140

West

2
4 ¹ North

Pass
Pass EAST
1
2
4 South
Pass
Pass
All Pass Board 2 9 4 2
Q 7 6 4
K 8
A 10 7 6 Trick
1 S
2 N
3 E
4 E
5 N
6 W
7 W
8 E
9 W
10 E
11 W
12 E Lead
Q
2
K
3
4
A
2
6
5
7
6
Q 2nd
3
A
4
9
J
8
9
10
10
8
6
J 3rd
A
8
5
Q
K
4
2
K!
8
A!
9
10 4th
2
3
6
K
3
10
J
7
5
4
9
Q W L
0 1
1 1
2 1
2 2
3 2
4 2
5 2
6 2
7 2
8 2
9 2
9 3
5 3
A K 10 3
A Q 7 6 5 2
3 Table A Q J 7 6
J 9 8 2
4 3
K 2
Note 1
Play
splinter bid
Shun finesse
Crossruff Play

K 10 8
5
J 10 9
Q J 9 8 5 4
4 East 5 top tricks Win the last trick made 4 -420

West

Pass
Pass
Pass
All Pass North

1
4 ¹
5 East

Pass
Pass
Pass SOUTH
1
1
4 NT
6 Board 3 Q J 10 9
A K 8 3
3
K 10 9 2 Trick
1 W
2 N
3 N
4 N
5 S
6 N
7 S
8 N Lead
5
A!
K
3
3
8
8
Q 2nd
10
4
6
9
2
4
4
5 3rd
3
2
J
K!
9
A
10
2 4th
4
5
7
10
5
Q
6
7 W L
1 0
2 0
3 0
4 0
5 0
6 0
7 0
8 0
7 4 2
Q 10 7 5
K J 10 8 6
5 Table 6 5
9 6 4
A Q 5 4
J 8 6 3
Note 1
Bidding
Play
splinter bid
Blackwood convention
Ruffing with 4-4 fit
Use trumps as entries Play

A K 8 3
J 2
9 7 2
A Q 7 4
6 South 10 top tricks Win 4 more tricks made 6 +980

WEST
1
5 ! North
Pass
Pass East
4 ¹
6 South
Pass
All Pass Board 4 3
K Q 10 4
J 10 9 6
Q 10 5 2 Trick
1 N
2 E
3 W
4 E
5 W
6 E
7 E
8 W
9 E
10 W Lead
K
2
3
5
5
A
7
7
J!
8 2nd
A
4
9
6
10
7
8
J
9
5 3rd
3
A
9
5
10
6
6
J
7
Q 4th
2
6
Q
4
K
2
10
J
Q
K W L
1 0
2 0
3 0
4 0
5 0
6 0
7 0
8 0
9 0
10 0
A K 7 6 5
2
A 8 7 5 3
8 6 Table Q J 10 9
A J 7 5
2
A 9 4 3
Note 1
Bidding
Play splinter bid
Control-showing bid
Crossruff Play

8 4 2
9 8 6 3
K Q 4
K J 7
6 West 8 top tricks Win 2 high trumps made 6 -1430

Practice 5H09 Main

Top Splinter Bids