Page 22 - ABF Newsletter August 2025

A GAME
AT THE
CLUB
Barbara Travis
www.bridgeatbeaumont.com
Not too many players found their way to 6} on this hand from a State event, but it really shouldn’t have been that tough:
]A654 ]8
[ K 10 [ A J 6
} Q J 10 9 } A K 6 4 {A53 {K9862
You are playing in 4], North, on a heart lead. You have to lose one diamond and one club, no matter what. So this hand is all about managing the trump suit, with entries not being an issue.
Because you are missing the ]10, your correct play is either to cash the ]A, in case East holds a single- ton king, or to lead a small spade from dummy in case the K-x or singleton king is onside.
Don’t lead the ]J first. It then goes jack - king - ace - small, and you have made East’s ]10-6-4-2 into a winner (even if they held 10-x-x, you have done so).
The occasion when leading the jack is correct is when you hold ten trumps, missing K-10-x. Leading the jack now allows you to pick up a 3-0 break onside.
Try this hand:
] – [ 6 } A K 10 9 5 3 { A K Q 8 6 3
Of course, your RHO opens 1[ in front of you. Whilst you should play the Unusual 2NT bid to show 5-5 in the minors, there are a few extensions of that avail- able, though little-discussed and less-played!
Partner and I fell into the undiscussed category, so I overcalled 2NT for the minors. However, better op- tions are using 4NT and 4[ as really extreme minor two-suiters.
4NT says you have a minor two-suiter where you want to play at the five-level.
4[, on the other hand, shows a gigantic minor two-suiter, with slam interest (after all, it doesn’t have any other meaning).
This hand is a 4[ overcall – slam interest. I think, when partner bids 5{, you’d just bid 6{ and hope.
As it happened, not having system worked on this hand.
WEST NORTH 1} pass
4{ cooperating, cue and East takes off.
EAST SOUTH
Some people are now opening 1{ on all balanced hands, even with four diamonds, but East has even more reason to splinter after a 1{ opening bid – with five clubs! West shouldn’t worry about holding only three clubs, because the splinter guarantees long clubs (5+ cards).
The ]A indicates that you should be looking at five or six of a minor, not 3NT.
Plenty of the everyday bridge players know about splinters but forget to use them. Once you start to use them, they do crop up rather often, and they are a boon to your bidding.
Here’s an everyday hand:
]AQ93 [AJ }982 {KJ75
]J875 [K7 }AK5
{ Q 10 8 2
3] splinter
pass
Page: 22
Australian Bridge Federation Ltd. Newsletter: August 2025