Twenty-Six Small Slam Splinter Rule

By Harold Schogger

If your partner makes a splinter bid, if you can add up all your points outside the splinter suit and it comes to 26 or more you should consider bidding a slam. e.g

AK873 52 AQ6 432

QJ65 AK643 K83 7

If the auction proceeds 1 - 4, Opener should immediately add their points outside the splinter suit to a known guarantee of 13-15 points. Since Opener's points total 14 and their partner is promising 13-15 then Opener knows the total is 26 and should immediately be interested in a slam as 6 is an easy make. Opener should therefore make suitable overtures either by cue bidding or ace asking. However if the hands are now as follows:

AK873 52 Q2 KQ62

QJ65 AK643 K83 7

If the auction proceeds 1 - 4, now you add your points outside the splinter suit (i.e. only 9) to the guaranteed 13 and now the total only amounts to 22 and although you now have 27 points between the 2 hands the slam is now impossible. The rule can also be applied in other splinter bid situations. e.g.

KQ72 AK754 A82 4

AJ863 Q86 K4 762

If the auction proceeds 1 - 1 - 4, Responder now adds their 10 points (all outside the splinter suit) to the known total of at least 18 by Opener totaling 28 points and should certainly make a move forward as 6 is an easy make, but with

KQ72 AK754 A82 4

AJ863 862 93 KQ2

If the auction proceeds 1 - 1 - 4, now Responder's 5 points outside the splinter suit added to the known 18 will only make 23 points and now no interest in the slam should be shown! The reason this rule works is that once the partnership can ignore one whole suit then the partnership can expect to make small slams on 26+ as opposed to 33+ when you have to take into account all the suits! Also it is a good idea to have a partnership agreement that you will not splinter in suits where you have a singleton king or ace (as part of the points promised).