[oberiko]

Is there a general consensus on the use of splinters over an opening of 1m? If so, what's the criteria?

Right now, I'm thinking it should be the following:
* 13-15 HCP
* 4+ card support
* Singleton/void in suit bid

This would be used in combination with the standard 1m - 3NT response (13-15 HCP, no four card major, stoppers in all unbid suits) and inverted minors.

Since Acol uses a weak NT and four card major, that guarantees that opener has either 12+ HCP and 5+ cards in the minor, or 15+ HCP and 4+ cards on the minor.

Thoughts?

[EricK]

The general consensus, I think, is to also have the bid deny a 4 card major.

I also think (and this is not general consensus!) that splinters opposite 1m are not a great idea in any case. When the opened suit is a major, it is very likely you want to be in 4M (or more). However, when the suit is a minor, 3NT is always a lively possibility, and a splinter leaves almost no room to decide on the best game.

[Cyberyeti]

We play the direct splinter as specifically a void (but game values+ unlimited) and go through the inverted minor sequence with a singleton.

[Free]

We use immediate splinters as 12-14 and stronger splinters via inverted minor. Splinters always deny a 4 card M. Seeking for 3NT quite simple actually: opener needs to stop the splintered suit, end of story.

[Siegmund]

You certainly need to have an agreement with partner about major-suit distribution.

With several of my partners we play splinters over 1m as exactly 4 of the unbid major(s), 0-1 of the splinter suit, 4-5 of each minor; partner's next bid (1C-3D-3H up to 1C-3D-4D) sets trump and shows slam interest, any of his four game bids is to play.

I do agree that the alternative of denying 4-card majors is more frequently agreed, though I am not sure it is more useful in practice.

[Zelandakh]

Another reasonable alternative here is to use fit-jumps instead of splinters.

[Cyberyeti]

 Zelandakh, on 2013-August-13, 02:45, said:

Another reasonable alternative here is to use fit-jumps instead of splinters.

Depends what you use 1m-2M as, we get the fit jumps in there so have 1m-3M as splinter. WJS is less common in Acol than it is in American methods.