[phoenixmj]

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2 nt is jacoby - 4 hearts (or better?) and opening balanced hand - no singletons or voids.

3 spades - is a splinter - singleton or void in spades. I think it also shows a stronger than minimum hand.

What should south bid next?

Thanks in advance.

[TylerE]

3♠ does NOT, repeat NOT, promise any extras. It's a mandatory shape showing bid.

I'd continue with a cue of 4♦, which doesn't promise extras either, although it would hint that partners splinter wasn't bad news. (Unlike a hand were you held something like ♠ KQJ where you have a lot of points tied up in a suit that isn't very helpful).

[HardVector]

TylerE, on 2019-March-20, 11:25, said:

3♠ does NOT, repeat NOT, promise any extras. It's a mandatory shape showing bid.

I'd continue with a cue of 4♦, which doesn't promise extras either, although it would hint that partners splinter wasn't bad news. (Unlike a hand were you held something like ♠ KQJ where you have a lot of points tied up in a suit that isn't very helpful).

This is all completely correct. I also want to add, that in the modern game, cuebids show first or second round controls if below game. So 4d is either an ace, king, singleton, or void. More importantly, you are sending subtle indirect messages; 1. you can't cuebid clubs, so you don't have first or second round control in clubs and 2. you are interested in moving toward slam.

All of this should make north excited to move forward. After 4d, I'd bid 4s to show the splinter is a void. This would also promise a club control, as with no club control you wouldn't bid past game.

[gszes]

One can write a BOOK on splinter continuations but these hands do not require much special handling. I would not worry about showing extra values when showing a singleton or void after a J2n bid. The main reason is there is usually a lot of space below game to start slam bidding. Important corollary, just as in normal slam cue bidding, when you cue bid you are stating you do NOT have sufficient information to take over the bidding (this is almost always due to lack of extra power vs looking for a grand).

1h normal
2n excellent choice with no 5+ card side suit which makes splinters a tad less desirable as a slam search mechanism unlimited.
3s short spades and no 5+ card side suit unlimited.
4d cue insufficient info to take over the bidding (almost certainly due to lack of club control).
4s verifying void AND a club control
4n enough info to take control
5c 0-3 keys
5s showing the ace (in case NT is right) and asking for more information (also promises trump Q else 5d asking for it)
6h no kings to show 5n would show a side Q and p can name a suit if interested in that information (this would allow us to bid 7 if north also had the club K or dia Q.