Bridge players need to stay on the same page as their partners. This isn’t always easy. I play with so many people that I have to review their convention cards with every outing. And even when we agree on conventions and carding, unexpected predicaments can jolt us.

Take board 26 at the Edgartown Bridge Club on June 26, with South dealing and both sides vulnerable:

NORTH (Dolt)
♠ Q J 8 6
♥ K
♦ J 7 5
♣ A K Q 6 2

WEST               EAST
♠ A 5 3              ♠ 2
♥ Q J 9 8 6        ♥ 10 7 5 4 3 2
♦ Q 10 6            ♦ K 9 3
♣ 5 3                 ♣ 10 8 4

SOUTH (Blameless partner)
♠ K 10 9 7 4
♥ A
♦ A 8 4 2
♣ J 9 7

The bidding proceeded as follows:

South       West        North        East
1♠            Pass        4 ♥ •           All Pass!

• Splinter bid showing singleton or void, 4+ holding in bid suit and game-going support for partner.

Down six for a bottom-board -600 that knocked us out of contention for first place. This was a subject we hadn’t discussed. “I usually do splinters in a minor suit,” partner told me, “and I usually wouldn’t do it with an ace or king.”

Generally, a holding increases in value when the singletons are smaller cards, with high-card points in other suits.

“It might have been better to bid 2NT,” she added, referring to a conventional raise with 4+ support in the bid suit and game-going values. I have to admit that 2NT crossed my mind before I launched into the uncertain 4♥. My bad.

Later in the afternoon we learned a new gambit harmlessly, since we were defenders not playing the contract. South was dealing, with both sides vulnerable:

NORTH
♠ K Q 8 7 6
♥ A 9 4 2
♦—
♣ J 9 4 3

WEST                 EAST
♠ J 10 9 5            ♠3
♥ J 7                    ♥K Q 8 6
♦ J 7                    ♦ 9 8 6 4 3 2
♣ A 10 6 5 2       ♣K 7

SOUTH
♠A 4 2
♥10 5 3
♦A K Q 10 5
♣ Q 8

The bidding proceeded as follows:

South       West        North        East
1♦             Pass        1 ♠            Pass
1NT         All Pass

Opening lead: ♣5

South should have opened 1NT, which is standard practice with a five-card minor or major suit and 15-17 high-card points. As it happened, declarer made four for +180, which was not a good score since other North-South pairs bid and made 4♠ for +620 or 3NT for +600. (Actually, 4 ♠ can be defeated with proper defense, but that’s another story.)

“Why didn’t North rebid 2♥ ?” my partner wondered.

“I would take that as a weak bid showing five spades, four hearts and 0-10 HCP,” I argued. “With a better hand, you could bid 2 ♣, alerted as a new-minor forcing asking if partner has three spades or four hearts.”

If that had happened, the bidding would have proceeded as follows:

South       West        North        East
1♦             Pass        1 ♠            Pass
1NT         Pass         2♣            Pass
2♠            Pass         3 ♠            Pass
4♠           All Pass

HCP aside, North’s hand increases exponentially once partner bids 2 ♠ With only six losers and a void, North can go to 3 ♠ , if not 4 ♠ . If South had opened 1NT, 4 ♠ would have established the contract more routinely.

Incredibly, we prospered from our discussion when the same 5-4 holding appeared in a later auction. North was dealing, with North-South vulnerable. The East-West cards were irrelevant:

NORTH
♠ A 10 4 3 2
♥ J 9 7 5
♦ 3 2
♣ A 3

SOUTH
♠Q 7
♥A K 6 4
♦ K 6 4
♣ J 6 5 4

The bidding proceeded as follows:

South       West        North        East
Pass          Pass        1♣             Pass
1♠             Pass        1NT          Pass
2♥            All Pass

Understanding that North’s 2 ♥ rebid was weak and that we had a 4-4 fit in hearts, South passed. We made four for a tied top. A new system learned and applied. Perfecto.