[andy_h]

Playing nothing fancy but 2/1, you have the auction of
1♦ - 1♠
2♣ - 2♥*
2NT - 4♥

2♥ = 4th suit GF

What does this 4♥ tend to show?
Note: 3♥ over 2♣ would be 5-5 majors invitational.

[han]

Without discussion I would assume it is natural NF.

You could make a case for it to be a self-splinter. What would 4H directly be?

[jdonn]

I would strangle partner for making this bid undiscussed. I don't even know what I would want it to mean. I suppose if we had a partnership agreement on the difference between

1♦ 1♠
2♣ 4♠

and

1♦ 1♠
2♣ 2♥
2NT 4♠

I would be forced to assume the same general difference applied to the problem auction and

1♦ 1♠
2♣ 4♥, which I could take as a self splinter if partner did it.

[rogerclee]

I would assume self-splinter, but I have no idea what this means.

[the hog]

My first thought was natural, some 5(6)-5 shape.
You could make a case for an auto splinter but I wouldn't want anyone pulling this on me undiscussed.

[kenrexford]

I have no earthly idea what this means without agreements, either.

I know what I would want it to mean, I think.

As a general rule, any unusual action in a GF sequence should, IMO, be a picture bid with focus on the highest of options. In a simple auction like 1♠-P-2♣(GF)-P-2♥, Responder's picture bids would be in focus of hearts because 2♠ (for me setting trumps) is cheaper than 3♥.

This auction is weird, though. Three options seem to exist, different than in the prior example, because you just feel spades somehow. Hence, I can see the merits to this autosplinter.

The problem for me, however, is that I also can see merits to this as a more picture splinter in support of diamonds, something like AKJxx-x-KQxx-Qxx. This is because I normally would expect the picture bid to be in support of the higher ranking of partner's suits.

All that said, it does seem that han has the right analysis. Undiscussed, I guess that this shows a major two-suiter but NF. 2♥...3♥ would then be natural and slammish.

[Apollo81]

I would assume natural NF and pretty minimal -- opener is highly likely to hold exactly 4 major cards, so he is asking opener to correct if 2-2 and pass if 1-3, even if he has significant extras.

[P_Marlowe]

andy_h, on Jun 15 2008, 04:29 PM, said:

Playing nothing fancy but 2/1, you have the auction of
1♦ - 1♠
2♣ - 2♥*
2NT - 4♥

2♥ = 4th suit GF

What does this 4♥ tend to show?
Note: 3♥ over 2♣ would be 5-5 majors invitational.

Hence 3H over 2NT would show 5-5 with
game forcing values.

As it is, I would take 4H as some kind of
splinter bid for clubs, but why did he not bid
4H at once and opener already said he has
wastage in hearts.

The conclusion may be, that the bid does not
exist.

With kind regards
Marlowe

PS: Even autosplinter for spades does not really
make sense, partner could have simply bid 3S over
2NT, ... and again 2NT showed wastage in hearts.