This article refers to the Bridge terminology. For the British TV Drama serial, see The Last Train

The Last Train

The Last Train is a British six-part post-apocalyptic television drama serial first broadcast on the ITV network in 1999. It has since been repeated on ITV2 in 1999/2001 and on numerous occasions on the UK Sci-Fi Channel...

. For the J-rock

Music of Japan

The music of Japan includes a wide array of performers in distinct styles both traditional and modern. The word for music in Japanese is 音楽 , combining the kanji 音 with the kanji 楽...

 song, see knotlamp

Knotlamp

Knotlamp is a Japanese rock band signed to the RUN RUN RUN Records label. They formed in 2000 and produced their first single, Mental Age in October 2002. They debuted under RUN RUN RUN Records with their mini-album, Blind Side on October 23, 2007 and released their first full album Sing Against...

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Last train refers to a bid just below game level in the agreed suit. A Last Train bid is typically made in a bidding sequence in which one of the partners has already indicated slam interest.

A survey in the magazine The Bridge World

The Bridge World

The Bridge World , the oldest continuously published magazine about contract bridge, was founded in 1929 by Ely Culbertson. It has since been regarded as the game's principal journal, publicizing technical advances in bidding and the play of the cards, discussions of ethical issues, bridge politics...

showed a strong consensus approving the Last Train convention, with the following definition:
The convention is named after the Monkees song "Last Train to Clarksville

The Best of The Monkees

The Best of the Monkees is a Monkees compilation released by Rhino Entertainment. It contains 25 songs from The Monkees' repertoire, listed in chronological order by release date. Also included is a Bonus karaoke CD with five tracks...

". The convention was both devised and named by Jeff Meckstroth

Jeff Meckstroth

Jeffrey John Meckstroth is a multiple world champion in contract bridge, winning the Bermuda Bowl representing the U.S. five times. He is one of only ten players who have won the so-called triple crown of bridge: the Bermuda Bowl, the World Open Pairs and the World Team Olympiad...

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Because Last Train is a bidding convention it requires prior agreement between the partners (and of course announcement to the opponents). In the absence of prior discussion, most players would interpret the Last Train bid as a control bid, showing a high card value in the suit named.

Examples

1 - 3

4 - 4

The 4 bid shows a club control and slam interest. If the partnership has agreed to use Last Train, the 4 bid indicates extra values (i.e., responder's hand is at the upper end of the strength range indicated by the 3 bid), and invites partner to continue exploring slam. 4 does not show a diamond control, although of course responder might have one.

1 - 4

4

The 4 bid asks responder to consider bidding slam with values beyond those already shown (4 is a splinter bid

Splinter bid

In contract bridge, a splinter bid is a convention whereby a jump bid in a side-suit indicates a trump fit and a singleton or void in the suit bid. For example, a 4 clubs response to a 1 heart opening establishes hearts as trump suit and indicates a singleton or void in clubs. Most experts agree...

showing at least four spades and a singleton diamond).