mikeh, on 2022-September-20, 13:20, said:
It’s normal for partner to ignore the double if he has a hand that would respond 1M to 1D, so he won’t have 4S and (depending on your partnership responding style) 5 or 6+ hcp.
It’s normal for 1N to show around 8-10 with side values and no major, so he won’t have that
If you play that redouble shows 10+ (which used to be standard but isn’t anymore) then he doesn’t have that
It’s normal to raise diamonds with a weak hand and a fit. How many diamonds he needs depends on how many diamonds you promised. If, as is still pretty standard but far from universal, you’d open 1D with 4=4=3=2 then he needs, usually 5+ to raise or 4 with a ruffing value. So he won’t have those hands.
If you play weak jump shifts over the double, he won’t have that
So you can see that the best way of visualizing his hand is by elimination.
Since he won5 have values and spades, there’s little point in bidding 1S.
But it’s losing bridge to pass. You have long diamonds and distribution. You want partner to compete with a fit…either to push them too high or to find a good save or to win a part score battle or to make it difficult for LHO to describe his hand.
You choices appear to be 2D or 3D. I opt for 3D. I’m seduced by the diamond 10….I’m not joking….that 10 is a very important card if partner doesn’t have a fit for diamonds.
I would bid only 2D if red v white and if 1H were natural but 3D at all other vulnerabilities. Is this always safe? No….but I think one needs to make life difficult for the opps.
The fact that they play 1H as artificial is great. That style was popular many years ago…members of the Blue Team played it for years. Very few good players use it these days. I’ve played a fair amount of high level international bridge and never seen it played. I think it a terrible convention….and look what 3D does to them. Fit is as important as hcp and 3D preempts their ability to find a fit….
Indeed, the fact that they play this outdated convention makes bidding 3D even more obvious
Interesting analysis, I wouldn't have thought of 3
♦ and would bid 2
♦ as I would have thought 3
♦ shows a strong hand, something like close to a maximum 1-suit opening or equivalent playing strength, bearing in mind partner could have little in the way of useful cards.
If a jump bid in the suit can show an intermediate hand with a good suit, what do you do with a maximum and the same shape, for example adding at least an ace to the given hand?