If 4H should show what he has, then it's not so bad to bid it undiscussed, if you have a thinking partner. Of course, in this case it seems he didn't.
Re 5D showing good diamonds and spade tolerance: (1) How good can the diamonds be, if pard neglected to jump-overcall at her last turn? KJxxxx? KT9xxxx? Each is an overcall opposite a passed partner, particularly with only three (or fewer) hearts. (2) If pard has spade tolerance, 4S is a much smarter bid, unless she is so weak she expects a 5H call and plans 5S over this, and is showing diamonds to help you evaluate competing further. Seems unlikely, and you'll know soon enough if you pass. It seems you're pretty much playing her for T9 xxx KT9xxx xx, which is an awfully narrow target and still a bad bid. Remember, she can't have much in spades, the opps have told us she can't have more than 3H and may have two, and she can't have much in clubs, three dead at most, else 4NT was a much better bid by her. But she didn't bid 3D, so the diamonds are horrible. Hence, those diamonds are long and weak, and worthless unless they're trump (because they can't be set up and then reached). Pass.
-1100 is not unlikely, but you'll do worse in spades if you run into a spade stack, and are unlikely to do better unless pard has at least Tx and they break. Also, it looks like opps can make 6H (or more), so this might be only a 5-or-so IMP swing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gisb0rne
1 is a horrible overbid because the hand has no defensive values. I think most players would open 2.
I think most players would pass. But then most players aren't very good.
1S is a horrible overbid only if your partner expects defense with your one-level openings. If she does, you need to open 2S, and consider showing the clubs later. 4S would make sense in third seat, or maybe first, but not second.
Last edited by atakdog; 03-16-2008 at 07:35 PM.