Posted 2013-July-29, 14:31
Just announcing that 3♦ was u/u doesn't help all that much, since there are several versions of u/u. For me, 3♦ showed spades, limit or better, but I know of at least two very good players I have partnered who prefer that 3♠ would be a forcing spade bid, and 3♦ is a negative double type of hand.
In any event, I would never support hearts here. This hand is about spades.
Picture North with xx Axxxx AKx AKx: obviously a 'cooked' hand as an example, but the only reason to prefer hearts to spades would be if we knew that they'd get a ruff in hearts, with spades trump. That has to be less than the odds that we have a slow heart loser (or two) that can be avoided unless hearts are trump.
It's tough to know what N should do over 5♣. Was he, for example, in a fp situation? That, in turn, depends on what 3♦ meant.
If we were in a fp, then I think he should pass. He has undisclosed heart length. I think he passes no matter whether S has shown hearts or spades.
S would then bid 5♠, I assume, and then it is up to N to decide: I think he's worth a nudge to slam, tho I may be resulting.
If we accept the double, S should in any event pull to 5♠ imo: he should never suggest hearts as trump. Equally, I think it close but I think pulling the double is the better call. Again, I may be being influenced by seeing the 2 hands. I must confess, as S I'd never dream that partner held the hand he did. I would double as N with, say, x AQxxx AJxx Kxx, to come up with what seems to me to be a pretty clear example of a hand with no spade support, no great heart length, lots of wastage in the minors.
Having suggested hearts, he should NEVER pull. All he is doing is adding a layer of unnecessary confusion to an already grope-filled auction.
When you do that, when you gratuitously increase the stress on partner, you have to share in the responsibility for a bad outcome.
'one of the great markers of the advance of human kindness is the howls you will hear from the Men of God' Johann Hari