whereagles, on 2015-February-02, 10:42, said:
- After a penalty double of 1NT (15-17), what is the maximum holding for South to rescue?
He should pull if he has a long suit, plus weak hand. I.e. hand such that combined strength may be below 21 H or so.
- Would the answer differ if the 1NT opening were weak (12-14)?
No.
- After South rescues, can you envisage a potential game for North / South?
It's possible. Give pard a few scraps on the right spot and 4♥ might make.
- Is there any reason to bid more than 2♥?
That's the hard part. Since I'm an optmist, I would try 3♥.
I agree with most of this. Partner will sit for the penalty double except with extreme weakness and a long suit. Many times when you double a strong 1NT you have 7 tricks in hand, so partner should not pull. It is not really a question of high card points. It is a question of what is worse - 1NTx or 2 of the long suit.
Once partner pulls, I would not bid more than 2
♥. Partner's pull of the penalty double should warn you that he has very little. And you need something to make a game on your hand. Without help from the opps (like a spade lead into your AQ), I would not be shocked to find that you can't make 2
♥.