Show your 4-card support immediately

[jogs]

Yes, although I think what is being asked for is even more daunting: On what sort of hands should we seek out the possible 4-4, and when should we ignore the possibility?

Unless your partnership has thoroughly discussed the situation, on the fly it should be never. After the 1♠ call you will never be able to convince pard you have 4 card heart support.

[sfi]

Thanks all for your valuable contributions. But I need to maybe re-phrase the question not particularly focusing on this hand combination.

Taking a different South hands being invitational, game forcing or even slam interest, do you ignore the possible 4-4 card spade fit and immediately show your 4-card heart support with your methods available? Further, is it then better being in slam that a 5-4 fit is more desirable than a 4-4 fit?

Regards

 

The most likely way a 4-4 fit will create an extra trick is when you have a useful pitch on the fifth card in the suit. You can frequently diagnose this when you have a double fit in a major and a minor, and have started a cuebidding sequence. However, as others have pointed out it's just too hard to convince partner you have four card support when you start with 1S, so it's far easier just to start by raising partner immediately.

 

On the original hand it is very unlikely pitching a club on the hearts will gain any tricks. Even if you did have a way of showing both majors, this would not be the hand to do it on.

[jwccsllc]

Dlr:W

Vul:Both

North opens 1♥

The question is do South show his 4-card support immediately with Bergen or any other method you have or bid 1♠?

If you bid 1♠ then you will not be able to persuade partner of your 4-card support and if you show your 4-card support immediately you will loose your 4-4 fit in spades.

Which is the more desirable way to go? I will appreciate any comments with rationale.

Regards

[hv=pc=n&s=sqt95hat96dtcqj74&w=s764h8dqj753ck986&n=sak32hkq742da64c3&e=sj8hj53dk982cat52]399|300[/hv]

 

I like playing major suit raises described in Max Hardy's book "The Problem with Major Suit Raises and how to fix them".

 

Here a jump to 3♦ (Under Jump Shift) shows a 4-card limit raise with a singleton or void. North bids 3♥ asking about the shortness, and South's 4♦ bid shows a singleton diamond (there is another sequence to say it's a void). Now it's an easy 4♠ Kickback ask to find that South has one keycard.