Posted 2005-October-25, 12:10
I agree you need a 'default' bid to make over 4th suit when you already have exactly what you've shown.
The aim when answering a question from partner is to give partner as much extra information as cheaply as possible. Given that, taking 4252 as a specific example, I disagree that it is "not obviously inferior" to make the default bid 2D, given certain assumptions.
Those assumptions are:
- you would rebid 1NT, or possibly raise 1H to 2H, on any balanced hand (4333, 4432, 5332 possibly 4144) without 4-card heart support
- you would raise 1H to 2H on most minimum 4=3=1=5 distributions
So when would you bid 2H on the given auction? If you think 2D is the default call on a 4252, then 2D gives partner very little new information, and 2H is a very rare bid indeed. You don't want to make a cheap call a very rare one, it's inefficient. If alternatively you bid 2H on this hand type, then partner is about 80% certain you have exactly this shape.
Personally I would also bid 2H holding Kxxx Kx KJxxx Ax because I think telling partner I have Kx in his suit is more important than showing a club stop.
If, on the other hand, you would always rebid 1S with a 4351, then perhaps you should save up the 2H bid to show 3-card support or possibly Hx and rebid 2D.
If you play 2C as game forcing (which I don't, I think the method is as poor as playing 1C-2D-2S round the table as promising a rebid, but that's another issue), then you can use the raise of the 4th suit to mean something specific. I would use that to show a 4153 with no club stop, which is the "death" hand.
By the way, I agree that 2D doesn't absolutely have to have to 6th diamond, but I would bid on the assumption that it did. I would rebid 2D on, say,
KQJx
-
KQJ109
5432
And I would bid 2H over 2C holding
AKxx
KQ
Jxxxxx
x
(but you get the general idea).