[beauchamp0]

Interesting situation came up tonight.

North had ♠ A98 ♥ 8743 ♦ A964 ♣ J5

and the bidding went

South West North East
1♠ P 2♠ P
3♥ P ?

where 2♠ was constructive and 3♥ a short suit game-try.

North finally bid 4♥ but South dropped the ball and simply bid 4♠, because of a lack of primary controls.

Sitting West, once the hand was over I congratulated North on his bid, but he answered that he simply did not know what to do, feeling he had too much for any other bid!

I told him that he had inadvertently invented a congratulation bid: "Partner, I'm maximum for my previous bidding, have no wasted values in ♥, and 2 key cards."

I stopped playing in 1992 and started again 8 months ago, so I imagine that since then someone has suggested that treatment, but I don't remember seeing it in print or hearing about it between 1974 and 1993.

[1eyedjack]

I don't understand the 4H bid either, but it would have to be some specific partnership agreement. I would have considered that the choices available to North are:
1) 3S = wasted Heart values and/or no game interest
2) 3N = contract suggestion, wasted H values, maximum total values, likely to be a risky and speculative gamble.
4) 4S = heard enough. Either no wasted values or maximum with a bit of wastage.
5) Anything else = highly suitable, no wasted values in H.

Thus, on this hand, if I am not going to bid 4S with North over the 3H trial, I would bid 4D rather than 4H, which I would expect to show a diamond control, deny a club control, deny wasted Heart values, and accept the game try with a good hand in context. This I think would help South a bit more than a nebulous 4H bid.

[the hog]

Yes David, I agree. 4H is an excellent bid showing no wasted values in the H suit and controls outside.

[1eyedjack]

On reflection I agree with Hog. My point was that ALL bids other than 3S, 3N and 4S show a good 4S raise without wasted Heart values and good controls. So that alone does not distinguish the merits of 4H from (say) 4m. But I think 4m should show a source of tricks in the suit bid, and 4D does not really cut the mustard.

[whereagles]

4♥ is brilliant... if pard can understand it. Else 4♦ is better

[glen]

4♥ is a Bluhmer - "A call, often a jump bid, which encourages high-level action, usually a slam-try, by denying values opposite partner's short suit." - based on the 1993/12 The Bridge World Jim Foster article, and named after ACBL Hall of Fame member Lou Bluhm.

I will now turn this over to Ken.