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West had intended to jump to 3S over opener’s rebid to show a 3 card limit raise. With many of my partnerships, I play an immediate 3D as the 3 piece limit raise for any number of reasons:
1) it is hard to complete the 1M-1N-2x-3M sequence when the opponents take the bidding to the 4 level, and opener does not even know responder has support
2) playing an immediate 3D as the 3 piece LR allows opener to pass 1N with a balanced minimum, assured that responder does not have invitational values with a fit (semi forcing 1N)
Anyway, 5H doubled was down a trick for minus 100, whilst NS were cold for 6S and even 7D, with all 3 losing clubs going on the long spades.
How would you bid the East hand after 1S-p-1N-4H? Would you bid 4S like my opponent or show the two suited hand by bidding 5D? 5D seems a little scary on a 4 loser hand but responder has shown at least a 6 count, and probably his honors are not in hearts, so any honors in the pointy suits are pulling full weight.
Now try to imagine you play “combined Bergen”, and 1M-3C shows a 4 card raise 7-12 points and 1M-3D shows a 3 piece raise with 10-12 points. Now with spades set as trump it would be easy to find the 5D call and slam is reachable as responder realizes his KQx of spades and QJxx of diamonds are pure gold.
5H doubled down one was a good score, beaten only by the NS pair whose opponents bid the “wrong” grand slam – the 9 card diamond grand is cold as the spades are 6-3 allowing for 3 club pitches whereas the diamonds are 5-4 and provide only one club pitch.
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