Posted 2005-July-19, 13:54
Let me add my voice to the so-far unaminous vote for 3♠.
Nothing is perfect.
3N is absurd. I don't care if it works on this hand: it is not close to bridge.
Double followed by the appropriate number of ♠ is a possibility. Most of the time partner will rebid 3♥, and now 3♠ will work out well when partner has a poor minimum or extras with ♠ support. But if he has extras with indifferent support, you may (will) miss a good game.
Partner will not pass, and if he does (maybe RHO meant to bid 3♣ and pulled out the wrong bidding card?), you are happy.
If partner bids 4♣, you are in trouble: having to guess 4♥, playing a likely 5-2 on a badly breaking hand, or 4♠, with no idea whether partner has even tolerance.
Other bids by partner are more readily handled: pull an unlikely 3N to 4♠, since he has hcp to compensate for a potential trump shortness, and you may even have a slam if he has a maximum, fitting, 3N.
4♥ is easily passed.
So double has a lot going for it, but 3♠ is the least distortion and gives correct emphasis to suit length and texture, so gets my vote. You can pass 3N confident that he has poor ♠, and be happy over 4♥. Over 4♣, you are still unhappy, but now you can bid 4♥ without having to guess about the ♠ suit.
'one of the great markers of the advance of human kindness is the howls you will hear from the Men of God' Johann Hari