Going for a Number

QJ       ♥Q432     ♦J2 ♣98753

Partner opens one diamond in first seat.   Pass on your right. What happens when you bid one heart?

You’ve forced partner to bid again.   He cannot know whether you have the hand shown or this one:

AJ   ♥ A875    ♦ AJ9 ♣A9865

In most systems the bid is exactly the same.

Now partner re-bids one spade.  With the first hand, what do you bid now?  Whatever it is, it’s eleven hundred for the opponents.  They start doubling and you’ve nowhere to run.

With the second hand there are no problems.

In The Modest Club the first hand bids one heart, too.  But huge difference.   In our system that one heart bid denies 10 points.  It also denies 3 diamonds.

It strongly suggests that partner think seriously

About passing.

It means you’re not going for a number.