Distributional Disclosure

I was dealer at unfav vul (Monday club game, Board 21) with this hand:  ♠–, ♥AT85, ♦AQJ6, ♣QJ864

Although I am generally reluctant to open 1♦ with four diamonds and five clubs, opening 1♦ here seems to be the best choice: I am too strong to pass in hope that I can better describe my hand later, my hearts are too weak to begin a prepared auction by opening 1♥, and I am reluctant to rebid my poorish club suit over the expected 1♠ response should I open 1♣.  Reversing to 2♦ is, of course, out of the question.  I am not going to enjoy hearing a second round preference to 2♦ by partner after 1♦-1♠-2♣, but that seems the least of evils for the moment.

Over my 1♦ opening, partner unexpectedly responded 1NT.  Now RHO overcalled 2♠.

At my disposal now is a huge amount of distributional information.  By bypassing a response of 1♥ or 1♠, I know that partner has no more than six major suit cards.  Hence: (1) we must have at least an eight card fit in one of the minor suits; and (2) the opponents have at least a ten card spade fit.  Accordingly, I bid 3♣ over the 2♠ overcall.  LHO chose to pass and partner preferenced to 3♦.  Now my choice to open 1♦ might come back to haunt me, as partner might be 3=3=3=4 with enough values so that he wanted to give me a chance to make another call.  Still, having bid a lot for owning a 14 count, I felt I had to pass and hope that partner had at least four diamonds.

Now LHO, who had passed 3♣, chose to bid 3♠ in the balancing seat.  When 3♠ was passed to me, I had an opportunity to better describe my hand by bidding 4♣.  Partner passed and a view of dummy disclosed that he did in fact hold more clubs than diamonds and we had reached our better trump suit.

Dealer: N #21 Vul: NS	North ♠   — ♥   AT85 ♦   AQJ6 ♣   QJ864
West ♠   AKJ97 ♥   K63 ♦   872 ♣   K7		East ♠   QT852 ♥   J92 ♦   T53 ♣   92
	South ♠   643 ♥   Q74 ♦   K94 ♣   AT53

A spade was led and a dummy reversal soon produced eleven tricks in the form of three spade ruffs in hand, one heart, four diamonds and three of dummy’s four clubs.