Mr. Dodgy, on Sep 15 2007, 05:14 PM, said:
Strong Jump Shifts are less common these days but if you're playing them then 2♠ 1st round is good.
Now I'd just blast Blackwood or bid 4♣ (if that's nat+strong)
I disagree.. unless you are playing a truly ancient style.
I know of no modern expert, in std methods, who would advocate a jumphift here. The problems are 1) the spade suit is too weak and 2) the hand may play far better in clubs. Modern strong jumps are generally either one-suited (with a strong suit) or two suited, with a fit for partner as the second suit, or big notrump types. I
♠ is normal and you could then bid 3
♣ over 2
♥, which is ostensibly natural and always forcing.
However, with a hand this strong, and if at all worried about my partnership's ability to bid subtlely, I'd just keycard (or blackwood) over 2
♥... after all, he has shown 6 of them and we have 1st or 2nd round control of all the side suits.
After learning of the spade A and the heart AK, I'd bid 7
♥. It has to have play.. although if he has a hand such as Axx AKJxxx xx xx, we may be in trouble after a diamond lead.
'one of the great markers of the advance of human kindness is the howls you will hear from the Men of God' Johann Hari