Cyberyeti, on 2023-February-17, 12:40, said:
3♥ is poor, give partner a different hand, Ax, AQxxxx, KQxx, A and you want to play 7♦, Ax, AQ10xx, KQxx, Ax you want to play 6♦. We would break the transfer.
The opener has all the ingredients of a hand that may play a trick better in diamonds, decent diamonds and a useful discard of a doubleton on the long heart.
Unless you play 3D as slamming, which I think is unplayable in a serious method, 3H is clearly correct
It is normal, when playing standard transfers, for 3D to be:
1. A red two suiter interested in slam (from mere possibility to considering grand), or
2. A red two suiter worried about 3N, or
3. A red two suiter interested in a choice between 4H and 5D
The principle of ‘game before slam’ is venerable for good reason. Games hands, including game force hands with mild slam interest, are far more common than strongly slam-oriented hands
Here, if responder has either types 2 or 3, opener wants to play in hearts.
And if, as is often the case, responder has a slamming hand, he may be 5=5 in which case hearts is superior, even at imps (6D loses imps to 6H) and this is critical at mps.
Thus imo one is resulting if one criticizes 3H.
As to how to avoid hearts, I’m not confident that I’d avoid it assuming a weak 1N opening and standard transfers. Fortunately, in the one in which we play 11-13, responder bids 2D, artificial gf. Opener bids 2S, showing 4+ hearts and denying spades.
Responder relays with 2N and opener bids 3C, showing 4=4 reds.
Now I think 6D is fairly clear at imps, but 6H is reasonable gamble at mps.
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