I had the misfortune of playing against South on this hand. South did a better job of bidding than the other South’s in a BBO pairs game. Here is the hand:
What would you bid in 2nd seat after East passed? Scroll down if you would like to see my recommended bid.
You have a rock crusher — 8 and 1/2 tricks in hearts plus 17 high card points. Bergen would value the hand at 19+ starting points. But be careful. You don’t have a hand that justifies a strong 2 clubs opening bid. For that you need 9+ tricks in your hand. Open the hand one heart, planning to not to fall in love with it should your partner be weak. Most pairs overbid in the game I was in.