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kenberg, on 2012-December-31, 11:44, said:
We seem to agree that we would not be bidding the actual North hand in the way it was done, and although I have not thought much about it I tend to agree that 1♥-1♠-3♣ should show five. The "2♣ is all but forcing" reminds me of Gilbert and Sullivan "Never? Well, hardly ever" but in fact anytime that it is passed that might well turn out fine. Providing you don't rebid 2♣ on three cards. With this very strong hand that you show for North I think 1♥-1♠-2♣-2♥-3♠ sounds right. Bidding two suits and then a jump raise of partner's suit is the traditional way of showing three cards, a stiff, a big hand and tradition has its uses. If the combined hands cannot make game somewhere, with your suggested monster North hand, that's just too bad. Games have been made on 4-3 fits.
It makes slam bidding much easier if you can bid 2♠ rather than 3♠
We play the 2♣ rebid as "forcing opposite a real response", we tend to respond light with no fit, our 1♥ is 4+cards with a weak NT so big 4432 is quite a likely holding at the start and we will respond 1♠ underweight.
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But no style always works, else we would all be playing it. I understand raising 1♠ directly to 2♠ on the hand I give, with the clubs AJxx, but I would do in on quite a bit less. If I have an opening hand, a stiff diamond, and three decent spades that's near enough unless I really am at a minimum.
Anyway, as the OP says, if I do not raise spades immediatly it will be near impossible to convince partner that I have four of them no matter what I do subsequently. I would like 4♦ to have a stiff diamond rather than a void, as it is I will feel I have not done the hand justice if partner then bids 4[S], but we cannot have everything. I could make another try with 5♣ which ought to encourage him. He can think, I didn't bid 4♥, I bid 4♠, he is still moving on? It should not take much in his hand to get him to bid 6♠. I wouldn't say the cards can be spread after the opening lead, but it certainly is a favorite.
4♦ = unequivocal big hand + void for us
1♥-1♠-2N(GF unbal)-3♣(forced unless extreme shape)-4♦ = 45(6)13(2) and big.