[aleatory]

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IMPs, white/white
Partner's overcall is more conservative than some -- 8 HCP overcalls have a good suit or advantageous distribution.
3♦ is a mixed raise.

Your bid?
Do you do something different at different vulnerability?
Leave 5 hearts with south but change the points or distribution. With what would you bid 2H? 3H? 3D? 4H?

[whereagles]

Their fit is probably in diamonds, and they're yet to discover it. A preemptive 3♥ should be just about par.

[fromageGB]

Their fit is probably not in diamonds, as partner has them. He does not have good hearts. Defence looks good. Pass is possible, but makes it easy for them to find their suit. I bid 2♥, and perhaps if they do have game they do not find it.

2♥ at any vulnerability. My concern is that we do do not have game as my hand is so poor, but they might, and bidding aggressively to show the fit may force them into it. With poorer hearts and more strength outside, I am happier to bid 3/4♥ and hope I push them too high.

[Manastorm]

I would bid 3♥. I would like to end auction right there, 2♥ really asks for competition. Opener has void or singleton ♥ and is going to bid
almost surely, if he gets an easy chance. Perhaps opener doesnt have too much playing strength and passes. Perhaps I should bid 4♥ right away, without 1NT
perhaps I would do it. Nonvul vs vul I would bid it without thinking.

[MrAce]

"Good fit, few points" sounds like a perfect description of a preemptive raise to me.
I do not mind bidding only 2♥ but how did FromageGB come up with such certainty about our pd holding diamonds is a mystery to me. He may have them, or he may have stiff in diamonds. Is 1 ♦ opener not allowed to have more than 5 diamonds nowadays?

[fromageGB]

How? I read "overcalls have a good suit or advantageous distribution". If I have AT and the 1NT hand is not a psyche, then I conclude partner does not have a good suit. Ergo he has a good distribution, and decent diamonds is likely given East's lack of support on a poor heart holding.

On re-reading, it could be that the description applies to only 8 hcp hands, and not to 9 or more, in which case I withdraw the suggestion! However, I do think that game is much more likely their way than ours, and they are more likely to bid it if we force them into it or I show very long hearts. 2♥ asks for competition, but you are going to get it anyway. I will be "forced" to bid 3♥ next time.

[MrAce]

AJx Kxxxx x xxxx is more than enough for a 1 level overcall non vuln. You can claim nothing about how many diamonds pd have. Diamonds he will hold will be random. All we know is pd has hearts and most of the time at least 2+ spades.

[gszes]

The hand belongs to??? That's right we have not got the faintest
idea as of yet. That means we can not make any strong sounding noise
in case the bidding soars and p x because they believe us.

3h

Seems to be the right mix of preemption and does not overly encourage
a 5d bid (which we would have little stomach for defending). I would
bid 3h at any vulnerability since it is hugely unlikely we will end up
in 3hx even at unfavorable (it might make someday).

Have some sympathy for 2h bidders and a tad less for 4h bidders.

3h = 8 2h = 6 4h = 4 I do not think any choice is perfect but making
the bid with the biggest possible reward (4h) seems wrong here when
3h will give p a reasonable idea of our hand and its lack of defense
and they have the option of bidding 4h.

[neilkaz]

3♥ seems right to me. If they have a fit, let them find it at a high level. We likely have 10 ♥ between us. Too flat for 4♥ for me, and too easy to X 4♥ if we are going for a number. 2♥ doesn't seem enough with a 10 card fit and desire to preempt at least somewhat.

3♥

[mikeh]

Since I often disagree with whereagles, and am never shy in saying so, it is only fair to say that on this hand I agree with him entirely. 3♥.

There is a reasonable chance that either responder has an extra diamond for his 1N or that partner has just enough of them to prevent opener from what may seem to him to be a unilateral 4♦ call. My main worry is that he has 5-5 or 6-5 in the minors and will successfully bid 4♣ but there is nothing I can do about that. This hand definitely can't afford 4♥. So 3♥ it has to be.