Responder's Reverse a Powerful Hint

The EW hands in this deal should always be bid to 4H, and that should happen even if East’s king of spades is a small spot card.

Board 2 from 31/07/2019
Dealer E NS Vul

8753
92
742
QT43
J62
7
KJT9
AK962
K
AKJT853
83
J85
AQT94
Q64
AQ65
7

But a king is a king and worth three points, so East should open 1H, not 3H which is a pre-empt and should have fewer than 10 HCP. South has a perfectly good overcall of 1S and West also has an easy bid, 2C. After an overcall, a ‘free’ bid at the 2 level should guarantee at least a ten count and a good suit, That should be sufficient for East to evaluate the situation and immediately bid 4H.

Such a good seven card suit, singleton spade and three card club support should be good for game in hearts. But even if East backpedals because he discounts the three points in spades due to the overcall, and bids only 2H, West should continue to force and bid 3D. Not only is that a new suit at the three level but also a ‘responder’s reverse’ so East now definitely has every reason to jump to 4H. You will agree that even if East’s king was a small card, bidding to game in hearts would be justified.

Only about half the field bid to 4H and unfortunately fewer than half the declarers made ten tricks in a heart contract of any level.
You can walk through it card by card by clicking here but the play will be analysed in our series “Declare and Defend’, which is still available by subscription ($15) via email. That includes the first ten Chapters and continuing ones from then on.