Good Rapport

	A J 8
	5
	K J 9 3 2
	A K 8 4
Q 6 4		K 10 9 3
A 8 2		10 7 3
7 4		A 8 6 5
Q J 10 7 3		9 5
	7 5 2
	K Q J 9 6 4
	Q 10
	6 2

The bidding: 1 Diamond by North, heart by South, 2 clubs by West, two diamonds, pass, two hearts and out.

South's second bid was prefectly reasonable. Actually South made 10 tricks here, though with a spade opening lead, it would seem 9 tricks would be the max. A misfit looks probable after North's rebid of 2 diamonds. However, you will note that South's heart suit fits a couple of criteria for feeling safe in going on.

First is the nature of the suit, which is near-self-supporting. Even the 9 might prove a valuable card (on a 4-2 split with 10 dropping short). And, of course, South doesn't have to raise the level of bidding in repeating his hearts.

Note that this requires trust on the part of both partners. North has to recognize that South isn't rebidding two hearts on cottage cheese, but with a suit he can develop even opposite a singleton -- and that this is not a strength-showing bid, even if South kept the bidding open in the face of poorly-fitting hands. And South has to know that his partner isn't going to say 3 diamonds even on a misfit, for if he fears that, he might be tempted to pass two diamonds.

Also note that in diamonds, you won't have access to the hearts when trump are drawn, while in hearts, opposite the opening bidder, you've got all kinds of access to North's suit. Indeed, note that if East (the opening leader in a diamond contract) should be inspired to lay down the ace of diamonds and continue the suit, 3 diamonds could be, well, would be a disaster. But the heart suit, in the weaker hand gives entries back and forth when named trump.