Bid Out Your Pattern

I opened 1[diamond], my partner bid 1[heart] and my RHO passed.   I hold:

[spade]4   [heart]AQ7  [diamond]AQJ93   [club]KJ73

What should I bid?  Should I raise hearts?

Bid 2[club].  This hand has the potential to be a fabulous hand….especially if partner has five hearts.  2[club] shows at least nine cards in the minor suits and 12-17 HCPs.  1[diamond] only promises 3 cards, but when followed by a 2[club] bid the holding must be 5[diamond] and 4[club] or opener would have opened with clubs.

I am planning on my third bid being hearts if Responder makes any bid except 3NT.

Bidding hearts would promise three-cards in hearts.  Bidding diamonds, clubs and then hearts is called ‘bidding out your pattern’.  This bidding would show 1-3-5-4 or 0-3-5-5 or 0-3-6-4.   

Being willing  to bid at a high level also shows more than a minimum hand  around 15-17 HCPs.