By now I hope you all have understood that to overcall we need a suit of at least 5 cards in length. I encourage aggressive overcalling – especially non vulnerable – but you do need to be careful about introducing bad suits into the auction when you don’t have too many high card points (“hcp”). But how to judge when to bid and when to pass I hear you wail in unison? Luckily there is a little rubric that helps and that is:
SQOT
This stands for Suit Quality Overcall Test. Be warned! It is not foolproof. Nothing ever is. But it will at least guide you towards considering the quality of the suit you want to overcall in as well as giving you a nudge towards the level at which you can be (reasonably) safe to overcall.
It goes like this: add the number of cards held in a suit to the number of honours (A,K,Q,J,10) held and the answer will give you the level at which you can overcall. Well that’s the idea anyway. But as I said be careful, especially when vulnerable. The overall quality of the rest of the hand is just as important as the suit you want to overcall with.
Some examples of suits in isolation:
A8753
A97432; ... KQ764; ... A10852; ... AQ753
AKQ84; ... AQ9652
KJ10832
The first one has a SQOT of 6 and should not be bid. The nextfour examples can be bid at the one level as the SQOT is 7. The next two have a SQOT of 8 and can be overcalled at the 2 level. The last one has a SQOT of 9 and can therefore be used in a weak jump overcall to the three level if NV. (If Vul have a 7 card suit for the 3 level)
This idea can be used for simple overcalls or Weak Jump Overcalls (5 - 10 with a good 6-card suit).
See also
http://basementbridge.blogspot.com/2010/04/responding-with-minimum-hand-and.html
If I don't see you before, have a wonderful Christmas and a very good New Year!
All the best
Kit
Showing posts with label overcalling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label overcalling. Show all posts
Saturday, 1 January 2011
Monday, 5 July 2010
Double – Your Flexible Friend – 8 April 2010
We’ve all got a fair idea of what each bid means, opening, responding and overcalling, but there are times when we want to compete and the bid of a suit is doesn’t quite fit the hand we have. Do we:
a) Run up the white flag? b) Hide our heads in the sand? c) Cross fingers and toes and bid anyway? d) Find a bid – or sequence of bids – that explains what we have?
Reasonably often the answer is d). And on a fair number of occasions it is best to Double. But what exactly does a double actually mean and when should we prefer it to a straight overcall?
Double of Opponents’ Opening Bid
If we double an opening bid we could have – confusingly – three distinct and different kinds of hands.
1) A shapely hand with a shortage in the opponents' bid suit
2) A hand too strong to overcall 1NT
3) A hand too strong to make a direct overcall
Which of the three you actually have does not matter initially. The key is to remember that a double is often the start of a two part communication. It is not in itself a final statement but merely the beginnings of an exchange of information.
1) They open 1H and you hold:
AKxx
x
Kxxx
Kxxx
Bidding any suit would imply that you hold five cards in that suit so you can’t do that. Yet you have a hand you want to tell partner about – you just don't yet know where, if at all, the pair of you have a fit. So you double. Initially this says you are interested in any of the other three unbid suits and have a hand of at least opening values.
With this hand you plan to pass whichever suit partner bids . Partner could jump to encourage you to continue, but failing such strong action from partner, you would need a hand of 17+ HCP to contemplate bidding on.
2) Again they open 1H but now you hold:
AQx
AQx
KJxx
Kxx
You want to bid 1NT, but this shows specifically 15 - 17 HCP. Your hand is better than this so you start with a double, intending to re-bid in NT if the auction allows it. Partner must still assume you hold a hand like hand 1) but your re-bid will further explain your hand.
3) 1H again, but now you’re dealt:
A
Axx
AKJxxx
Kxx
You want to get that Diamond suit into the auction but you also want to tell partner the general strength of your hand as well, a tidy 19hcp and too strong for a simple overcall. So now you will Double first and then – if the auction allows it – bid diamonds. Now partner can tell not only what your suit is but that you also hold a decent number of points into the bargain.
Be aware that partner will not have much. The opening on your right is about 12+ and with your 19 there are only about nine HCP going begging, but if partner has six of them you’re in the game zone.
Remember, if you Double and then bid, you show a big hand playable opposite a fairly weak (6-9) hand. And if you're really really big (22 +) you can Double and then Cue-bid!!!
Too much fun…
Kit
a) Run up the white flag? b) Hide our heads in the sand? c) Cross fingers and toes and bid anyway? d) Find a bid – or sequence of bids – that explains what we have?
Reasonably often the answer is d). And on a fair number of occasions it is best to Double. But what exactly does a double actually mean and when should we prefer it to a straight overcall?
Double of Opponents’ Opening Bid
If we double an opening bid we could have – confusingly – three distinct and different kinds of hands.
1) A shapely hand with a shortage in the opponents' bid suit
2) A hand too strong to overcall 1NT
3) A hand too strong to make a direct overcall
Which of the three you actually have does not matter initially. The key is to remember that a double is often the start of a two part communication. It is not in itself a final statement but merely the beginnings of an exchange of information.
1) They open 1H and you hold:
AKxx
x
Kxxx
Kxxx
Bidding any suit would imply that you hold five cards in that suit so you can’t do that. Yet you have a hand you want to tell partner about – you just don't yet know where, if at all, the pair of you have a fit. So you double. Initially this says you are interested in any of the other three unbid suits and have a hand of at least opening values.
With this hand you plan to pass whichever suit partner bids . Partner could jump to encourage you to continue, but failing such strong action from partner, you would need a hand of 17+ HCP to contemplate bidding on.
2) Again they open 1H but now you hold:
AQx
AQx
KJxx
Kxx
You want to bid 1NT, but this shows specifically 15 - 17 HCP. Your hand is better than this so you start with a double, intending to re-bid in NT if the auction allows it. Partner must still assume you hold a hand like hand 1) but your re-bid will further explain your hand.
3) 1H again, but now you’re dealt:
A
Axx
AKJxxx
Kxx
You want to get that Diamond suit into the auction but you also want to tell partner the general strength of your hand as well, a tidy 19hcp and too strong for a simple overcall. So now you will Double first and then – if the auction allows it – bid diamonds. Now partner can tell not only what your suit is but that you also hold a decent number of points into the bargain.
Be aware that partner will not have much. The opening on your right is about 12+ and with your 19 there are only about nine HCP going begging, but if partner has six of them you’re in the game zone.
Remember, if you Double and then bid, you show a big hand playable opposite a fairly weak (6-9) hand. And if you're really really big (22 +) you can Double and then Cue-bid!!!
Too much fun…
Kit
Thursday, 24 June 2010
Opening Leads – 17 March 2010
There’s no question defence is the hardest part of the game to get right. It helps a lot if the lead gets you off on the right foot. Rest assured no-one ever gets it right all the time. The basic idea is that you either: (a) try to establish tricks for your side or (b) try not to give away tricks to declarer.
As in all contracts if your partner has bid a suit it will most often be right to lead that suit. If partner hasn’t bid then you must decide from a combination of your own hand and the opposition bidding which SUIT will either be the best attacking lead OR the safest lead. First you decide which suit to lead. Then you must lead the “right” card from that suit, so that partner has a chance to work out what to do later in the play.
There are many other styles of leading, but below is a quick run down of what are known as Standard Leads. These Standard Leads tell you which card to lead once you have decided which suit.
As in all contracts if your partner has bid a suit it will most often be right to lead that suit. If partner hasn’t bid then you must decide from a combination of your own hand and the opposition bidding which SUIT will either be the best attacking lead OR the safest lead. First you decide which suit to lead. Then you must lead the “right” card from that suit, so that partner has a chance to work out what to do later in the play.
There are many other styles of leading, but below is a quick run down of what are known as Standard Leads. These Standard Leads tell you which card to lead once you have decided which suit.
- top of a sequence or a broken sequence – K Q J 10; K Q 10 9; Q J 10 5; etc
- top of an internal sequence – A J 10 x x; K J 10 9
- fourth highest from a good suit without a 3-card sequence – Q 10 7 6 2. Note though that with some combinations, e.g. K Q 7 6 3, there is variation depending whether the lead is against NTs or a trump contract – see below for more guidance.
- lowest from three to an honour – K 8 2
- top of a doubleton – 8 5
- MUD (middle, up, down) from three small cards – 9 6 3. Then play the top card (9) on the next round.
- second highest from four small cards – 10 8 6 3. Then play your original fourth highest card on the next round.
Let’s look at the difference I mentioned when leading against Suit or NT contracts:
K Q 7 6 3
Against a suit contract lead the K but against a NT contract lead the 6. You want fast tricks in a suit contract, but slow tricks when defending NTs. KQ at least guarantees one trick against a suit contract when you have driven out ace but after that declarer will most probably be trumping. Against NT however you are aiming to win the 4th and 5th rounds with your long cards. Note that when you lead top of a sequence against NT contracts you will normally have three cards in the sequence, broken or otherwise – see (a) above. Lacking three, you will need help from partner so lead a small one and on a good day partner will be right there. Even if partner can’t help immediately at least you will have left your teammate with a card in your suit so they can renew the attack if they get the lead.
Sadly none of this Standard Lead wisdom helps you decide which actual suit to lead. All you can do is listen to the bidding and avoid leading their suits. Obviously you can’t do this if they bid everything (!) If declarer on your right has bid a suit and in that suit you hold: K x x x then it’s probably wrong to lead it, even if it’s your only 4 card suit. If there’s no obvious lead, then work backwards by deciding which suits you probably can’t lead and then lead the suit left!
Be warned: nothing works all the time. That is why Bridge is the fascinating game it is. In everything you do there is an element of risk and chance. The idea is simply to do the best you can with cards you have and the information given to you by the bidding.
Have fun!
Kit
Friday, 14 May 2010
Responses in Competition – The Opponents Attack – 4 Feb 2010
Last week we looked at limit bids and how useful they are at quickly letting partner know the safety of the path towards Eternal Bridge Happiness. This week we’ll look at what happens when the opponents attack our leisurely stroll through the bidding box towards our ultimate goal.
Once the opponents overcall our opening bid – do not despair. While it is true that they will try to deprive you of space, disrupt your communications and generally be unpleasant, it’s crucial to
understand that they also, as a result of the overcall, gift you a whole TWO extra bids you wouldn’t otherwise have at your command. These wonderful explanatory bids they dump
freely in your lap are:
1) Double
2) Cue-Bid
Let’s take an example:
xx
KQxx
xx
Kxxx
Partner opens 1D and your hand hovers over 1H, but out of the corner of your eye you notice the opponent on your right putting down 1S! This is annoying, but at least not as annoying as if they’d put down 2S! (Weak Jump Overcall) But all the same, your intended bid – 1H – is now unbiddable. You have a reasonable responding hand, 8HCP, no immediate fit for partner’s suit but you want to bid with any hand worth more than 6HCP. What are your options?
With 6 - 9 HCP you might think: that’s what I’ll tell partner, so - 1NT. Yes but, no but but but but … 1NT in this sequence, where opponents bid, should promise a stop in their suit. I’m not saying you should always have AK in their suit, but four to the J at the very least. Here you have nothing like that at all. So 1NT is OUT. Have another think.
What about 2C? It's true you have 4 clubs and the bid of 2C doesn’t promise any more than that, but what it would promise is 10 HCP (Possibly 9 with a decent 5 card suit.) You have 8HCP. So both 1NT & 2C would be lies, would set partner off on the wrong track and might get you into the proverbial mire, ending up 3 down doubled and partner getting all tight-lipped. So should you just quietly PASS?
Nooooooo!!! The answer is clear-cut. Instead of casting about for a bid you don’t have – DOUBLE!
In these low-level auctions Double is for “take-out”, i.e. it asks partner pretty please to bid. It doesn’t promise masses of HCP or anything, nor any great holding in the opponents’ suit but what it does promise is : interest in the two so far unbid suits – hearts and clubs in our example and about 7+ HCP. So, far from being a nuisance, the opponents bid has given you a chance to tell partner much much more than without the overcall. Before, you were going to bid 1H. Now, you have, effectively, bid 1H & 2C all at the same time. That’ll teach ’em to interfere!
Cue-Bid To Show A Fit!
As the piece last week tried to point out, if you have a fit for partner you must convey the news as soon as possible about it and at the right level so partner may judge any further course of action.
This is fine in unopposed auctions, but in real life you bid, they overcall. They want to make life difficult, steal the auction, disrupt your partnership harmony and watch you fret. Well, frankly m’ dear, two can play at that game.
You have:
x
Kxxx
xxx
Kxxxx
The bidding goes: 1H(partner) - 1S(Overcall) - ???? Now what do you do?
2H is the “correct”, by the book bid. 6HCP plus some shortage extras make the hand worth about 9. If there were only 3 hearts in the hand then 2H would (probably) be right. But 2H does absolutely no damage to THEM. Overcaller’s partner can now freely bid 2S and your partner is now deep in the land of GUESSWORK.
Almost anything poor partner does now could be wrong. PASS, 2NT, 3H all fraught with danger. And it’s no good watching partner squirm and feeling smug – you sink or swim together. So take that guess away from partner and do it yourself. Bid 3H!
This says: “I have a 4-card fit, a few points and not much else, so I’m getting in their faces before they have a chance to take over.”
This bid, variously known as a “stretch raise” or “bidding to the level of the fit”, applies only when they overcall. Otherwise stick with what we did last week.
But then what happens when you have this sort of hand?
xx
KQxx
Axx
Qxxx
On the evidence of last week, after 1H from partner and NO overcall, you should bid 3H – limit bid: 10 -12 HCP. But, after the overcall situation above, we just used 3H to be a bit of a difficult, lousy, obstructive, petulant obfuscator. So now, when they have overcalled, we can’t use 3H. That bid would tell partner we are bidding defensively, while what we actually want to do is tell partner we are attacking with the goal of bidding game still very much in view. Damn. Damn. Damn.
Luckily, all is not lost, and a torch is lit in the gathering gloom. The auction has gone 1H - (1S) - ??? You now, as I said earlier, have 2 extra bids. Well we used one of them already – the double, so now it’s time for the other – the CUE BID.
In a “competitive” auction – after they bid – a cue bid is a bid of THEIR suit and says “I like your bid partner. Ignore these upstarts. I have good support and good points – anything from 10 +HCP upwards.”
So the bidding goes: 1H - (1S) - 2S!
In this case the cue bid says nothing about the spade suit but is used as a stepping stone to help partner cross the lake to the next level knowing they won’t sink. The overcall HASN’T made life difficult at all. It meant you were able to distinguish between a hand with “real” support for partner (cue bid) and a hand with nuisance value (jump raise).
Don’t be put off by overcalls. They are designed to shove you off the path. Shove back. Help your partner. Partner needs you. Above all, if you do PASS partner will know you don’t have a fit or any points or the other suits. This is incredibly valuable information. What responder DOESN'T do is just as important as what he does do.
Once the opponents overcall our opening bid – do not despair. While it is true that they will try to deprive you of space, disrupt your communications and generally be unpleasant, it’s crucial to
understand that they also, as a result of the overcall, gift you a whole TWO extra bids you wouldn’t otherwise have at your command. These wonderful explanatory bids they dump
freely in your lap are:
1) Double
2) Cue-Bid
Let’s take an example:
xx
KQxx
xx
Kxxx
Partner opens 1D and your hand hovers over 1H, but out of the corner of your eye you notice the opponent on your right putting down 1S! This is annoying, but at least not as annoying as if they’d put down 2S! (Weak Jump Overcall) But all the same, your intended bid – 1H – is now unbiddable. You have a reasonable responding hand, 8HCP, no immediate fit for partner’s suit but you want to bid with any hand worth more than 6HCP. What are your options?
With 6 - 9 HCP you might think: that’s what I’ll tell partner, so - 1NT. Yes but, no but but but but … 1NT in this sequence, where opponents bid, should promise a stop in their suit. I’m not saying you should always have AK in their suit, but four to the J at the very least. Here you have nothing like that at all. So 1NT is OUT. Have another think.
What about 2C? It's true you have 4 clubs and the bid of 2C doesn’t promise any more than that, but what it would promise is 10 HCP (Possibly 9 with a decent 5 card suit.) You have 8HCP. So both 1NT & 2C would be lies, would set partner off on the wrong track and might get you into the proverbial mire, ending up 3 down doubled and partner getting all tight-lipped. So should you just quietly PASS?
Nooooooo!!! The answer is clear-cut. Instead of casting about for a bid you don’t have – DOUBLE!
In these low-level auctions Double is for “take-out”, i.e. it asks partner pretty please to bid. It doesn’t promise masses of HCP or anything, nor any great holding in the opponents’ suit but what it does promise is : interest in the two so far unbid suits – hearts and clubs in our example and about 7+ HCP. So, far from being a nuisance, the opponents bid has given you a chance to tell partner much much more than without the overcall. Before, you were going to bid 1H. Now, you have, effectively, bid 1H & 2C all at the same time. That’ll teach ’em to interfere!
Cue-Bid To Show A Fit!
As the piece last week tried to point out, if you have a fit for partner you must convey the news as soon as possible about it and at the right level so partner may judge any further course of action.
This is fine in unopposed auctions, but in real life you bid, they overcall. They want to make life difficult, steal the auction, disrupt your partnership harmony and watch you fret. Well, frankly m’ dear, two can play at that game.
You have:
x
Kxxx
xxx
Kxxxx
The bidding goes: 1H(partner) - 1S(Overcall) - ???? Now what do you do?
2H is the “correct”, by the book bid. 6HCP plus some shortage extras make the hand worth about 9. If there were only 3 hearts in the hand then 2H would (probably) be right. But 2H does absolutely no damage to THEM. Overcaller’s partner can now freely bid 2S and your partner is now deep in the land of GUESSWORK.
Almost anything poor partner does now could be wrong. PASS, 2NT, 3H all fraught with danger. And it’s no good watching partner squirm and feeling smug – you sink or swim together. So take that guess away from partner and do it yourself. Bid 3H!
This says: “I have a 4-card fit, a few points and not much else, so I’m getting in their faces before they have a chance to take over.”
This bid, variously known as a “stretch raise” or “bidding to the level of the fit”, applies only when they overcall. Otherwise stick with what we did last week.
But then what happens when you have this sort of hand?
xx
KQxx
Axx
Qxxx
On the evidence of last week, after 1H from partner and NO overcall, you should bid 3H – limit bid: 10 -12 HCP. But, after the overcall situation above, we just used 3H to be a bit of a difficult, lousy, obstructive, petulant obfuscator. So now, when they have overcalled, we can’t use 3H. That bid would tell partner we are bidding defensively, while what we actually want to do is tell partner we are attacking with the goal of bidding game still very much in view. Damn. Damn. Damn.
Luckily, all is not lost, and a torch is lit in the gathering gloom. The auction has gone 1H - (1S) - ??? You now, as I said earlier, have 2 extra bids. Well we used one of them already – the double, so now it’s time for the other – the CUE BID.
In a “competitive” auction – after they bid – a cue bid is a bid of THEIR suit and says “I like your bid partner. Ignore these upstarts. I have good support and good points – anything from 10 +HCP upwards.”
So the bidding goes: 1H - (1S) - 2S!
In this case the cue bid says nothing about the spade suit but is used as a stepping stone to help partner cross the lake to the next level knowing they won’t sink. The overcall HASN’T made life difficult at all. It meant you were able to distinguish between a hand with “real” support for partner (cue bid) and a hand with nuisance value (jump raise).
Don’t be put off by overcalls. They are designed to shove you off the path. Shove back. Help your partner. Partner needs you. Above all, if you do PASS partner will know you don’t have a fit or any points or the other suits. This is incredibly valuable information. What responder DOESN'T do is just as important as what he does do.
Saturday, 3 April 2010
The Magic of 25 Points - 8 Oct 2009
It is a probability - not a certainty - that if you and your partner have a combined point count of 25 high card points (hcp) then you can make "game". Game is either, 3NT, 4 Hearts or 4 Spades. If we are balanced we choose 3NT; if we have eight hearts or eight spades between the two hands, we choose the trump game. Game is also 5 Clubs or 5 Diamonds, but because that is 11 tricks, you'll need another 3-4 hcp or longer trumps.
The reason we like to be in game if we can is that - if you make the contract - you will receive a BONUS! Sadly this does not mean you will get a tax-free 6-figure lump sum into your offshore banking account, but merely a few hundred extra points added to your score. To be precise: 300 if you are not vulnerable and 500 if you are.
But how can we tell? I hear you cry. Well this is why you have to try to tell your partner not only what suits you like, but also what the approximate strength of your hand is. When you open 1NT partner knows you have 12 - 14 hcp. Now partner can do a quick, (or even slow), bit of mental arithmetic and will know either:
game is NOT on 10 or less
game MIGHT be on 11 - 12
game IS on 13+
The same is true when partner opens one of a suit and then re-bids 1NT. Now partner has 15 - 16 hcp and game might be on opposite 9 or 10 hcp. Likewise when partner opens one of a suit and re-bids 2NT, this shows 17 - 18 hcp and game might be on opposite 7 or 8 hcp.
You will see that if partner doesn't open 1NT, it will be the second bid that tries to give you a more accurate picture of their hand. By the time partner has made this second bid you will probably have a fair inkling of what is going on. You will have added partner's probable points to your known points. Now, with less than 25, you know game is unlikely, but with 25+ - Go for it!
The same is true of responses to the one level suit opening bid. A one level response promises anything from 6 - 19 hcp. If opener merely repeats the first-bid suit at the two level (showing a 5+ suit and 11 - 15 hcp), responder now knows that game may not be on if they hold 6 - 9 hcp. But if opener jumps a level at the second bid, (16 - 20 hcp), responder knows that game might be on with as little as 6 points!
If the first response to a one level opening bid is at the two level (10+ hcp), opener knows that game might be on with 15 hcp.
REMEMBER :
If the combined total is 25 points - go for game.
If the combined total is less than 25, stop in a sensible part-score as soon as you can.
Overcalling
As the above shows, it is quite possible to be accurate in the bidding and safely arrive unmolested at all sorts of different "perfect" contracts. This why, when the opposition start bidding, WE GET IN THE WAY! We overcall, we double, we jump to the three level - in short anything at all we can do by fair means or foul to mess up this cosy little fireside chat our opponents would like to indulge in - we do it. We are the terrorists in the stately home. As the crumpet warms by the fire, there we are, smashing the brittle crockery of constructive bidding to smithereens.
The bidding starts (1C)-pass-( 1D)- ?? and you hold:
KQJxxxx
x
Kx
xxx
You can bid 1S. You could even bid 2S as a weak jump overcall. But what's happening in hearts? partner could have bid them but didn't. So there is a strong possibility that between them the opponents have an as yet undiscovered bounty - a heart fit. Maybe enough for game, who knows? Well as yet, more importantly, they don't know either. So now is the time to get nasty and stage that palace coup. Bid 3 S!
From here on in anything might happen: you could be doubled and go down - horribly. You could actually make it. They might bid 4H and go one off. They might make 4H. On a really good day they bid and make 4H +2. They made a slam. So what? They didn't bid it! See how there are so many possible outcomes and if you think about it only one of them is bad - that you go down doubled. And even that may not be too bad if they could have made game (420) and you only went down 2 (300).
And this is what you will enjoy about duplicate - the extra parameter of the score. You've got to get that inner terrorist out …
The reason we like to be in game if we can is that - if you make the contract - you will receive a BONUS! Sadly this does not mean you will get a tax-free 6-figure lump sum into your offshore banking account, but merely a few hundred extra points added to your score. To be precise: 300 if you are not vulnerable and 500 if you are.
But how can we tell? I hear you cry. Well this is why you have to try to tell your partner not only what suits you like, but also what the approximate strength of your hand is. When you open 1NT partner knows you have 12 - 14 hcp. Now partner can do a quick, (or even slow), bit of mental arithmetic and will know either:
game is NOT on 10 or less
game MIGHT be on 11 - 12
game IS on 13+
The same is true when partner opens one of a suit and then re-bids 1NT. Now partner has 15 - 16 hcp and game might be on opposite 9 or 10 hcp. Likewise when partner opens one of a suit and re-bids 2NT, this shows 17 - 18 hcp and game might be on opposite 7 or 8 hcp.
You will see that if partner doesn't open 1NT, it will be the second bid that tries to give you a more accurate picture of their hand. By the time partner has made this second bid you will probably have a fair inkling of what is going on. You will have added partner's probable points to your known points. Now, with less than 25, you know game is unlikely, but with 25+ - Go for it!
The same is true of responses to the one level suit opening bid. A one level response promises anything from 6 - 19 hcp. If opener merely repeats the first-bid suit at the two level (showing a 5+ suit and 11 - 15 hcp), responder now knows that game may not be on if they hold 6 - 9 hcp. But if opener jumps a level at the second bid, (16 - 20 hcp), responder knows that game might be on with as little as 6 points!
If the first response to a one level opening bid is at the two level (10+ hcp), opener knows that game might be on with 15 hcp.
REMEMBER :
If the combined total is 25 points - go for game.
If the combined total is less than 25, stop in a sensible part-score as soon as you can.
Overcalling
As the above shows, it is quite possible to be accurate in the bidding and safely arrive unmolested at all sorts of different "perfect" contracts. This why, when the opposition start bidding, WE GET IN THE WAY! We overcall, we double, we jump to the three level - in short anything at all we can do by fair means or foul to mess up this cosy little fireside chat our opponents would like to indulge in - we do it. We are the terrorists in the stately home. As the crumpet warms by the fire, there we are, smashing the brittle crockery of constructive bidding to smithereens.
The bidding starts (1C)-pass-( 1D)- ?? and you hold:
KQJxxxx
x
Kx
xxx
You can bid 1S. You could even bid 2S as a weak jump overcall. But what's happening in hearts? partner could have bid them but didn't. So there is a strong possibility that between them the opponents have an as yet undiscovered bounty - a heart fit. Maybe enough for game, who knows? Well as yet, more importantly, they don't know either. So now is the time to get nasty and stage that palace coup. Bid 3 S!
From here on in anything might happen: you could be doubled and go down - horribly. You could actually make it. They might bid 4H and go one off. They might make 4H. On a really good day they bid and make 4H +2. They made a slam. So what? They didn't bid it! See how there are so many possible outcomes and if you think about it only one of them is bad - that you go down doubled. And even that may not be too bad if they could have made game (420) and you only went down 2 (300).
And this is what you will enjoy about duplicate - the extra parameter of the score. You've got to get that inner terrorist out …
Friday, 2 April 2010
Responding With A Minimum Hand - And Overcalling: 1 Oct 2009
Basics: Responding With A Minimum Hand
When partner opens one of a suit they promise something in the region of 12 - 20 HCP (high card points) Their second bid (a re-bid) will attempt to define more fully exactly where they stand both in terms of their overall shape and point count.
This means that you, as "responder" must keep the bidding alive with any hand worth 6 or more HCP. This is because if - as you wish, hope and pray - partner has the magical 20 HCP, then the partnership will have between both of you the even more magical 26 HCP and this should be enough to make game likely. If, on the other hand, partner has some grisly 12 count, then you will let the bidding die in a safe - you trust! - part-score you mutually arrive at.
BUT
When partner opens one NT they promise exactly 12 - 14 HCP, no more, no less. Now you as responder have a much clearer idea of what the partnership can achieve. Consequently, you know that unless you have at least 11 HCP, game will not be likely (14 + 11 = 25) So, if you have less than 11 HCP, knowing game is not on, you can pass. At the same time, you are also able to judge whether or not 1NT is a "good" contract. This will happen when you have 0 - 10 HCP (game not on) but your shape is such that you need to tell partner of your fears. Because you can't easily tell partner about an unbalanced hand with a minor suit (2C=Stayman; 2D =Transfer!), you should forget it and still pass, but if you are unbalanced with a long (5+) major suit you should first transfer (2D or 2H), then pass and trust the partnership is in a better place.
If your hand really, really is pretty dire but contains 6+ minor then you can get out of the mire by bidding 2S! this is a transfer to 3C which you can correct to 3D if that is your suit.
Not So Basic: Overcalling
When the opposition "open" the bidding, the bid you make will be an "overcall". Overcall bids have more than one function: They might:
(1D)-pass-(1S)- ?? and you hold:
xx
KQJxx
Kxx
Axx
To bid or not to bid: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And, overcalling, end them?
Your instinct should probably veer you towards overcalling but there are traps for the unwary here. It’s not just about the points – but where they are. The king of diamonds looks dead and you have no surprises in the spade suit. Suddenly the 13 count doesn’t look quite as good as it did – let’s call it 10 in reality. And it’s flat as a pancake. Added to that both opponents are as yet unlimited - ie partner could have a round zero over there and all you do by overcalling is tell the opposition exactly how to play the hand. That said, there’s nothing "wrong" with a bid of 2H (it gets in their way & suggests a lead), but, vulnerable, it looks an iffy prospect.
Now look at this:
AKxx
KQJxx
x
xxx
This hand, in contrast to the one above, has exactly the same high cards but in different places. Now that king is working; the ace, too - 'connected honours' reinforce each other. The singleton gives the hand extra possibilities as well. Now an overcall of 2H looks practically mandatory at any vulnerability. Of course it could still all go alarmingly haywire, but at least this time you had better reason to get involved and you may even get a plus score:
…'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd…
When partner opens one of a suit they promise something in the region of 12 - 20 HCP (high card points) Their second bid (a re-bid) will attempt to define more fully exactly where they stand both in terms of their overall shape and point count.
This means that you, as "responder" must keep the bidding alive with any hand worth 6 or more HCP. This is because if - as you wish, hope and pray - partner has the magical 20 HCP, then the partnership will have between both of you the even more magical 26 HCP and this should be enough to make game likely. If, on the other hand, partner has some grisly 12 count, then you will let the bidding die in a safe - you trust! - part-score you mutually arrive at.
BUT
When partner opens one NT they promise exactly 12 - 14 HCP, no more, no less. Now you as responder have a much clearer idea of what the partnership can achieve. Consequently, you know that unless you have at least 11 HCP, game will not be likely (14 + 11 = 25) So, if you have less than 11 HCP, knowing game is not on, you can pass. At the same time, you are also able to judge whether or not 1NT is a "good" contract. This will happen when you have 0 - 10 HCP (game not on) but your shape is such that you need to tell partner of your fears. Because you can't easily tell partner about an unbalanced hand with a minor suit (2C=Stayman; 2D =Transfer!), you should forget it and still pass, but if you are unbalanced with a long (5+) major suit you should first transfer (2D or 2H), then pass and trust the partnership is in a better place.
If your hand really, really is pretty dire but contains 6+ minor then you can get out of the mire by bidding 2S! this is a transfer to 3C which you can correct to 3D if that is your suit.
Not So Basic: Overcalling
When the opposition "open" the bidding, the bid you make will be an "overcall". Overcall bids have more than one function: They might:
- Tell your partner your suit
- Suggest a lead
- Disrupt the opposition bidding
- Find a sacrifice
(1D)-pass-(1S)- ?? and you hold:
xx
KQJxx
Kxx
Axx
To bid or not to bid: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And, overcalling, end them?
Your instinct should probably veer you towards overcalling but there are traps for the unwary here. It’s not just about the points – but where they are. The king of diamonds looks dead and you have no surprises in the spade suit. Suddenly the 13 count doesn’t look quite as good as it did – let’s call it 10 in reality. And it’s flat as a pancake. Added to that both opponents are as yet unlimited - ie partner could have a round zero over there and all you do by overcalling is tell the opposition exactly how to play the hand. That said, there’s nothing "wrong" with a bid of 2H (it gets in their way & suggests a lead), but, vulnerable, it looks an iffy prospect.
Now look at this:
AKxx
KQJxx
x
xxx
This hand, in contrast to the one above, has exactly the same high cards but in different places. Now that king is working; the ace, too - 'connected honours' reinforce each other. The singleton gives the hand extra possibilities as well. Now an overcall of 2H looks practically mandatory at any vulnerability. Of course it could still all go alarmingly haywire, but at least this time you had better reason to get involved and you may even get a plus score:
…'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd…
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