 | Responding To Simple Overcalls |
Helping your partner compete—intelligently.
Introduction
This article will discuss responding to simple overcalls. It assumes you have read the article covering simple overcalls.
A major fallacy that beginning players have is this: they feel that responding to a simple overcall is the same as responding to an opening bid. This is not the case. Why not?
- When your side opens the bidding (except for preempts), you expect to get a plus score, either by playing the hand or setting the opponents if they get out of line and bid too high. Your objectives in bidding are to find your best suit and decide what level to play at. Your bidding system should help you answer these questions.
- When the opponents open the bidding and your side overcalls, your expectations are more negative. Slam is basically out of the question, and games your way are rare. Your side will usually be happy to play a successful part score or take a small penalty (less than the opponents could have won had they played the hand). Your objectives in bidding are: how high can we compete safely; should our side sacrifice if they bid game; and what would be a good opening lead. Your bidding system here should help you answer these questions.
Since the questions are different in each case, your bidding system needs to be different as well. This article will show you what changes to make.
Preliminary Assessment
When your partner makes a simple overcall, your level of satisfaction will be governed by the following two factors:
- How good a fit you have for your partner’s suit. This is the most important consideration in responding—far more important than high card points. You have a fit if you have at least three cards in partner’s suit (the more the merrier).
- The overall strength of your hand. High card points are important, but if you don’t have a fit, they will often prove disappointing. The most common error inexperienced players make is responding enthusiastically to partner’s overcall with points and no fit. Sometimes it works out, but often it leads to bad results.
Raising Partner’s Suit
This will be your most common response when partner overcalls.
When raising partner’s suit, always assume that partner has exactly five cards in the suit he has overcalled when selecting your response.
Always raise partner’s suit with less than 10 points and adequate trump support. If you have 10 points or more, this section on raises does not apply (refer to the section on cue bidding instead). What is “adequate support”? Adequate support is three cards or more in partner’s suit. The extent of your raise depends on how many cards you hold in partner’s suit:
- With exactly three cards in partner’s suit, raise a one–level overcall to two, or a two–level overcall to three. Exception: if the opponents have already bid to the three level, do not raise a two–level overcall to three with only three card support.
- With exactly four cards in partner’s suit, raise a one–level or two–level overcall to the three level regardless of the opponents’ bidding.
- With exactly five cards in partner’s suit, raise to the four level. With six cards, raise to the five level. With seven cards, raise to the six level. And with eight cards (don’t wait around for this), raise to the seven level.
Make these raises to the appropriate level immediately. Do not start by raising to a lower level than you should, hoping to “buy the contract cheaply”, then raise again when the opponents continue bidding. This not only drives your partner crazy, but also allows the opponents to exchange more information about their hands. The purpose in raising immediately is to preempt the opponents and make it more difficult for them to find their correct contract.
Pass if the opponents’ bidding does not allow you to raise to the correct level.
Here are some examples:
Example 1
North dealer, neither side vulnerable
| North | East | South | West |
| 1♥ | 1♠ | Pass | ?? |
You’re sitting West with each of the following hands:
| ♠ Q 7 3 ♥ 10 8 ♦ K J 9 4 3 ♣ 9 6 4 | Raise to 2♠. Do not even consider bidding your diamond suit. |
| ♠ Q 8 7 3 ♥ 10 8 ♦ K J 9 3 ♣ 9 6 4 | Raise to 3♠ immediately (you have four–card support). Do not start by bidding 2♠, planning to raise to 3♠ later. |
Example 2
North dealer, neither side vulnerable
| North | East | South | West |
| 1♥ | 1♠ | 1NT | ?? |
You’re sitting West with each of the following hands:
| ♠ Q 7 3 ♥ 10 8 ♦ K J 9 4 3 ♣ 9 6 4 | Raise to 2♠. South’s bid does not prevent you from raising to your “safe” level. |
| ♠ Q 8 7 3 ♥ 10 8 ♦ K J 9 3 ♣ 9 6 4 | Raise to 3♠ immediately (you have four–card support). Again, South’s bid does not prevent you from raising to your “safe” level. |
Example 3
North dealer, neither side vulnerable
| North | East | South | West |
| 1♥ | 1♠ | 2♥ | ?? |
You’re sitting West with each of the following hands:
| ♠ Q 7 2 ♥ 10 8 ♦ J 9 4 ♣ A 10 9 6 4 | Raise to 2♠. If the opponents compete to 3♥, do not bid again. |
| ♠ Q 8 7 2 ♥ 10 8 ♦ J 9 4 ♣ A 10 6 4 | Raise to 3♠ immediately. |
Example 4
North dealer, neither side vulnerable
| North | East | South | West |
| 1♥ | 1♠ | 3♥ | ?? |
You’re sitting West with each of the following hands:
| ♠ Q 7 2 ♥ 10 8 ♦ J 9 4 ♣ A 10 9 6 4 | Do not raise to 3♠. The opponents have already bid to the three level. You do not bid “three over three” with only an eight–card fit. |
| ♠ Q 8 7 2 ♥ 10 8 ♦ J 9 4 ♣ A 10 6 4 | Raise to 3♠. You have a nine–card fit, so you can bid “three over three” safely. |
Partner’s Subsequent Bids
What does your partner (who originally overcalled) do after your raise? Nine times out of ten your partner will pass. However, partner may take the following actions with a suitable hand:
- Partner may rebid his suit with extra length (ie, more than five). Partner is allowed to bid one level higher for each card over five in his suit. This rebid is preemptive; partner does not want you to bid again.
- Partner may bid notrump with a good hand and at least one stopper in the opponents’ suit. Again, partner does not want you to bid again.
- Partner may cue bid the opponents’ suit to find out if you hold a stopper. If you do, bid no trump at the cheapest level possible. If you don’t, then rebid partner’s suit. With distributional values (singleton or void, especially in the opponents’ suit), you can raise to game in partner’s suit.
Bidding A New Suit
In auctions where partner opens the bidding, a new suit response is normally forcing for one round. Responder may have a very good hand. This is definitely not the case when partner overcalls. A new suit response is discouraging.
Bid a new suit when you hold a good suit of your own and have no interest in partner’s suit (you hold two cards or less). Your hand should have about 10 points or so, and you should hold a six card suit (or longer) with reasonable strength in your suit (partner may not have any interest in your suit either).
Do not bid a new suit at the three level unless your hand is stronger (about 13 points or more), and you hold a singleton or a void in partner’s suit.
Here are some examples:
Example 5
North dealer, neither side vulnerable
| North | East | South | West |
| 1♥ | 1♠ | Pass | ?? |
You’re sitting West with each of the following hands:
| ♠ Q 7 ♥ 10 8 2 ♦ K J 9 4 3 ♣ 9 6 4 | Pass. Do not bid 2♦. Your hand is too weak and your suit is both too weak and too short. |
| ♠ Q 7 ♥ 10 8 2 ♦ K J 9 8 4 3 ♣ 9 6 4 | Pass again. Your hand and your suit are too weak (although your suit is the right length). |
| ♠ Q 7 ♥ 10 8 ♦ K Q J 9 8 4 3 ♣ K 6 4 | Finally, a hand that can respond 2♦. Your hand is strong enough, and your suit is acceptable. |
Example 6
North dealer, neither side vulnerable
| North | East | South | West |
| 1♥ | 1♠ | 2♣ | ?? |
You’re sitting West with the following hand:
| ♠ Q 7 ♥ ? ♦ ? ♣ ? | Your hand is basically irrelevant on this bidding sequence. North/South are showing a combined minimum of 23 points, and you can’t support partner’s suit. Your hand will never be good enough to bid. |
Example 7
North dealer, neither side vulnerable
| North | East | South | West |
| 1♥ | 1♠ | 2♥ | ?? |
You’re sitting West with each of the following hands:
| ♠ Q 7 ♥ 8 4 ♦ A Q J 9 7 3 ♣ Q 3 2 | You certainly have a good diamond suit, but your hand is not strong enough to bid a new suit at the three level. Pass and wait. If North passes 2♥, partner will likely double (see the article on balancing bids for more information). If partner does double, you can bid 3♦. Partner will expect a good diamond suit (which you have), but will not expect you to hold 13 points, otherwise you would have bid the round before. Perfect. |
| ♠ 10 7 ♥ A 4 ♦ A Q J 9 7 3 ♣ K 3 2 | With this hand, you can bid 3♦ immediately. |
Partner’s Subsequent Bids
When you respond in a new suit, your partner will normally pass. However, partner may take the following actions with a suitable hand:
- Partner may raise your suit with adequate support. Partner will assume that you hold a six–card suit, and will raise to the level that equals his length in your suit (raise to the three level with three card support, raise to the four level with four card support, etc). These raises are competitive only. Partner does not expect you to bid again.
- Partner may bid notrump with a good hand and at least one stopper in the opponents’ suit. Again, partner does not want you to bid again.
- Partner may cue bid the opponents’ suit to find out if you hold a stopper in the opponents’ suit. If you do, bid no trump at the cheapest level possible. Without a stopper, rebid your suit. With distributional values (singleton or void, especially in the opponents’ suit), you can bid game in your suit.
- On rare occasions partner will rebid his suit. When this happens, pass. Partner knows you have a good suit of your own, and he knows your support for his suit is inadequate. Partner either has an awesome suit of his own with a singleton or void in your suit, or he’s a hand hog.
Bidding Notrump
Bid notrump at the appropriate level when you hold a balanced hand, two cards in partner’s suit, and at least one stopper in the opponents’ suit. If your opponents have bid two suits, a notrump response promises a stopper in your right–hand opponent’s suit but does not promise one in your left–hand opponent’s suit (although a partial stopper is advisable, particularly for notrump bids at the two or three level).
Ranges for a notrump response are:
- 1NT: 8 to 11 points.
- 2NT: 12 to 14 points.
- 3NT: 15 points or more.
There are additional factors which may influence your decision on borderline hands:
- If you hold an honour (A, K, or Q) in partner’s suit, expect that suit to be worth five tricks and judge your notrump response accordingly.
- If partner is a passed hand, do not expect partner to hold more than 10 or 11 points. If partner has not previously passed and the opponents are not competing, partner is likely to have a better hand.
- If you have a good suit of your own (that is too short to respond in), consider how many tricks that suit is likely to provide.
- If your right–hand opponent bids a new suit at the one level, do not respond 1NT with less than 10 points.
Here are some examples:
Example 8
North dealer, neither side vulnerable
| North | East | South | West |
| 1♥ | 1♠ | Pass | ?? |
You’re sitting West with each of the following hands:
| ♠ Q 7 ♥ A 4 ♦ Q 10 9 7 3 ♣ J 10 3 2 | Respond 1NT. You have a stopper in the opponents’ suit, plus an honour in partner’s suit. Also, partner may have a good hand. |
| ♠ 9 7 ♥ A 4 ♦ Q J 10 9 3 ♣ J 10 3 2 | Respond 1NT. You have a stopper in the opponents’ suit, and partner may have a good hand. Let’s hope partner has a good spade suit. |
Example 9
North dealer, neither side vulnerable
| North | East | South | West |
| 1♣ | 1♥ | 1♠ | ?? |
You’re sitting West with each of the following hands:
| ♠ A 7 ♥ Q 4 ♦ Q 10 9 7 3 ♣ J 10 3 2 | Pass with this hand, even with the required stoppers. Your hand has defensive potential if the opponents continue bidding, but isn’t strong enough to withstand attacks in two suits. |
| ♠ 9 7 ♥ A 4 ♦ K Q J 9 4 ♣ J 10 3 2 | Pass with this hand as well. You have enough high card points to respond 1NT, but you do not have a spade stopper. If North rebids 2♠ and both East and South pass, you can make a balancing bid. |
| ♠ A J 4 ♥ Q 4 ♦ K J 9 4 ♣ J 10 3 2 | Bid 1NT with this hand. You have spades well–stopped, and probably a club stopper as well. Plus, you have an honour in partner’s suit. |
| ♠ A 4 ♥ Q 4 ♦ K J 9 8 7 4 ♣ Q 10 2 | Bid 1NT with this hand. You have a full spade stopper, a partial club stopper, and an honour in partner’s suit. With 10 high card points, a 1NT response is acceptable on this hand. |
Example 10
North dealer, neither side vulnerable
| North | East | South | West |
| 1♣ | 1♥ | Pass | ?? |
You’re sitting West with each of the following hands:
| ♠ A 7 ♥ Q 4 ♦ A Q 10 9 7 ♣ J 10 3 2 | Bid 2NT with this hand. Your club stopper may be a bit dubious, but the rest of your hand is fine. You have an honour in partner’s suit, plus a reasonable suit of your own. |
| ♠ A J 7 ♥ Q 4 ♦ A Q 10 9 7 ♣ 10 3 2 | Pass with this hand. You have the points for 2NT with an honour in partner’s suit, but you have no club stopper. If North bids again and both East and South pass, you may make a balancing bid. |
Example 11
North dealer, neither side vulnerable
| North | East | South | West |
| 1♣ | 1♥ | Pass | ?? |
You’re sitting West with each of the following hands:
| ♠ J 9 7 ♥ Q 4 ♦ A Q 10 9 ♣ A Q 8 6 | Live a little, and try 3NT. No spade stopper? Doesn’t matter; you’re not promising one. If East is a good partner, he’ll have one for you. |
| ♠ A Q 9 7 ♥ Q 4 ♦ A Q 10 9 3 ♣ J 8 6 | A 3NT bid may work on this hand in spite of having no club stopper. North may only have four clubs, and your partner may have some help (even Q x will guarantee one trick). But if North runs the first six club tricks, don’t call us. |
| ♠ A Q J 9 7 ♥ Q 4 ♦ A Q J 9 3 ♣ J 8 | An interesting (and difficult) hand to bid. We’ll discuss this one in the next section on cue bidding the opponent’s suit. |
Partner’s Subsequent Bids
Partner may raise your 1NT or 2NT responses with an appropriate hand. Partner should raise 1NT to 2NT holding a good fifteen points or more. Partner should raise 2NT to 3NT holding a good thirteen points or more.
Partner may raise your 1NT or 2NT response to 3NT holding fewer points if he believes nine quick tricks are possible.
If partner rebids his suit over your notrump response, then pass. If partner raises your 1NT response to 2NT, continue to 3NT if you hold a maximum for your bid, otherwise pass.
When the opponents have bid two suits, partner must hold a stopper in his right–hand opponent’s suit (your left–hand opponent), since this is the one you have not guaranteed.
Cue Bidding The Opponent’s Suit
Cue bid the opponent’s suit when you think game is possible (or a reasonably sure thing), either in notrump or in partner’s suit. The minimum requirements for a cue bid are:
- Support for partner’s suit (preferably four, but three in a pinch) and values for an opening bid, or
- Two card support, 15 points or more, but no stopper in the opponent’s suit.
How will partner know which of these two types of hands you hold? He won’t, at first. Your subsequent bidding will clarify the situation.
A cue bid is forcing for one round; partner must bid again unless there is an intervening bid by the opponents. Partner makes one of the following bids:
- A notrump bid to show a stopper in the opponent’s suit.
- A rebid of the overcalled suit to deny a stopper in the opponent’s suit.
Partner will make a minimum rebid holding a minimum overcall. Partner is allowed to jump to game (in either notrump or his original suit) holding the values for an opening bid.
Here are some example hands:
Example 12
North dealer, neither side vulnerable
| North | East | South | West |
| 1♣ | 1♥ | Pass | ?? |
You’re sitting West with each of the following hands:
| ♠ A J ♥ Q 10 7 4 ♦ A Q J 8 3 ♣ 8 7 | Cue bid 2♣ to show a good supporting hand. If partner bids 2NT (showing a club stopper), bid 3♥ to show the good support. Partner will raise to 4♥ with a suitable hand. If partner bids 3♥ (denying a club stopper), then pass (your doubleton club is a danger). If partner jumps to 3NT or 4♥, then pass. |
| ♠ A J 9 ♥ Q 10 7 4 ♦ A Q J 8 3 ♣ 8 | Cue bid 2♣ to show a good supporting hand. If partner bids 2NT (showing a club stopper), bid 4♥ (your singleton club is extremely valuable). If partner bids 3♥ (denying a club stopper), raise to 4♥ (again, your singleton club is extremely valuable). If partner jumps to 3NT or 4♥, then pass. |
| ♠ A Q J 9 7 ♥ Q 4 ♦ A Q J 9 3 ♣ J 8 | This is the hand from Example 11. Cue bid 2♣ to ask partner for a club stopper. If he has one, he will bid 2NT, which you raise to 3NT. If not, he will bid 3♥, which you should pass. The opponents will probably take two club tricks, and your spade and diamond finesses probably won’t work. In a team game, however, a raise to 4♥ would be a reasonable shot. If partner jumps to 4♥, then pass. Partner should have a suitable hand. |