18. Competing After A Suit Opening¶
This chapter discusses the basic tools of competition, and some special situations.
Overcalls¶
An overcall is a bid after the opponents have opened. This chapter discusses doing so when the opponents opened a suit. The range for an overcall is 8-17 points. An overcall is above all a request for your partner to lead your suit, so the first requirement is a suit you want led. On the bottom end, a one-level overcall can be much more relaxed than a two-level overcall.
With 18 or more points, you usually double first. If you don’t double first, partner will assume you have 8-17 and may pass your overcall despite having enough for game opposite your strong holding. Your partner will think it is a takeout double at first. This “power double” is discussed in Takeout Doubles.
Classify your hand as usual. For a more dangerous case such as a two-level overcall, especially vulnerable, you need a good hand and a good suit. For less dangerous cases, you need one or the other. In both cases, you should want the suit led if your partner becomes the opening leader.
One case that requires special caution is overcalling a minor at the two level. Your reward is not high and your risk is high, especially vulnerable. It is really best to have a good six-card suit, and 10+ HCP.
You can overcall 1N with 15-18 HCP and a stopper (preferably more) in their suit. If they have preempted with a 2-level suit bid, overcalling it 2N means about the same thing but you really would like two stoppers, such as AJx.
With more points and the same kind of hand, you cannot bid 2N, because it is a conventional bid called Unusual Two Notrump. You double first.
You can overcall with a very strong four-card suit at the one level, and a maximum strength. Your partner may not like it but sometimes it is right.
Mike Lawrence’s “Complete Book of Overcalls” has a complete discussion. He emphasizes understanding the safety of various overcalls. For example, after an auction that begins (1♣)-P-(2♣), bidding is strongly encouraged, because RHO does not have diamonds, hearts, or spades, and has limited values; whereas after (1♥)–P–(2♥), clubs and diamonds are not safe – either opponent may have them. (The first example assumes they are not playing Inverted Minors.)
When you are in fourth seat, you can overcall, but if passing would end the auction, see Balancing. If they have both bid you need a very good suit, probably six cards, and very good values. This is called a ‘live auction’. For all you know the opener has a strong hand and was about to bid again. This situation is dangerous.
Responding To Partner’s Overcall¶
Responding to an overcall as the advancer:
Recognize in choosing a response that partner’s range is 8-17 HCP because he did not double. You should have a lot of information already about points around the table.
There is no standard as to when an overcall is forcing, but the usual agreement is that an overcall at the one level is forcing but a two-level overcall is not. Of course if the responder then bids you’re off the hook.
Resist rescuing when you are short in partner’s suit.
A bid of a new suit is forcing by an unpassed hand and denies a fit for the overcall.
A simple raise is competitive.
A jump raise is preemptive.
A cue bid of opener’s suit is a raise. Generally, we are safe at the level of the number of trump we have together.
RHO might bid, most frequently to raise the opener. See Responsive Doubles, in which a double shows the unbid suits.
Your partner needs to learn you can be trusted. Avoid these errors:
Overcalling when you should really pass.
Passing when you really should bid.
Overcalling with a suit you don’t want led.
Not leading the overcaller’s suit when you can.
Weak Jump Overcalls¶
A jump overcall such as (1♥) 2♠ is essentially like an opening weak two or three bid. A good suit is needed. As with a preempt, after you make this bid you should almost never bid again.
Some times you have a hand that could have opened with a weak preempt but you did not for some reason, such as having an outside four-card major in first or second seat. If you passed at first you can bid later once it becomes clear your partner is not being preempted by your bid.
By the way, your partner should respond to this as if you opened a weak two-bid. In particular, 2N should be whatever it would be for you (feature ask, for example) had they just opened 2x.
Michaels Cue Bid¶
A cue bid of an opening suit bid shows a distributional hand with 5-5 or better shape, with the suits being both majors when the opponents bid a minor, and the unbid major and a minor if the opponents bid a major. For example:
(1♥) 2♥ shows five spades and five of an unknown minor.
(1♦) 2♦ shows 5-5 in the majors.
Advancer can bid 2N! asking for the minor. Except in unusual circumstances, advancer must choose between partner’s two suits. Bidding the fourth suit is only done with a preemptive hand and a good long suit.
The Michaels bid does not promise anything more than a prudent overcall but is unlimited.
Without partnership agreement, (1x) P (1y) 2x is not Michaels but natural; this is especially possible after the opponents open 1♣ or 1♦.
Note
Cue bids are in general not alertable – in fact, 1♣ - (2♣) is only alerted if it is natural. However, it is not necessarily Michaels either. If opponents make such a bid, be sure to ask what they mean by it, if only at the end of the auction. This is one case when silence does not mean standard.
Some partners agree to use Michaels only with minimal or maximum hands – see Minimax.
Over a 2M preempt, with a strong two-suited hand you can show the other major and a minor all at once using Leaping Michaels.
A question arises when the Michaels bid shows a major and an unknown suit, and the responder makes a bid, but advancer has no support for the major. E.g., (1♥) 2♥ (3♦) ?. Typically responder’s 3♦ bid shows a weak hand with diamonds, if opponents are playing unusual vs. unusual, but many intermediate pairs will lack agreements. With values but lacking spade support here, and ideally holding at least two diamonds, advancer should double, asking for the second suit or conversion of the double to penalty.
Without values, of course, you are off the hook and can pass.
An advanced agreement is that the 2N reply asking for the second suit shows a good hand, while 3♣ asks for the second suit intending to pass. A bid like 3♣ is called a “pass or correct” bid; the Michaels bidder will pass if his second suit is clubs.
Unusual 2NT¶
Unusual 2NT is a direct or balancing 2N bid after a 1-level opening. It shows a hand of unstated strength that is at least 5-5 in the lowest two unbid suits. Advancer should choose the best of these two suits, except in remarkable circumstances.
Unusual 2NT is not alertable. Some partners agree to use Unusual 2NT only with weak or strong hands, see Minimax.
It is also possible to recognize other “impossible” no-trump bids as unusual. For example,
(1♣) P (1♠) 2N
would show 5-5 in the red suits. Logically, nobody has a big enough hand to bid no-trump at the two level here. 2N specifically shows the 5-5 shape, while a double would be takeout but presumably not that good a shape.
Another possible agreement: if they preempt four of something, 4N is unusual notrump, asking advancer to pick his best of the two lowest unbid suits. Double’s meaning depends on your agreed takeout double limit. Some play 4N as a two-suited takeout.
Minimax Style
Minimax is an optional style of bidding Michaels and Unusual 2N. If you are playing minimax style, it means you use these bids only with a maximum or a minimum; with a medium hand you bid the higher-ranked suit, hoping to show the other later.
When playing minimax, advancer will assume the weaker hand until his partner bids again to show the good hand.
The minimum would be an adequate overcall but less than an opener, while a maximum would be more than 15 points.
Minimax allows more certainty in responses to two-suited bids, at the price of not being able to make those bids as often.
Western Cue¶
When we are in a contested auction a (usually) three-level cue-bid of the opponent’s suit denies a stopper in their suit(s) and asks partner to bid 3N if they have a stopper. For example:
1♦ (1♥) 1♠ (P)2♣ (P ) 3♥!(asking for heart stopper)
Responder is asking opener to bid 3N if he has a stopper in hearts. Quite often the Western Cue bidder has some help in their, such as a half-stopper, but does not feel secure bidding 3N on their own.
Competing Over Preempts¶
Preemptive bids work. They suck up bidding room and you are limited in ways to enter the auction. Once you see how annoying there are, you’ll know to preempt more.
Are you weak or just competitive? Pass, even if you also have a big long suit. You never preempt over a preempt.
Competing Over Two-Level Preempts
Doubling is for takeout but can also be a very strong hand. The higher-ranking their suit, the more likely you’re pushing us to the 3-level so the better your hand needs to be.
For example, you can agree a double of 2♠ is takeout but a double of 3♠ is penalty. I believe the “standard” limit is 2♠ from SAYC but most good pairs play it higher, some even to 4♠. Double can also show a hand too strong to just overcall, around 17/18 or more points.
Overcalling requires a good 5(or more) card suit as well as an opening hand or close to it. If you can bid it at the two-level you are much safer than at the three level. Your partner is going to feel pressure to raise with support. If you bid a minor it is likely that 3N is under consideration. Also, be extremely careful if partner is a passed hand – your game potential is low if all you have is a basic opener.
You can overcall in notrump but you probably want two stoppers unless you can see where your tricks are soming from.
Bidding their suit is Michaels.
Very important to know: if they preempt and then the advancer doubles our bid, that double is for penalty, not takeout. For example:
(2♥) 2♠ (X)
is penalty, not takeout for the minors.
Deciding Factors¶
When it is a close call between acting or passing, factors to consider are:
How many cards do you hold in their suit? Three is terrible. The partner who is short (2, 1, or 0) in their suit has the burden to overcall or balance. With 4(or more) in their suit, you can consider notrump if you have 15-18 points, with two stoppers likely, or plan to defend.
Are we vulnerable?
To what level are we bidding?
If we are considering an overcall, what is our suit’s quality?
The more balanced your hand, the less likely you should compete.
Responding after (2x) X (P)
It is really not possible to have a coherent scheme for responding to the double of a weak two bid unless you use Lebensohl After Doubles Of Weak Two Bids. For example, after (2♠) X (P), suppose you have one of these two hands:
♠xx ♥KJx ♦987654 ♣94
♠xx ♥Kxx ♦KQJ765 ♣94
With the first hand, you really need to bid 3♦ and have your partner pass it. With the second hand, you want to invite your partner to go on knowing you have a good diamond suit, but you don’t have enough to force to game. The one bid of 3♦ has to mean one or the other. So if you don’t use this form of the Lebensohl convention, you’re stuck with it meaning a weak hand.
When you have a game forcing hand you can bid their suit (3♠ in this case) as a game forcing bid, hoping partner can help you decide on 3N, 4♥, or 5m depending on your hand and his. Again, Lebensohl can help.
When you have a suit that is above the preempt, such as hearts over a diamond preempt, you have a two-level bid available to show weakness and can use the three-level bids to show invitational responses (8-11 HCP).
Of course, you can also convert the double to penalty with the correct hand but since you are under the long suit this is rare.
Responding After Higher Levels
They will often reinforce a preempt to the 3- or 4-level. Suppose partner doubles but they raise. A Responsive Double will show partner it is our hand, 10+ points and an unclear direction. Be aggressive in competing at the three-level if you can. When they go to the 4-level, it is even more important to compete if you have values. They might be bidding game or they might be sacrificing.
It is useful to play 4N to mean, “two places to play”. This bid lets you disambiguate two bids of five of the other major as in Lebensohl:
(2♠) X (4♠) 5♥ is a good hand with heart support. It is a slam try. 5N! instead would be “Pick-a-slam”
(2♠) X (4♠) 4N! says you have either a modest hand with heart support or both minors. After the doubler bids his best minor, 5♥ is to play.
Leaping Michaels¶
Leaping Michaels is an advanced bid. You really have to have an agreement on this one.
Over a 2M preempt, a bid of four of a minor by agreement shows 5(or more) of the other major, and 5(or more) of the minor, with a strong hand of course, since you are on the four-level. This is considered a bid of the major with additional information as to strength and the minor suit. So for example, a reply of 4N by advancer would be key-card for the major, and bidding another suit would show a control with slam interest. Sometimes Leaping Michaels uncovers a nice double-fit and a slam.
Over 3M preempts, you can also agree to Non-Leaping Michaels, with a bid of 4m showing the same thing.
Leaping Michaels applies in all these situations:
(2M) - ?
(1M) - P - (2M) - ?
(3M) - ? (if playing non-Leaping Michaels)
(1M) - P - (3M) - ? (if playing non-Leaping Michaels)
Examples:
(2♥) 4♣ shows five spades and five clubs.
(1♥) P (2♥) 4♣ shows five spades and five clubs.
(2♥) 4♣ (P) 4N is keycard for spades.
(1♥) - P - (3♥) - 4♦ shows five spades and five diamonds.