This is one area of bidding which seems to cause more problems and controversy than almost any other.
Beginners must learn to differentiate between responding to an opening bid and an overcall.
So many think that when their Partner overcalls if they have a few points they have to bid. This is not the case.
There are some simple,
generally accepted, guidelines but you can legally play more or less in any way you want but be sure that you are both on the same wavelength.
Most systems say that an overcall can be up to 15 points but in practice it is usually about 10 to 13 so
when partner overcalls you could have many different hands and the question is- what do you bid,
if anything ?.
First,always think before you bid, take into account that you could help the opposition .
West,
opens 1 ♠ Your partner, North, bids 2 ♥ and East bids 2 ♠
a bid of 3 ♥ from you tells West that if they have 3 small Hearts
their Partner will probably
only have one at most and may spur them on to further action.Another result of you bidding is to provide a "free bid" situation
which may be helpful to them so don't be slavish -think first!
1 Raising Partners Suit.
If you haven’t read
Unassuming Cue Bids this might be a good time to do so as
it relates entirely to this point.
Basically it says that if, after Partner overcalls, you bid the
opponents suit you are saying you have good support and relevant points. This now leaves you free to raise
pre-emptively.
You are South
West 1 ♣ North 1 ♥ East 1 ♠ or Pass- South 2 ♣
should tell
North that you have a hand that would raise to at least 2 ♥ after an
opening bid of one and equally you could bid 3 ♣ to show a three heart raise.
So now in a similar sequence a bid of 2 ♥, instead of 2 ♣, would be
weaker and trying to obstruct the opponents bidding and a bid of 3 ♥ would
be showing a hand with something like 5 Hearts, a singleton and a doubleton and a few points depending on the
vulnerability
Another situation is when you have some support but a good suit of your own.
A simple way of playing this is that without opposition bidding in between :
West 1 ♠
North 2 ♥ East Pass- South 3 ♣ should suggest that you don’t like
Hearts
(You could have bid 2 ♠)
but if the bidding was
West 1 ♠ North 2 ♥ East 2 ♠ South 3 ♣ (a free bid)
then you would be showing some support for partner but wanting to show where you’re defensive values are
if the opposition bid on. Something like ♠ x ♥ xx ♦
xxx ♣
AKxxxx.
Partner should bid 3 ♥ or take appropriate action if the
opposition bid on.
As with all things in Bridge, judgement in particular sequences of bids must play a part, sometimes
you can't make an unassuming cue bid but a free bid from you will tell partner a lot.
Equally there are are sequences where you can make bids that appear to be one thing but are actually being
bending the "rules" a little.
In the sequence above West 1 ♠
North 2 ♥ East Pass- South 3 ♣ suggested that you didn’t like
Hearts but change it round a little to:
West 1 ♥ North 1 ♠ East Pass- South 2 ♣
This would suggest that you don’t like
Spades but give yourself ♠ Jxx ♥ xx ♦ xx ♣ KQJxxx
Slightly risky that you might miss a Spade contract but it is almost inconceivable that West or East will not
bid again and you can then support Spades and at the
same time you have given your Partner an alternative safe lead if you are defending.
All of the above might be called cooperative bidding,the point of which is to help your Partner to
judge how high to bid.
2 No support for Partner and weak hands
2 No support for partner, no good suit of ones own and not many points- Simple – Keep quiet !
Even if Partner is doubled for penalties. bidding in this situation usually just digs a deeper hole
West 1 ♠ North 2 ♣ East Double (for penalties) and you
hold ♠ Axx ♥ Jxx ♦ Qxxxxx
♣ x don’t even think of bidding 2 ♦ . You might get lucky;
West may misinterpret the Double and bid or decide that having opened light still bid again.
Partner might still make their contract or not go too many off to get a bad board
(The opposition could be be close to game), and of course if Clubs are breaking
badly there’s every chance that the Diamonds will. Grit your teeth and Pass.
3 No support for Partner and scattered points
Without any support, some points and stops in the opposition suit it can be correct to bid No Trumps but always
remember the probable
limit on Partners hand
♠ x ♥ AJ98 ♦ KJxx ♣ QJx After 1 ♥ from West and 1 ♠
from Partner. 1 No Trump is sufficient. With a good 15 points Partner is more likely to have doubled and then rebid Spades.
With this type of hand and less than 10 points just pass and await developments.
4 No support for Partner and a reasonable suit of ones own
Without opposition bidding in between :
West 1 ♠
North 2 ♥ East Pass- South 3 ♣ would suggest that you don’t like
Hearts
(You could have bid 2 ♠) but if East bids its usually best to keep quiet
5 When you think you may have a game on
When Partner overcalls in second seat and can be trusted to have a good overcall, if you think you
have enough to raise to game in their suit, 3+ card support and 16+ points, then just do it.
With no support but the same points and good stops in the oppositions suit bid 3NT
The most difficult hand is when you have 16+ points and a good suit but no support and not good stops,
then the only solution, if there is room, is to jump bid in your suit.This should be taken as 95% forcing
but there has to be
occasions when your partner is allowed to pass knowing there is a big misfit and no hope of No Trumps.
So to summarise- if your Partner makes an overcall think hard before you bid
Dont help the opponents
Dont get into worse trouble
Conversely can you make life difficult for the opposition by being pre-emptive or can you make a constructive bid that will help your side?.