How others might've

bidandmade

it

• Question 1
  
  Should South overcall with his 5-card suit? It's only at the one level.
  
  

• Question 1
  
  Should South overcall with his 5-card suit? It's only at the one level.
  
  Answer
  
  Is he strong enough? Yes.
  Is his suit good enough? Not ideal.
  Does he want a Spade lead? OK-ish
  Is it worth a sacrifice? Don't know yet.
  Will it disrupt the enemy bidding? Lots.
  Do we have favourable vulnerability? No.
  Are you able to overcall in Spades, and force the enemy conversation up to the 2 level? Yes.
  
  There's enough good reasons.
   

• Question 2
  
  West then doubles your overcall. What is he saying to his partner?
  
  

• Question 2
  
  West then doubles your overcall. What is he saying to his partner?
  
  Answer
  
  It's a "negative double", (a cunning way of getting round the obstruction placed in his way by your irritating overcall !), meaning that he's got 4 cards in the highest ranked unbid suit: that's Hearts here. And he's got 6 HCP or more.
   

• Question 3
  
  Have a peep at your partner's hand at North. Should he support your Spade overcall? Should he bid 2 Spades, 3 Spades, 4 Spades, or should he "pass"?.
  
  

• Question 3
  
  Have a peep at your partner's hand at North. Should he support your Spade overcall? Should he bid 2 Spades, 3 Spades, 4 Spades, or should he "pass"?.
  
  Answer
  
  2 Spades. The "limit of the fit" when responding to suit overcalls, and promising precisely 3 cards here.
  
  (Oh, and denying 10 HCP or more - assuming you and your partner use the (jolly useful) Unassuming Cue Bid when you have strong support, where don't want to leave a valuable game contract lying lonely on the table).
   

• Question 4
  
  Do you think that West's bid of 3 clubs should have been overcalled by your side?
  
  

• Question 4
  
  Do you think that West's bid of 3 clubs should have been overcalled by your side?
  
  Answer
  
  Hard to be sure, but probably not.
  
  When you have an 8 card fit, as we at North-South do in Spades, it's usually true that the enemy have an 8 card-fit in some other suit, as the bidding suggests that East-West do. That usually results in a makeable 8-trick contract at the 2 level for either side, assuming the points are reaonably spread, as they are on this deal. Given that our competitive overcalling has pushed them up to 3 clubs, which will usually go down, no need to sacrfice.
   

• Question 5
  
  Are there any reasons why you might consider a suit other than Spades as the opening lead from South?
  
  

• Question 5
  
  Are there any reasons why you might consider a suit other than Spades as the opening lead from South?
  
  Answer
  
  The 6 of Spades is the obvious lead. Plus my partner knows I've got 5 of them, and I know he's got three of them. On the other hand I don't have the Ace or King, so they might be hard to establish.
  
  I wonder how many people might think about Hearts? E-W did bid Hearts (with the negative double), and yet they clearly don't have 8 of them, having ended up in a club contract. In that case partner must have at least 4 Hearts, to their 7 or fewer. Therefore he's got a 36-45% chance of having the King; and if he does have it, we can make n extra trick via a Heart ruff if South (that's me on Opening lead!) leads the Ace before EW can draw trumps...
   

• .
  

• . . . .
  
   

• Some subjects to follow up on

  Overcalls, the basic idea
  Overcalls, in a suit, over a suit
  Doubles, Negative double