M J Bridge

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Conventions

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Bidding

Hands

Theory

Conventions

M J Bridge

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Bidding

Hands

Theory

About the opponents’ bid


The exact meaning of partner’s overcall will depend on both the strength of the opponents’ opening bid and on your agreed partnership methods.

These matters were discussed in the section on overcaller’s first bid.


Most well-organised partnerships will have a set of agreements regarding their actions when an opening bid of 1NT is overcalled or doubled.


Lebensohl in one of its various manifestations is the most common of such agreements.  Typically a bid by responder at the two-level will be weak - or at least below invitational strength - a bid at the three-level is likely to be game-forcing, a bid of 2NT is likely to be artificial and may disguise both weak and strong meanings, and double is likely to promise some values (i.e. your opponents have more points than you do) whether the double is of the penalty or the take-out variety.  You will be able to choose your methods and judge your actions accordingly.


Another common agreement at a good level of play is that, following an immediate double, a pass will be forcing.


Your problem will come against those opponents who do not have clear agreements as to whether responder’s bid is competitive or constructive - i.e. whether it is weak or strong.  I’m afraid that I have no easy solution for you - you will have to make a judgement call, and sometimes you will get it wrong - but you can be fairly certain that it will be natural and if a suit bid probably five-card.


Incidentally, this might suggest an argument for adopting a style in which your bid as responder promises a holding in the suit but says nothing else about the strength of the hand - it will certainly give your opponents a headache on occasion.  However, such an approach will give partner at least as big a headache, and will on occasion lead to his passing when there is a game available and to his bidding a game when there is nothing on.


I shall continue to recommend that your agreements as the opening side are of the ‘clearly defined’ variety.

Beginner and above

Overcaller’s first bid

Overcaller’s rebid

Context - advancer - opponents opened 1NT.

This page last modified 11th Mar 2019