Rob S Notes on Basic Overcall Structure

Rob’s Notes on Basic Overcall Structure

The ranges for most distributional overcalls are 6+/8+ at white/red. For more sound overcalls, consider 6/8/10/12 minimums at increasingly unfavorable vulnerability, and minimum hands use discretion when bidding.

1 NT Takeout: Promises 6-15 (8-15 vul), with 3+ cards in each unbid suit and 2 or fewer in the bid suit. As a matter of partnership style, decide if you will bid 1NT with a 5+ card major in preference to making a bid at the 1 level.

Responses without interference - Cuebid is Stayman with a good hand Pass and 3NT are natural, recalling their stoppers must be lead through 2NT shows the lowest two unbid suits all other hands bid to the law level in their long suit, assuming 3 from partner

After interference over 1NT, double is responsive up to 3S (or 4C, 4D raises).

Run out after 1X-1NT-X-? bid a 5 card suit (their suit is also natural) XX shows 4 cards in the highest unbid suit (usually spades) 2NT shows the two lowest unbid suits, preemptive all others pass After advancer’s XX, 1NT bidder bids a known fit if any, or 4+ card suits up the line. After advancer’s pass, 1X-1NT-X-P-P-? bids are 5 card suits XX denies 5 card suit, asks advancer to bid cheapest 4 card suit

Power Doubles: 15+ pts, usually balanced (needs 17-18+ for singleton or void in doubled suit) Reponses to 1X-X-P-? pass with 4 reasonable trumps and 8+ cheapest 1 level suit bid (if any)= negative (0-4) other 1 level bids show 4 card suits 1NT 5-7 (no stopper needed) (may be weaker over 1S-X) 2NT 7-9 (stopper) 3NT 9-? (stopper) 2X Cuebid game forcing jump to 2Y invitational with 5 card suit Direct Overcalls: Cheapest bids of new suits over 1X are normal (7-16 usually 5+ suits at the 1 level, 10+ and a good 5+ suit at the 2 level), although they deny the desire to make 3 suited 1NT or 2 suited jumps. This means that if they have a 2nd suit worth mentioning, it will be lower ranking and hence easier to rebid. Direct overcalls tend to have somewhat more length in either opener’s suit or their own suit as a negative inference from failure to bid 1NT.

Roman Jump Overcalls: 6-15 (or 8-15 vul). A single jump shows two adjacent suits - the suit bid and the higher ranking suit, 5+ in the lower and 4+ in the higher suit. So 1C-2D shows 5D/4H. The only tricky ones are 1(D/H)-2S which shows 5C/4S since clubs is “higher” than spades, but not higher ranking. Jumps forcing to the 3 level, such as 1H-3C (showing C+D) should be at least 5/5 shape. With equal length in two suits, consider bidding the higher ranking suit at the one level (if possible), hoping to rebid your second suit naturally.

Random Note: 1C-2S is not needed as a Roman Jump, and is just a regular weak 2 bid.

Responses – (these apply to cuebids as well) Raises in either known suit – competitive Cue Bid – strong game invitation 2NT – invitational with 3 cards in higher of partner’s suits 4th suit bids – to play

Cuebids: 6+ (or 8+ vul). Unlimited two suited hands (at least 5/4 in the lower/higher suits), with the two suits adjacent to the suit cuebid. Ex. 1C-2C shows 5/4 or better in D/S.

2NT: A strong two suited hand (at least 5/4 unspecified), with 4½ losers or less. Shows the suit not adjacent to the suit bid and another unspecified suit. For example, 1D-2NT shows spades and either clubs or hearts.

Intermediate Jump Overcalls (not used): In original overcall structure, jumps to the 3 level in a new suit show a long suit and reasonable hand. 12+ with 7 card suit, 16-17+ with 6 card suit. Note that sometimes 3C or 3D will be a Roman Jump instead (ie 3C over 1H/S, and 3D over 1S), although 3H and 3S are always intermediate. As these intermediate hands are quite rare, I play these bids instead as normal 3 level preempts, and the intermediate hands bid naturally or power double if very strong.

As an aside, 3 level cue bids are natural stopper asking for 3NT.

4 level Overcalls: Overcall structure uses Namyats 4 level overcalls, although this is not GCC legal. For GCC events, all these bids are natural and preemptive. Cheat sheet for overcalls up to 3S

Your Bid over... 1C 1D 1H 1S X 15+ bal. 15+ bal. 15+ bal. 15+ bal. 1D natural . . . 1H natural natural . . 1S natural natural natural . 1NT 3 suit takeout 6-15 3 suit takeout 6-15 3 suit takeout 6-15 3 suit takeout 6-15 2C D+S (5/4) 6+ natural natural natural 2D D+H (5/4) 6-15 C+H (5/4) 6+ natural natural 2H H+S (5/4) 6-15 H+S (5/4) 6-15 D+S (5/4) 6+ natural 2S weak 2 bid C+S (5/4) 6-15 C+S (5/4) 6-15 C+H (5/5) 6+ 2NT H+? strong (4/5,5/4) S+? strong (4/5,5/4) C+? strong (4/5,5/4) D+? strong (4/5,5/4) 3C stopper ask for 3NT preemptive, natural C+D (5/5) 6-15 C+D (5/5) 6-15 3D preemptive, natural stopper asks for 3NTpreemptive, natural D+H (5/5) 6-15 3H preemptive, natural preemptive, natural stopper asks for 3NTpreemptive, natural 3S preemptive, natural preemptive, natural preemptive, natural stopper asks for 3NT