= 0-6 HCP, artificial and any distribution.
= 7-8 HCP, artificial and any distribution.
= 9-12 HCP, artificial and any distribution.
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= 0-6 HCP, artificial and any distribution.
= 7-8 HCP, artificial and any distribution.
= 9-12 HCP, artificial and any distribution.
1 , 1 , and 1 are the bread and butter responses.
With 13 or more HCP or whenever any 20 HCP in opener's hand should produce slam:
, 2 , 2 , and 2 = five-card or longer suit.
and 2 may be bid with a strong suit and as few as 9
HCP.
Bid 1 over 1 . Most hands are simply a 1 , 1 , or a 1
response. Decisions arise later in the auction. Don't waste
energy here.
Bid 1 over 1 . You cannot describe six-trick hands after a
1 response. (Jump shifts after a 1 response are defined as mini-splinters in support of partner's suit.) The exact line for
the 1 response on less than 7 HCP is your decision. This hand
is the only mandatory deviation from simple rules in this
chapter.
Bid 1 over 1 . There is no problem in getting to game after a
1 response. You could bid 1 over 1 and then transfer to
hearts if partner rebids 1NT. What happens if you bid 1 ?
Partner will have spades. The level is one higher. You will
declare at spades rather than partner at hearts.
Bid 2 over 1 . When you have 13 HCP, bids are precisely
defined except for the next hand.
Bid 1NT, 2 , or even 2 . 4-4-4-1 hands are awkward. I think that
a singleton ace or king places the 4-4-4-1 hands in the notrump
category. Fabricate without tanking.
The 17 HCP for a 2NT response. Obviously 2NT is a slam force.
Decision time. These are five hands where, in my opinion, it is
reasonable to bid 2 over 1 with less than 13 HCP. A four-card major is no bar to responding 2 or 2 on less than 13
HCP. These hands are halfway to slam, and will be hard to
describe after a 1 point count response.
It is acceptable to bid 2 over 1 .
I do not bid 3 , 3 , 3 , or 3 on any hand. Do not preempt
the 1 opener.
Interference can take the form of a natural overcall by an opponent who we believe holds the suit bid. The overcall can be artificial, and we think the opponents know what they are doing, and are relatively honest in doing it to us. Or: The overcall is an out-and-out psyche; The opponents are confused about their defensive system; The overcall shows two suits, but one of the suits is a weak four-card suit; They bid on anything (not vulnerable vs. vulnerable) over a forcing club.
A tricky interference system often puts the opponents in unknown territory. They do not spend much time playing against a forcing club. They are using a defensive strategy they have discussed, but never used. Our bidding over interference is based on the concept that the opponents are generating noise.
Briefly: The opponents cannot buy a suit with an overcall.
Negative doubles through 4 ; bust doubles above 4 . The
negative double shows high cards and not distribution. If the
interference is 1 or lower, the step-response system is on.
Above 1 , suit bids and notrump bids are natural and game
forcing. For 2 and lower, double shows 7-8 HCP, possibly more.
Above 2 , double is a game force.
The interference bid is a double:
response. Redouble
suggests that the opponents should not have bid.
The interference bid is 1 :
show 7-8 HCP with the double showing better
diamonds than 1 .
The interference bid is 1 :
The interference is 1 through 2 :
Do not wrong side notrump contracts after an overcall.
The interference is 2 through 4 :
Interference above 4 :
1 Dbl ?
Pass to show 0-6 HCP and four or more clubs. Pass is an alert.
1 Dbl ?
Bid 1 to deny four clubs.
1 Bid ?
With this hand, double overcalls of 1 to 2 , inclusively.
Alert because you do not promise the other major. Pass overcalls
of 2 to 4 . The double shows 7-8 HCP. The double of a 1
overcall is, depending on vulnerability, either a mild penalty
double, or an indication that diamonds are controlled for notrump
play. Swap hearts and diamonds, and you bid 1 over 1 .
1 Call ?
For the calls, double, 1 , or 1 , bid 1 to show 9-12 HCP.
For overcalls of 1 to 2 , the defined response is a minimum
notrump bid. However, the rule is: "Do not wrong side notrump,"
and I would double 1 to 2 . For overcalls 2 through 4 ,
the defined choices are double or bid notrump. I would bid
notrump over 2 and 3 . Pass 4 because double is takeout.
1 Call ?
If possible, bid 1 to show 9-12 HCP. For overcalls 1 through
3 bid spades to create a game force. If the overcall is in
spades, and you feel the spade call is honest, then
.
The preceding two hands are conservative minimums for force to game auctions. I believe it is also necessary to game force after a preemptive overcall on the following hands.
Double overcalls of 3 , 3 , 4 , and 4 . With reasonable
distributions, bid with 1 or 2 points less than the stated
minimum of 9 HCP.
Bid 2 over 2 , and 3 over any three-level bid.
Bid spades over anything between 2 and 4 inclusive (except a real 2 and 3 ). When the opponents preempt over 1 the
vulnerability tends to be favorable for them. If you and your
partner brag about your cards, the opponents are predisposed to
save over confident bidding.
When the preempt is 4 or higher, one wants some chance to
intelligently guess an offensive contract when the high cards are
divided between you and partner. If your side does not play the
hand, you want to double. Their bid (usually) is intended as a
sacrifice and will fail most of the time. For this reason,
double is weakest, pass is next weakest, 4NT (or a cue-bid) is
takeout, and suit bids are natural. If responder passes, then
double is opener's weakest bid.
1 4 ?
Double 4 on these hands. Hopefully, opener will have enough
useful cards to defeat 4 opposite the yarborough. Note that it
is possible to have several defensive tricks. In the second
example, the 4 bidder is either insane, or has run into a nasty
trump stack.
1 4 ?
Pass 4 . The pass shows some offensive strength. If opener
wants us to choose a suit, 4NT is takeout.
1 4 ?
The choices are pass, and then 4NT for takeout; or 4NT now, again for takeout.
There are two sets of rules: one set for overcalls of 4 and
lower, and the other set for overcalls of 4 and higher. After
a lower overcall, the opponents are allowed to play the hand
undoubled, and doubles by either partner are takeout. Thus
auctions such as:
1 1 Pass Pass ? 1 4 Pass Pass ? 1 2 Pass Pass ? 1 2 Pass 4 ?
are nonforcing. Whether or not opener bids, depends on his hand.
If the opponents are playing his longest suit, he might even pass
1 . If he has a nondescript 1NT opening with high cards trapped
in the bid suit, he may pass two-level overcalls.
When the overcall is 4 or higher, then either we play the deal
or the opponents play doubled.
Overcalls may be artificial, psychic, or made on nothing four-card suits. Artificial overcalls include transfers and two-suiters. When artificial overcalls are used the opponents may either forget or confuse their system. Rather than rely on directors and committees for result adjustment*, the rule is:
The meanings of bids in the overcall suit and any suit suggested by the overcall are unchanged by the overcall.
The cutoff is 4 , the point where negative doubles stop and
business doubles start.
*The alert procedure protects you when alerts are not made or when misinformation is given in the alert procedure. It should also protect you when the overcaller obtains unauthorized information as a result of the alert - the overcaller should not be allowed to correct to his own suit when his partner bids a suit shown by the overcall.
1 1 2
2 shows 13 or more HCP with a five-card or longer heart suit.
Responder suspects that the overcall was a psyche. The reaction
of the next player will often clarify. For example, if fourth
hand has hearts he may double.
1 1 1 Pass 2
(a) Alerted as a transfer to spades.
(b) 9-12 HCP and artificial. The overcall is below 1 so the
system is on.
(c) Opener has five spades. Heaven help the
ACBL if they think this is an alert. The opponents are allowed
to ask, and the questions and other table action may reveal what
they are doing to you. You are allowed to read their table
action. They are not.
1 1 1 Pass 1NT Pass 2 Pass 2
(a) Alerted as transfer to spades.
(b) 9-12 HCP.
(c) Transfer to spades. Responder has five or more spades.
(d) Opener has three spades (more on this later). All bids other
than 1NT in this auction are alerts.
1 Dbl(a) 1 Pass 1NT Pass 2
(a) Alerted as majors.
(b) 7-8 HCP and artificial.
(c) Stayman.
1 1 Dbl 4 4
4 shows hearts. It is not a cue-bid. A pass of 4
functions as a takeout double for the unbid suits.
1 1 Dbl 4 Pass Pass ?
4 would show hearts. Partner has made a "takeout pass"
and you should bid a four-card spade suit. According to our
rules, the auction is nonforcing. Common sense tells me that the
plus belongs to our side either through a double, or at 4 or
4 .
1 3 ?
(a) Alerted as a transfer to hearts. You, of course, believe
overcaller forgot. There is no certain systemic way of punishing
the opponents. Bid 3 .
1 Pass 1 1 ?
Double shows spades. A bid of 2 also shows spades. What
I do depends on the vulnerability. Not vulnerable versus
vulnerable, I double. At the opposite vulnerability, and if I
think 1 is a psyche I might bid 2 . I don't give an operator
a chance to find his club fit. After 2 he will pass quietly
and hope we mess up. We won't.
1 Pass 1 1 ?
Now partner made the negative response of 1 . Double is
takeout. 2 shows spades and, assuming 1 showed spades, is
forcing. Therefore, you must pass. This is the one case where a
spade psyche might work.
When an artificial bid is doubled, redouble indicates a
willingness to play the designated contract. A pass of a doubled
artificial bid of 1 or higher is unconditionally forcing. To
review: 1 — DOUBLE — PASS (pass is an alert) shows four or more
clubs and 0-6 HCP. Opener is not required to redouble 1 .
Redouble is to play 1 .
1 Pass 1 Dbl ?
Redouble. 1 redoubled and making one is better than 5NT.
A guideline for both opener and responder with notrumpish hands
after a strength showing response: Redouble at the one-level with
three trumps to an honor and accept the redouble with two trumps.
1 Pass 1 Dbl ?
Pass to see if partner wants to redouble. The opponents
want to reward you for playing 1 forcing.
1 Pass 1 Dbl ?
Bid 1NT. There is a difference between a combined count of 16, 23, and 25. It is best to return the auction to normalcy. 1NT is somewhat preemptive. If you pass, the opponents may find a major at the one-level.
1 Pass 1 Pass 1NT Pass 2 Dbl ?
Redouble. More trumps are needed to play 2 redoubled. A
suggestion is that both opener and responder redouble with four
trumps to an honor and accept the redouble with two trumps.
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