Cream of the Crop 11/Cream of the Crop 11-1.iso/games/marvin01.zip/RESPOVCL.DBA

Text File | 1995-09-09 | 17KB | 391 lines

                 RESPONDING TO SIMPLE OVERCALLS


-- A raise should show the full limit of your hand. Do not raise
1S to 2S and then later go to 3S after being pushed. That is just
asking for a double and lets the opponents communicate too easily.
Either you are good enough for 3S, or you are not--make the
decision, make the call, and stick with it. If you go down after
bidding 3S you will often find that the hand belonged to the
opponents anyway. Your jump will have stolen the hand and averted
a double. What if you could have bought the hand for 2S? Against
good players you will find that the reason is that they are weak
and partner is strong. You will therefore make 3S, so you might as
well bid it immediately (in case you can't make it!).

An advantage of bidding the limit of your hand is that partner will
know very closely the combined partnership assets. If you underbid
good hands he will not be in as good a position for making
decisions. Or do you make all the decisions?

With S-K32 H-A8 D-7653 C-J642 raise partner's 1S overcall of a 1H
opening to 2S at any vulnerability, even if RHO passes. With
S-Q9876 H-8 D-K953 C-J64 raise a 1S overcall to 3S. Bids like this
make life difficult for the opponents. Stronger hands must usually
cue bid before raising.

Be conservative in raising when you have secondary strength in the
opposing suit(s). You may be going down when they have nothing
their way. Those secondary cards in the opposing suit(s) figure to
be more useful for defense than for offense.

-- A cue bid response to an overcall when RHO passes or doubles
negatively is a competitive cue bid, forcing to a limit situation.
See the chapters COMPETITIVE CUE BIDS and CUE BID RESPONSES TO
OVERCALLS in the book "Cue Bids." The latter also discusses the
meaning of a cue bid when RHO bids 1NT, raises opener, or bids a
new suit, and the meaning of a jump cue bid.

-- A 1NT bid varies with vulnerability. Be quicker to bid 1NT
opposite a vulnerable overcall, because partner is supposed to have
a good hand. It is not bid as a rescue with a poor hand--1NT shows
encouraging strength, so pass if you don't have a fairly good hand,
even with a singleton in partner's suit.

-- A 2NT bid strongly implies a double stopper in the enemy suit,
or one stopper plus a high card in partner's suit. The overcaller
can count on this when deciding whether to bid 3NT or not. A pass
to 2NT is rare, since the overcaller will usually rebid his suit,
or bid a second suit, with a hand that is unsuitable for notrump.
The 2NT bid is not forcing, however; the overcaller can pass with
a five-card suit and a marginal overcall. The Stoplight convention
(described in the book "Marvin's Conventions and Treatments")
applies when the 2NT bid is a jump.

-- Transfer responses, which apply only when there is at least one
unbid major, are described at the end of this chapter.

-- Bidding a new suit in a non-transfer situation is neither
forcing nor encouraging. You can do it with a weak hand and a long
suit if you think your suit is a better spot than partner's. Do not
bid a minor over partner's major with a really bad hand, however.
The risk has little to gain, for you may not be improving the
contract and you are one level higher.

-- A single jump takeout is non-forcing, but highly invitational:

                   South  West   North  East
                   1H     1S     Pass   3C/3D

East figures to have a strong suit of at least six cards and
opening bid strength. She must cue bid before bidding her suit if
she wants to force. If the suit could be shown by a transfer,
however (not true in this sequence), a jump takeout is preemptive.
Note that "Flower" bids (see below) are not applicable over a pass.

-- A double (or higher) jump in a new suit is preemptive, not a
splinter bid.


                 After a Negative Double by RHO

-- A redouble ("Weiss redouble") shows the ace or king of partner's
suit. The hand is usually weak, but could be strong. Other actions
(except a pass) do not deny the ace or king, however. A pass must
be alerted: "Denies the ace or king of my suit." A subsequent
double is for business, not an "action double" for takeout:

                   South  West   North  East
                   1C     1S     Dbl    Rdbl
                   2C     Pass   Pass   Dbl - business double

-- After passing over a negative double, a subsequent double at
the two level is an "action double" for takeout, not a business
double:

              South  West   North  East
              1D     1S     Dbl    Pass
              2D     Pass   Pass   Dbl - S-J3 H-K875 D-653 C-AJ98

See chapter ACTION DOUBLES in the book "Conventional Doubles."

-- All raises are preemptive.

-- A jump to 2NT is artificial, showing a good raise that in-
cludes at least two defensive tricks.

-- A jump to 3NT shows a strong raise to four of partner's suit,
probably balanced, with at least two defensive tricks. With a
good raise to four and a singleton in the opposing suit, a
splinter bid (jump cue bid) is the better call (but not all jump
cue bids are splinter bids--see chapter CUE BID RESPONSES TO
OVERCALLS in the book "Cue Bids"). With a void, make a simple cue
bid before jumping to game.

-- A single jump in a new suit shows a good suit and fairly good
hand, but is not forcing.

-- Transfer responses (described later) are applicable.

-- A cue bid is a "competitive cue bid," described in the book
"Cue Bids."

If you have that unlikely good hand with no good bid, you can
just pass (alertable, remember) and act on the next round.


                      After a Raise by RHO

When RHO raises opener's bid the principles of action doubles
(described in the book "Conventional Doubles") apply. A cue bid
shows a strong raise, as described in chapter CUE BID RESPONSES
TO OVERCALLS in the book "Cue Bids," while an immediate raise is
preemptive.

                   South  West   North  East
                   1C     1H     2C     Dbl - spades/diamonds
                                        3C - strong heart raise
                                        3H - preemptive raise

Transfer responses (described below) also apply in this situation.

A jump in a new suit shows good support for partner's suit, plus
at least four cards, including some high cards (e.g., AQ, AJ, KQ,
KJ) in the jump suit (a "Flower" bid). This bid helps partner to
evaluate defensive and offensive potential, and may enable him to
make a killing lead against an opposing contract. If the suit is
a major, it should be exactly four cards long:

                   South  West   North  East
                   1D     1S     2D     3H/4C - Flower bid

West can raise 3H with four hearts, perhaps even with a strong
three. East would have transferred to hearts with five, and is not
allowed to make a Flower bid with a three-card suit.


                     After a New Suit by RHO

When RHO bids a new suit over partner's overcall, advancer has a
choice of two suits for a cue bid. See the previously cited CUE BID
RESPONSES TO OVERCALLS and ACTION DOUBLES. A jump in the fourth
suit is a Flower bid, described above.


                     After a 1NT Bid by RHO

When RHO responds 1NT over the overcall, any action by advancer
denies the ability to double 1NT. With 2NT available as a cue bid
(when advancer has a good but distributional hand unsuitable for
a double or other action), a bid of opener's suit is natural and
a jump takeout is preemptive:

                   South  West   North  East
                   1H     1S     1NT    2H - natural, long hearts
                                        2NT - artificial, forcing
                                        3C/3D - preemptive


                 Transfer Responses to Overcalls

It is often difficult to describe one's hand when partner over-
calls, especially when you hold an unbid major. Suppose you sit
East and hold S-AQ873 H-65 D-Q3 C-Q853. The bidding goes:

                   South  West   North  East
                   1H     2C     Pass   ?

If you bid 2S, partner may pass with two little spades and no more
to say. If you bid 3C, you could miss a good spade contract if he
has spade support.

Or maybe you have S-A10762 H-KQJ D-J73 C-Q8. Should you bid 2S or
2NT? Probably 2NT, which misses a better spade contract if West has
S-QJ4 H-62 D-95 S-AK10765. And what if you have both unbid suits?
How do you show them?

The solution is transfer responses to overcalls. Our scheme for
transfers is a very simple one: A raise of partner's suit or a bid
of opener's suit retains its usual meaning, while the meanings of
bids in the other two suits are reversed. Other schemes are
possible, but this one is the simplest, and good enough. Details
later.


                  Rules for Transfer Responses

Transfer responses to overcalls apply only under the following
conditions:

-- The overcall is a natural non-jump bid in a suit.

-- Opener's partner has passed, raised, bid 1NT, or doubled
negatively, but has not bid a new suit. After a raised opening,
action doubles are also useful. A double is sometimes preferable
to a transfer sequence when holding both unbid suits. See chapter
ACTION DOUBLES in the book "Conventional Doubles."

-- There is at least one unbid major:

                   South  West   North  East
                   1S     2H     2S     3C/3D - natural

-- A minimum bid in either unbid suit can be made at the three
level or lower:

                   South  West   North  East
                   1H     2D     3H     3S - natural

Since only one of the remaining two suits could be bid at the three
level, transfers do not apply.

What are the requirements for a transfer bid? Only one: Common
sense! You must have enough in suit quality, HCP, and support for
overcaller to provide adequate safety considering the vulner-
ability. The transfer suit must be at least five cards long.

-- A transfer bid tends to deny exactly four cards in the "unbid"
(i.e., fourth) suit, especially if it is a major. Such a holding
usually calls for a cue bid (or double, if RHO has raised opener),
not a transfer bid. A five-card holding is okay if one plans to bid
that suit on the next round.


                   After an Overcall in Clubs

             South  West   North  East
             1D     2C     Pass   2D is a normal cue bid
                                  2H shows spades
                                  2S shows hearts
                                  3C is a normal raise

             South  West   North  East
             1H     2C     Pass   2D shows spades
                                  2H is a normal cue bid
                                  2S shows diamonds
                                  3C is a normal raise

             South  West   North  East
             1S     2C     Pass   2D shows hearts
                                  2H shows diamonds
                                  2S is a normal cue bid
                                  3C is a normal raise

If the overcall comes at the three level (e.g., a 3C overcall of
a weak two bid), all of advancer's bids have the same meaning.

The transfers are necessarily at a higher level if RHO raises. From
now on we'll omit the raise and cue bid responses:

                   South  West   North  East
                   1D     2C     2D     2H shows spades
                                        2S shows hearts

When the transfer is to a suit that overcaller can bid without
bypassing his own suit, overcaller bids the indicated suit at a
minimum level with no extra values or special fit (i.e., he would
have passed a normal bid in that suit), or jumps in that suit to
"raise." When short in the indicated suit, he can rebid a good
suit, bid notrump, or show a second suit instead of accepting the
transfer:

             South  West   North  East
             1D     2C     Pass   2D - showing hearts
             Pass   2H is usual
                    2S is natural, a second suit, short hearts
                    2NT is natural
                    3C shows bad hearts, good clubs
                    3H/4H is a good hand for hearts

West may have had no good alternative to a 2H bid, even with a low
doubleton heart. If East's hearts are only five long, however, she
usually will not pass 2H.

When the transfer is to a suit that would require overcaller to
bypass his own suit, he should have three cards or a strong
doubleton in the indicated suit in order to accept the transfer.
With nothing better to do he can rebid his suit, even if it is not
robust. Advancer either has support or will bid again.

If advancer jumps in a new suit instead of transferring, that is
a preemptive bid. With a strong sort of suit and hand, advancer can
transfer before bidding (or raising) the suit:

                   South  West   North  East
                   1H     2C     Pass   2D - transfer to spades
                   Pass   2S/3C  Pass   3S/4S - strong

When the transfer bidder follows with a bid of the fourth suit or
a notrump bid, she is offering a choice of contracts:

                   South  West   North  East
                   1D     2C     Pass   2H - transfer to spades
                   Pass   2S     Pass   2NT/3NT/3H/4H

Neither 2NT nor 3H (not Fourth Suit Forcing!) is forcing. West can
stay in that strain,  return to spades, or even go back to clubs.
He would bid 3C over 2NT with S-K3  H-K5 D-873 C-QJ10876.

When the opening bid has been raised, an action double provides a
second way to show both unbid suits. When this choice is available,
showing both suits via a transfer sequence implies more strength
than a double and definitely shows at least five cards in each
suit.

Sometimes the transfer bid will hit overcaller's second suit:

                   South  West   North  East
                   1S     2C     Pass   2H
                   Pass   ?

Suppose West has five clubs and four hearts: S-K3 H-KQ108 D-32
C-AJ1092 What now? East's transfer to diamonds denies four hearts,
so a 3H bid would be both dangerous and pointless. West must bid
3C, hoping that East knows what he is doing. A 3H bid would show
five hearts (and probably six clubs). If East happens to have five
hearts, she will no doubt bid them on the next round.


                  After an Overcall in Diamonds

                   South  West   North  East
                   1C     1D     Pass   1H - shows spades
                                        1S - shows hearts

                   South  West   North  East
                   1H     2D     Pass   2S - shows clubs
                                        3C - shows spades

Had North bid 3H it would not be possible to make both transfers
at the three level, so a spade or club bid would be natural.

                   South  West   North  East
                   1S     2D     Pass   2H - shows clubs
                                        3C - shows hearts


                   After an Overcall in Hearts

Transfers do not apply to a heart overcall of a spade opening, so
that leaves two situations:

                   South  West   North  East
                   1C     1H     Pass   1S - shows diamonds
                                        2D - shows spades

In this case the transfers apply even if responder jumps in clubs,
since both transfer bids can be made at the three level.

                   South  West   North  East
                   1D     1H     Pass   1S - shows clubs
                                        2C - shows spades

Here a 3D jump response by North would prevent a spade-showing club
bid at the three level, so transfers would be off.


                   After an Overcall in Spades

In accordance with our rule, transfer responses do not apply to a
spade overcall of a heart opening. That leaves:

                   South  West   North  East
                   1C     1S     Pass   2D - shows hearts
                                        2H - shows diamonds

                   South  West   North  East
                   1D     1S     Pass   2C - shows hearts
                                        2H - shows clubs

In the second auction, a jump to 3D by North would have turned both
transfers off.