Monday, January 31, 2005 2:46 PM

Hand Evaluation – Overcalls ( 2 Level )

 

PITBULLS:

 

            One bid in Bridge that has changed over the years in expert circles is the 2 level overcall. In the early days of Bridge, an overcall had to be less than an opening bid or else you would have doubled. Experts over time realized that this burdened the T/O double with way too many hand types , so the strength of two  level overcalls started to creep upwards. In today’s bidding, an overcall at the two level is generally considered to have opening bid values or better. When you just have a suit , you can always pre-empt instead. KQJ10xx of hearts is not a 2♥ overcall to a spade opening but rather a 3♥ pre-empt. When you have about a 10 count , experts prefer to wait a round & balance or make a belated overcall to “get in the auction” . They preserve the sanctity of the two level overcall to show good values rather than just a good suit. This contributes to “partnership discipline” for established partnerships.

 

            This understanding around the two level overcall  has other repercussions . Maurice De La Salle playing with a good partner doubled the opponents in 3NT with 10 HCP after partner had made a 2 level overcall in clubs. He rightly thought  that the opponents had really over extended themselves. Wrong ! Partner had only ♠xxx ♥xx ♦x ♣AJ109xxx for a two level overcall !!  No expert overcalls at the two level with that kind of hand in this day & age. It is a pre-empt or a back in later type of bid. A partnership should be at the same wavelengths for the strength of the two level overcalls. Partnership discipline is eroded with such “variable” two level overcalls.

 

            An understanding in one area contributes to an understanding in another. My partners & and I play two level overcalls at the opening bid strength or better. This understanding affects our forcing pass structure. Tom overcalled 1♥ with 2♣ with this hand ♠AJx ♥void ♦KJ10x ♣AJ109xx . He has a strong hand but it is more descriptive to overcall 2♣ initially rather than double. The opponents now bid two hearts so I freely bid 2♠ . A two spade bid is not forcing but shows some  values. They bid 4♥ so Tom bids 4♠ . The opening bidder now bids 5♥ so Tom passes . Is his pass forcing ? Forcing passes are turned on when one side “owns the auction”. Partner has overcalled at the two level & partner shows values contracting for game. We should “own the hand” so forcing passes should apply. I double 5♥ & Tom pulls to 5♠ as a slam try. I make +450 with ease & they only go down 2 in 5 hearts doubled.

 

            What if the auction went a little bit differently ? Say Tom only rebid his clubs to show a minimum overcall & we still reached 4 spades. Would his pass be forcing in that case  ? No , it would not as there is no clear indication we own the hand. In doubtful cases , play D.S.I.P.  competitive double theory instead . When you can not tell from the bidding that you own the hand , forcing passes do not apply.