2007-11-26 03:55

Hand Evaluation – Overcalls ( ELC )

PITBULLS:

We have said in many articles , applying patterns can assist you in bidding as well as all the other facets of Bridge. Patterns can help you visualize the potential of a hand . A player had ♠void ♥AJxx ♦Axx ♣AKJxxx & they opened 1♠ everybody vul. What do you bid ? Let’s start with the standard hand evaluation tools. HCP’s count up to 17 but they are in quick tricks ( 4) so get promoted to nearly 19 HCP. You have a void in the opponent’s suit so that is another 4 so your hand evaluates to a demand 2 bid using Goren methods ( 23 HCP’s ) .

You do not have a single suited hand which a two level overcall would describe . You have 4 card support for the unbid major & 3 card support for the unbid minor. Your HCP’s are concentrated in your 6 card suit & Aces lead your other suits. OK , it is poor hand evaluation to just be fixated on your own hand. The opponents have just opened in your void so using patterns what can partner have to assist you ? When partner holds ♥Kxxxxx or ♦Kxxxxx you can make a grand slam in those suits. Even with ♥Qxxxxx of hearts , a grand slam can be made with the ♥K in openers hand. There are many patterns with partner holding minimal hands where game or slam would be a lay down & the auction could die in 2♣ if you choose an overcall.

The purpose behind equal level conversion is that you reserve overcalls to generally show single suited hands. A double can show 2 or more suits so you do not have to make non forcing overcalls where partner passing might lead to a disaster. There are many hands where partner will not be strong enough to bid , where game to a grand slam would be possible. ♠Kx ♥xxx ♦xxxx ♣10xxx would result in 3NT making with the above hand.

It is the “modern” style to make non forcing overcalls rather than T/O doubles. This is theoretically unsound almost absurd in my opinion , so we have bought into the Meckwell equal level conversion so you do not have to take that risk. This hand above which was overcalled is so powerful that taking a risk of making a non forcing overcall is quite baffling. Overcalling with this hand would force partner to respond on nearly nothing to get to your game or slam . To add insult to injury , the game was IMPS & you were vulnerable . In IMPS , getting to your vul game or slam is paramount. A double is less single handed & brings partner into the picture immediately.

What if you do overcall 2♣ ? How do you make up for lost time & describe this demand 2 that you announced with a mere overcall to partner , so a joint decision can be made on the final contract ? LHO bids 2♠ , partner bids 3♣ & RHO bids 3♠ so now what ? You can mastermind & assume since both hands are bidding , you have nothing but a 5 level contract your way & leap to 5♣. There are many hands where 6♣ would need very little from partner , but this was not one of them. 3NT is the correct contract for +630 as partner has a flat hand with spade duplication of value.

The only way to partially recover from you initial misbid is to now double with all your HCP’s in quick tricks. You have them booked , so whatever partner has in trump or other cards are down tricks. Partner bids 3NT so you have dodged a bullet . Your initial overcall hid your true hand from partner & your subsequent leap to game also hid your hand from partner. Single handed bidding is quite often not visualizing what partner could hold. You are fixated on your own hand. This lack of foresight effects how you bid your own hand. Bridge is a partnership game.