Friday, September 12, 2003 12:51 AM

Hand Evaluation - Misfits ( Overcalls & INT )

PITBULLS:

There is a very frequent auction that comes up with simple overcalls which should be discussed by established partnerships. The opponents open and partner overcalls & RHO bids 1NT with you in the sandwich position. 1♦-1♠-1NT-? . A simple raise is obviously just competitive . What are all the other bids ? A jump raise should be pre-emptive as is a game raise . The Q bid in my opinion , still should be the offensive limit raise or better . A new suit should be non forcing so just making a nuisance of yourself as you did not double .

The double should be thoroughly discussed . Partner did not make a weak jump overcall so the weak one suiter is taken out of the equation in these auctions. Partner can still have a pretty weak hand but with a second suit . Therefore you can double 1NT for penalty without a fit if you have an opening bid or better . However , how frequently will that come up ? Ilya Kuzkin suggests that the double should be competitive saying that I have two places to play the contract. In rare instances it may show 3 places to play the contract with support for the overcall. Partner can double with a fit as long as she has a defensive hand with10+ HCP’s with an honour in partners suit. This bid is preferable to a Q bid as 1NT doubled might be a nice spot to play the hand if partner does not want to take your option of playing it in the ofher suits. Partner is just happy with 1NTX as she holds dummy’s first suit also.

Quite often players say why double 1NT as they will not stay in 1NT X anyway ? There is a fallacy in that way of thinking as bidding 1NT in any auction involves some element of risk . Why rescue them by bidding when you have a nice defensive hand ? They can run out of 1NT X right into your partners 2^ND suit so have absolutely no place to go . I think the double of 1NT is a very under used bid so using it as competitive with two places to play the hand is a good tool. When they are vul , make them pay for light 1NT bids or openers. 1NT implies a misfit so let the opponents play them doubled when cards sit badly for them . When you announce enough to compete in the other two suits, I would imagine the contract can be comverted qite often when the overcaller holds the opponents 1^st bid suit also.

O.K. what about the re-opening double when 1NT gets around to the overcaller ? You have some inferences on what partner did not do so you have to be careful. If you have a good hand , a good suit with a stopper in their suit , double again for penalty. You bid again with a long suit and distribution otherwise you put the green card on the table and say “your lead partner” . Passing will be your most frequent bid of choice as partner has conveyed quite a bit of information by taking no action. Misfits should be played by the opponents .