Friday, June 09, 2006 7:53 PM

Roman Jump Overcalls

PITBULLS:

Pre-empts are irritating. Among other things they rob you of bidding room to show two suiters. The Italians use jump overcalls over pre-empts to show two suiters. A weak 2♠ and a jump overcall of 4♣/♦ shows that suit and the other major. The jump is normally a wasted bid so why not use it to describe the difficult to describe two suiters ??

Eric Kokish also plays Roman jumps specifically over 3♣/3♦ pre-empts . The rank of the minors leave enough room for jumps to describe two suiters. Here is how his structure works.

Dbl = T/O

3X ,3NT = Natural

4♣ = majors

4♦ = any strong one suiter

4♥ = ♥’s & the other minor strong

4♠ = ♠’s & the other minor strong

Responding to the 4♦ bid needs some understandings. If you a willing to look for a heart slam but not a spade slam bid 4♠. A 4♥ bid says just bid your suit or pass.

A reader sent in this hand AKx KJ10xx AKJ10x void and they opened 3♣. The reader doubled and they ended up in 6♠ down 2 cold for 7♥ or 7♦. Using Roman jump overcalls you would bid 4♥ and getting to 7♥ is a possibility with 10xxx AQx Qxx Axx .

A bid that pin points your suits after a pre-empt is useful. Any help in pre-emptive auctions is gratefully accepted. Roman jump overcalls can be played over bids at the one level but most prefer the jump to be weak & pre-emptive one suiters , as they come up more often.