Thursday, April 17, 2008

Beyond the overcall

-----What does an standard overcall require ? I will not try to explain all details of an overcall here but just want to emphasise on one kind of overcall after your partner pass.
If you have below 5 points after your partner pass it is clear that opps have at least zone points. So, you can not just pass with suitable hand and watch them how they gonna reach their zone,slam or grandslam. You should make things harder for them.
For example: What would you do with this hand after your partner Pass and RHO open 1 at vul:All

W-----N-----E-----S----Vul:All
--------P-----1----?-----Dealer:N

♠T87543
KJ5
8632
-

I know it is very hard for you to make an overcall with this hand but you dont need to be ashamed from your hand, your shape is good enough for an overcall and have 4 pts! Actually, it would be better or more exciting! if there is no K of but anyway take a deep breath and bid 1♠.
This was what I did while were are playing against Senior players at Ankara Winter Teams Semi Finals. Then bidding went on:

W-----N-----E-----S------Vul:All
--------P-----1----1♠-----Dealer:North
P------P-----dbl----All Pass

After lead both hands:

♠92
QT763
J5
AT52
---N

---S
♠T87543
KJ5
8632
-

After a short play I managed to get 3 tricks for a down 4 and -1100 for us. So, why did the things go wrong ? Is it all about overcalling with this hand ?

Now folks, If you think that you are comfortable with this hand below after opps have caught you at 1♠ dbl and think that "here is the best place I can play" you need a change of heart. It is one of the most serious things to be caught at 1 level and players never make joke at this level so you should think that 1♠ dbl will be fatal for you. What you gonna do is simple, just rdbl to find another suit.

♠92
QT763
J5
AT52

Now lets look at the all hands:

--------------92
--------------QT763
--------------J5-------------------------Vul:All
--------------AT52---------------------Dealer:North
AKQJ6-----------------♠-
4---------------N--------A982
T9--------W------E----AKQ74
J9864--------S--------KQ73
---------
--------------♠T87543
--------------KJ5
--------------8632
---------------

At the other room our team mates reached perfect(!) contract 3NT with the creative bidding below:

W-----N-----E-----S
--------p------1-----p
1♠-----p-----2
2nt----p-----3nt*

*Partner I have 5-4-2-2(!)

When East did not bother to bid his suit they had no way to find 6.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I believe that u r totally wrong about bidding at 1 level with this hand...Since your pd has a passed hand u know that opps have a slam or at least zone...With your hand u can only try to block them and if u want to do it u should bid 2sp...It is risky to be that wild with a void in unbid suitin original hand partner may have AT8x club perhaps...By overcalling with this hand (not lead directing not partscore racing or not for playing zone just to block opps) u r telling your opponents your and your pd's hand...One of the best parts of this game is its mystery of not seeing the other hands dont let opps see yours...

Lets talk about the other room part...U r humiliating your teammates but the action you took at this hand is equally funny as them...But u r telling that "I am right, one should always overcall although you get 1100"...I believe, u should consider what u r doing twice...