[microcap]

Rex and I had been actually getting along recently, but all heck h as broken loose again as usual

Both sides are vulnerable at IMPs, you sit in second seat. RHO opens 1D. Which of the following hands do you overcall with one spade? Please elaborate as much as possible, and please give any thoughts as to your minimum requirements for overcalls. Also please mention your changes at different colors if any.

Hand One-- AKxxx xxx xx xxx

Hand Two-- xxxxx xxx Kx KQx

Hand Three-- AKJx xxx xxx xxx

Hand Four -- AKJx xx xxx xxxx

Hand Five -- 10xxxx Kx Qjx Kxx


I suppose i could go on forever but start with these five...thanks as always!! Hope everyone is having a good holiday season...

[ArtK78]

How about none of them?

Some might overcall the AKxxx suit or the two strong four-card spades suits. At least they are good suits. But why would anyone ever overcall on 10xxxx or xxxxx? These aren't even good hands.

As for the three hands with good suits, they have very little else to recommend them. A vul overcall on AKxxx and out at IMPs will get you too high too often. A vul overcall on a chuncky four card suit is OK when there is no other option. But how about pass? The hands are not that good (to say the least), and there is no reason to take any immediate action.

Partner is still there. Most of the time, if the hand is yours you will have plenty of opportunities to get back into the auction.

I can only assume that the rationale for bidding over 1♦ is to take away the one level from the opponents. That is a fine idea as far as it goes, but partners have this annoying tendency to believe your bidding, and he will probably assume that you have a better hand than these. So, you may make life harder for your opponents on occasion, but you will make life harder for partner quite often.

But that is just my opinion. I have been told that I pass too often.

[microcap]

Just to clarify, the opening bid was 1 diamond, though the logic isn't much different over 1 club i suppose.

Also, none of them is a perfectly legitimate response! LOL

[awm]

Only the first one is close for me.

My feeling is that there are certain hands where you "have to" get into the auction. These are typically hands where you have either good values or good shape, and the contract is likely to belong to your side. But all of these example hands are relatively flat and relatively weak, so none fit that definition.

With hands where you don't "have to" get into the bidding, I'd like to have a decent five-card suit to bid. Only the first hand has such a suit, and I'd consider passing even that if the spots are truly small (AKT8x and out I would always overcall, AK432 I would probably pass at vulnerable).

I have nothing against overcalling four-card suits on good hands and would bid on either of the hands with ♠AKJx if you gave me an outside ace or so. I've certainly overcalled weaker four card suits than this as well (I think KQxx or QJTx is about my lower limit) but again always on good hands.

[ASkolnick]

I think this is a matter of style you have agreed with your partners. My general rule is would you like it if he led K from Kx, however with other partners I defer.

When I play very sound overcalls where suit quality is more important.:

1) I think 1S is OK.
2) No.
3) No, no shape.
4) 1S is OK, no objection to not overcalling.
5) No.

However, with some I play a more agressive matchpoint style.

1) No.
2) Yes.
3) The one I play matchpoints with assumes 5 card majors.
4) No.
5) Yes.

And depending on the partnership, either way can work. Sound overcalls will get you in less trouble with bad suits, however, you may occasionally lose out in competing.

[bid_em_up]

None of the above.

[han]

The first is really an automatic 1S for me, wow.

Hand 2 and 5 are clear passes. It is not that I will never overcall on such a suit, but the hand would need to be quite a bit better. Give me a 5-2-2-4 shape with an 11-count including an ace and I may overcall on such a suit.

Hands 3 and 4 are really tempting but vulnerable second seat at IMPs I won't do it. Add the club king to hand 4 and I will overcall 1S for sure.

[Echognome]

I overcall on 1, but I'm from the dab00z school of overcalling.

I wouldn't overcall on 2 and 5. I'd overcall on 3 and 4 at MPs but not at IMPs, in particular on the 4333 hand.

[pclayton]

Only #1.

[PassedOut]

None of them.

Would like to be able to show the strong suits in 1, 3, and 4, but don't want partner to have to cater to hands this weak.

[Apollo81]

The first one only. Not much playing strength but at least it's 5 cards and it may be important to direct the lead.

[whereagles]

Hand 1 if NV. If V, perhaps hand 1 too, depending on tactical factors.

[goobers]

Really surprised at how many people would pass the first one, I wouldn't have hesitated in overcalling.

[gwnn]

microcap, on Dec 19 2007, 09:32 PM, said:

Hand One-- AKxxx xxx xx xxx

Hand Two-- xxxxx xxx Kx KQx

Hand Three-- AKJx xxx xxx xxx

Hand Four -- AKJx xx xxx xxxx

Hand Five -- 10xxxx Kx Qjx Kxx

I'd definitely overcall hand 1.
Would certainly not overcall 2 or 3.
Hand 4 I'd overcall NV at matchpoints.
Hand 5 I'd overcall NV or at matchpoints, but probably sometimes v at imp's too.

[jdonn]

1 - of course!
2, 3, 4, 5 - no

[Fluffy]

hand 1 the only one where I can think of overcalling, 2 spades is also possible.

[bhall]

None of them.

The rule I tell my partner is: Bid for some game holding a strong (15-17) notrump's worth of high cards, even with no particular fit, over my one-level overcalls. Over my 2-level overcalls, a weak (12-14) notrump's worth is sufficient.

I don't guarantee that game will make, only that it should have a decent play. I also don't require that partner be as conservative as I am.

[kfay]

1) Asolutely

2) No way

5) No way

3,4) I've seen and heard of people better than me bid with these hands... I don't think I would right here.

[CSGibson]

1) yes
2) no (all seats)
3) no in 2nd seat, yes if P is a passed hand
4) no in 2nd seat, yes if p is a passed hand
5) no (all seats)

[Codo]

All 5 Hands with no hesitation, never anything but pass.

The first hand 2 Spade if I had some shape.