[mike777]

63....QJT4...KJ3....JT73

(1C)=1S=(P)=?

TG, both NV.

[jillybean]

1nt?

[mikeh]

Pass. Not close. Doesn’t mean bidding won’t work better, but it does mean that imo bidding is a serious mistake

What does 1N mean here? It could be a good 8 count, up to a mediocre 11 count, but this isn’t a good 8 count imo.

Edit: if you can’t bring yourself to make these calls in tempo then you’re too easy to play against. LHO is under pressure to reopen, which you don’t mind at all. A slow pass will reduce the chances of LHO bidding.

[mw64ahw]

A clear Pass; nothing else I'd want to bid at this stage

[pescetom]

I would pass, it is a quacky 8 count. It can be wise to bid 1NT first, but only if you expect to score better that way

[Cyberyeti]

I would bid 1N and it's not close, but my style of overcalls has a much stronger minimum than most peoples', game could easily be on

[mike777]

 Cyberyeti, on 2025-July-12, 15:44, said:

I would bid 1N and it's not close, but my style of overcalls has a much stronger minimum than most peoples', game could easily be on

If it matters, here your partnership understanding non vulnerable are overcalls are wide ranging, partner is encouraged to be aggressive, need not be opening values, need not be lead directing.

[WasWinM]

1NT in this sequence should be a constructive bid - this hand doesn’t want to accept an invite so what’s the point in bidding?

[bluenikki]

WasWinM, on 2025-July-12, 20:35, said:

this hand doesn’t want to accept an invite so what’s the point in bidding?

To avoid driving partner to off-shape takeout doubles in the future.

[pescetom]

I would pass, it is a quacky 8 count. It can be wise to bid 1NT first, but only if you expect to score better that way

[mike777]

Thanks for feedback.
This was a team game, last board.
I passed and other table passed for a push.

Partner will rebid 4S and make if you bid 1NT.

Partner thought it was a close decision.

Bunch of kibitzers were commenting my pass was terrible or worse...

[WasWinM]

 bluenikki, on 2025-July-12, 21:21, said:

To avoid driving partner to off-shape takeout doubles in the future.

You do know pass is a legal bid? Off shape too.

[bluenikki]

WasWinM, on 2025-July-13, 10:59, said:

You do know pass is a legal bid? Off shape too.

I assume you didn't understand my comment.

If your partner learns you can't be relied on to keep the bidding open, they will stop overcalling with good hands.

[mikeh]

mike777, on 2025-July-13, 10:30, said:

Thanks for feedback.
This was a team game, last board.
I passed and other table passed for a push.

Partner will rebid 4S and make if you bid 1NT.

Partner thought it was a close decision.

Bunch of kibitzers were commenting my pass was terrible or worse...

I have friends who play a regular Thursday night team game. They often get 15-25 kibitzers. Most are quiet or make good comments but there are always some who criticize normal actions that didn’t work. It’s much the same as here on BBF. Present a bidding problem where we can see the two hands, and sometimes all four hands, and there are some posters who can be counted on to claim that they’d always bid to the best spot. They must be hopeless card players since I’ve not seen any of them at any of the 8 or 9 world championships I’ve played in, despite being incredible bidders.

So I’d not pay any attention to those kibitzers who claim that you should have bid 1N

[WasWinM]

 bluenikki, on 2025-July-13, 11:16, said:

I assume you didn't understand my comment.

If your partner learns you can't be relied on to keep the bidding open, they will stop overcalling with good hands.

My experience is to find a different partner if your approaches to the game are so at odds.

[bluenikki]

WasWinM, on 2025-July-13, 19:54, said:

My experience is to find a different partner if your approaches to the game are so at odds.

What different approaches?

[WasWinM]

 bluenikki, on 2025-July-14, 06:26, said:

What different approaches?

Responses to this post and reasons why.

[bluenikki]

WasWinM, on 2025-July-14, 06:42, said:

Responses to this post and reasons why.

I guess you mean your definition of the (non-free) 1NT advance as constructive. That would indeed put a rather low ceiling on your overcalls.

So you are faced with a compensating low floor on your off-shape doubles.

Certainly I would not agree to play that.

With a particular partner I did once play that doubles were 14+ hcp, any shape. But we used a fairly artificial scheme of advances.

[WasWinM]

 bluenikki, on 2025-July-14, 11:03, said:

I guess you mean your definition of the (non-free) 1NT advance as constructive. That would indeed put a rather low ceiling on your overcalls.

So you are faced with a compensating low floor on your off-shape doubles.

Certainly I would not agree to play that.

With a particular partner I did once play that doubles were 14+ hcp, any shape. But we used a fairly artificial scheme of advances.

You’re missing something. My overcalls have a top limit. I don’t make a simple overcall with 19 and expect my partner to bid with 6. Off shape with opening strength I pass. With a strong hand I double and bid. It’s pretty boring but it works.

PS: I once on a lark played that any 12 count had to make a to double and responder made an exclusion bid of his shortest or weaker doubleton. Surprisingly it worked pretty well. It led to some odd auctions: 1c-x-p-1h-
p-2c-p-p-p

[bluenikki]

WasWinM, on 2025-July-14, 14:41, said:

You’re missing something. My overcalls have a top limit. I don’t make a simple overcall with 19 and expect my partner to bid with 6. Off shape with opening strength I pass. With a strong hand I double and bid. It’s pretty boring but it works.

PS: I once on a lark played that any 12 count had to make a to double and responder made an exclusion bid of his shortest or weaker doubleton. Surprisingly it worked pretty well. It led to some odd auctions: 1c-x-p-1h-
p-2c-p-p-p

The following is not 19.

AKxxx
x
Qx
AKxxx