When do you make a 1NT overcall?

[ArcLight]

Aside from an HCP range of around 15-17, what criteria doeas your hand need to meet to make a 1NT overcall of RHOs opening suit bid of 1?

 

I always thought that having length, say 2 stoppers in the opponents suit, and no long suit would make the hand a good 1NT overcall.

 

However, the risk is that with a weak dummy, you can't get in to take a marked finesse through RHO. So your tennaces over openers strength may not yield extra tricks.

 

I posted 4 polls, and a number of good players chose pass rather than a 1NT overcall on certain hands.

 

Hugh Kelsey suggests passing with length in openers hand. The book may be out dated, but after reading that section, I'm not sure when to make 1NT overcalls and when to pass with a strong hand.

[Winstonm]

I've done likewise and read a lot of the older works of Kelsey, Reese, and the like, and you have to read it context and understand some things for it to be usable.

 

First, during the period these books were written bidding was not so aggressive as it is today.

 

Second, the English, Scottish, Irish (most notably English) atmosphere of those times was to take a "wait and see" approach. In fact, I remember reading a Jose le Dentu account of the European pairs event that Reese/Shapiro were leading and lost and le Dentu commenting that the "wait and see" approach did not serve them well. (I interpret this as playing not to lose rather than playing to win.)

 

For the most part, what I see in today's expert bidding is that they look for reasons to bid rather than for reasons to pass. There is risk in bidding, but so too with timid passes. Seems most these days would rather go down with guns blazing than to be led timidly to the slaughter with a pass.

 

IMO, length in opps suit in itself is not the issue - spot cards and suit quality make the difference. AQ432 will likely only take 2 tricks with this suit as trumps unless you can force - but if you force you are allowing the opp to score his little trumps as well. But if opp opens 1S and you have KQJ109x...well, good luck to him with a spade lead.

 

Winston

[Chamaco]

Aside from an HCP range of around 15-17, what criteria doeas your hand need to meet to make a 1NT overcall of RHOs opening suit bid of 1?

 

1) do we have an alternative call to show our values ?

This is very important, especially when the decision is between 1NT and pass.

 

The policy I use to choose is: pass ONLY if I am willing to pass over pard's reopening double. For all hands that wopuld NOT penalty pass pard's takeout, I'll try hard to find a bid (usually a 4 card major overcall OR an offshape 1NT).

 

2) often the texture of our suits will be critical to suggest playing in NT or choosing another tactics.

 

I always thought that having length, say 2 stoppers in the opponents suit, and no long suit would make the hand a good 1NT overcall.

 

However, the risk is that with a weak dummy, you can't get in to take a marked finesse through RHO.  So your tennaces over openers strength may not yield extra tricks.

 

That is true.

Overcalling is risky, but also not showing our values when we have a chance is risky: by choosing some other call than 1NT, we often lose games when pard has some 8+/9 count.

 

Hugh Kelsey suggests passing with length in openers hand.  The book may be out dated, but after reading that section, I'm not sure when to make 1NT overcalls and when to pass with a strong hand.

 

The problem is that, compared to Kelsey's days, nowadays almost everyone opens very lightly and responds on nothing.

 

For example, until some years ago, the 1NT overcall in the sandwhich seat was considered way too dangerous to be used as natural, and was therefore used with artificial meanings; however, nowadays, people open more and more with 9-10 counts and respond with 3-4 hcp, or even less, so quite a few good players use the NATURAL 1NT in the sandwhich seat, a policy that would have been labeled as foolish until 15 years ago.

 

So, I think that regardless of the inclination (bidding frequently 1NT or frequently passing ofshape hands), there will be always some hands where this will lead to a loss: but my own inclination is - generally speaking - to take the risky action immediately, at a low level (the principle "in-quick/out-quick")

[Al_U_Card]

Also, is the 1NT overcall the "lesser lie" and how will pard's subsequent actions affect the final contract? If he passes with a 4 card major and 5 hcp when you have both 4 cm's and a small doubleton in the other minor, perhaps a t/o double is better? (Is he a passed hand, etc.)

[Guest Jlall]

I echo Kelsey's rule 100 %. With length in their suit it's often best to just pass.

[Fluffy]

When by lenght you mean 5 cards on their 5 card majoir I agree, bt having 5♣s on their 3 card ♣ looks lieka suit I am gonna run instead :).