(2x)-3y?

[gwnn]

Say opps open the bidding on the two level and they explain something like

 

"He has an unbalanced hand and 5+ cards. He has somewhere between a nice 9 count and a bad 13 count"

 

or "5+clubs and 4card major OR 6+clubs, 10-15 points"

 

or etc etc.

 

The idea is that it's usually made in a minor and that it is somewhere between a nice weak two and a sound minimum 1 level opening in standard practice. (zones are usually between 9-12 to 11-15)

 

Now, we all know that over a normal opening, a jump overcall should be WEAK and over a pre-emptive opening, a jump overcall should be pretty STRONG. But what of these weird intermediate two opening thingies?

 

bottom line: What should a 3-level jump overcall mean over an intermediate two bid? (give reasons also?)

 

thanks very much.

[helene_t]

There's an additional factor: how broad is the range of patters RHO can have?

 

If it can be a lot of different patternes (such as Fantunes), there is a case for playing the jumps as weak since there's relatively much to be earned from disturbing opps, while the risk of preempting is relatively low so you can sorta afford to start with an off-shape double with a strong one-suiter.

 

A modern Precision 2♣ promissing 6+ clubs is the opposite: big risk of further preemption and not much to be gained by jamming opps. So I'd prefer jumps to be strong. Also it would be usefull to have leaping Michaels' or some such.

 

I voted "depends on exact range", though. I feel insecure about this, though. I may very well change my mind after reading the responses from others.

[P_Marlowe]

Weak, in case it is something like a Precision 2C

opener, i.e. 10-15.

The bid shows an opener.

 

You should be a bit more disciplined, but thats it.

If the strength is weaker, than thejump should show

a min. opener.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[pbleighton]

If it can be a lot of different patternes (such as Fantunes), there is a case for playing the jumps as weak since there's relatively much to be earned from disturbing opps, while the risk of preempting is relatively low so you can sorta afford to start with an off-shape double with a strong one-suiter.

 

I've played these 9-12 type of openers a lot, and I would be delighted to have opps play weak jump overcalls. On average, we have more defense than a normal weak two, and really little, if any, more chance of making the contract. My pd and I play double of the overcall as penalty, and it DOES come up, so promiscuous WJOs are risky. Opener's partner knows the combined strength pretty well, so he is well positioned to make a decision.

 

Peter

[helene_t]

I've played these 9-12 type of openers a lot, and I would be delighted to have opps play weak jump overcalls.  On average, we have more defense than a normal weak two, and really little, if any, more chance of making the contract.  My pd and I play double of the overcall as penalty, and it DOES come up, so promiscuous WJOs are risky.  Opener's partner knows the combined strength pretty well, so he is well positioned to make a decision.

I don't understand this. Two points:

 

- Weak jumps are not mandatory: with insufficient O-D you can just pass. Strong jumps are mandatory with certain shapes, so if p is broke and has a misfit you may be beyond the safety level.

 

- An old-fashioned weak two has well-defined defense, namely zero. So responder can make an informed decision, whether to pass, double or support. A Fantunes two-opening tends to have some defense but it might not. Doesn't it come up that responder doubles on opener's defensive values, which happen not to be there? Just asking, I have no experience with this style.

 

This said I can imagine that strong jumps are more useful. After all, Fantunes two-bids have a lower range than the Precision 2♣.