Too Timid?

[Grommet1]

[hv=d=w&v=e&s=sqthaj65dkqtck943]133|100|Scoring: Chicago

With an unfamiliar partner, West opened an all-purpose precision ♦. Partner overcalled 1♥ and E passed. I bid 2♦, then raised partner's 2♥ to three, all pass. A very strong player at the table felt that I had to get us to game with this hand. I felt that this would be true if we were red, but that some of my points would be useless on this bidding, and I did not want to get there if partner had a dead minimum. Was I being too pessimistic?[/hv]

[blackshoe]

I'm no expert, but I'd say the answer to your question is no. It's close, but no. Maybe I'm too pessimistic. :)

[JLOGIC]

I'd GF this with basically everybody except hanp. It's a style question, I used to play a style where this was not a GF but in any normal non super duper light overcall style you have to drive it here imo.

[bluecalm]

I think even playing super light overcalls you have to gf with that.

I think style where this is an invite is unplayable because it's too difficult to find out about combined strength.

That's the cost of super light overcalls. Sometimes you will be in bad/hopeless game. Live with it and don't try to mastermind invtiting bids with 15hcp and 4card support.

[ggwhiz]

Agree with game and in some circumstances, you could cue 3♦ instead of bidding 3♥ and respect a sign-off by pard.

 

Because of the nebulous ♦ opener here, you would probably play it there.

[nigel_k]

I think the ranges on overcalls are so wide now that game could still be cold when he passes 3♥ but it could also have no play at all. It's just a guess really.

 

Chicago is probably the format where you should bid games the most because the scoring is total points but partscores don't carry over. So I would bid game but I think it's very close at IMPs or even rubber. At matchpoints I would probably pass.

[Cascade]

2♦ then 3♥ shows a pretty good hand.

 

However the answer to the question depends on what is partner's minimum for a one-level overcall.

 

There are players out there that might overcall on ♥ KQxxx and out. This auction is fine if this sort of hand is to be expected. However if partner must have a king more than this then the chosen auction is a clear underbid. With most partner's another card is much more likely than the no play hands.

 

With a 5=4 fit aiming for game with about 23 hcp is reasonable. Outside trumps on this hand our cards are fairly soft. That could be reason to be slightly pessimistic.