1NT overcalls

[BunnyGo]

This is probably well known, but it is not known to me.

 

In the sequence:

 

(1H)-1N-(P)-2D

 

what is 2D when playing "systems on"? Is it to play? Is it a cuebid of some kind?

 

Likewise in the sequence:

 

(1S)-1N-(P)-2H

 

what is 2H? Is it to rightside a heart contract? Is it a cuebid?

 

Thanks for the thoughts.

[mgoetze]

Takeout of hearts/spades.

[kenrexford]

I use this as a cue, askking if partner really has a good stopper.

 

With the greatest of stoppers, Opener bids 2NT or 3NT as appropriate.

 

With a mediocre stopper, Opener accepts the transfer (bidding in the example 2♥). Responder can then scramble if he wants, or bid 2NT/3NT if that's sufficient (2NT being invitational).

 

With no stopper (or whatever the worst conceivable "stopper" situation is for the partnership), Opener immediately initiates scrambling, bidding suits in some logical manner.

 

A "super-accept" of 3♥ in the example shows a maximum with the stopper featuring pure trick-taking values, meaning primes and AQ, AKJ, or such in the opponents' suit.

[xxhong]

IMO, it can be an exposure of psyche in some situations. If some players frequently psyche a major suit at 3rd seat when white, there gotta be a way to play that suit.

[Hanoi5]

IMO, it can be an exposure of psyche in some situations. If some players frequently psyche a major suit at 3rd seat when white, there gotta be a way to play that suit.

 

I don't have any agreement about this sequence but I always play that when they intervene our NT (or we bid NT over their opening bid) the level of 4 remains the same: 4♣ choose a Major, 4♦ heart xfer, 4♥ spade xfer, 4♠ asks for the number of aces, 4NT quantitative. But in this case I don't have any agreement I guess in the case of diamonds (when they opened hearts) it sounds better as natural to play and in the second case I like Ken's option (asking for how good the stopper is).

[Vampyr]

I don't have any agreement about this sequence but I always play that when they intervene our NT (or we bid NT over their opening bid) the level of 4 remains the same: 4♣ choose a Major, 4♦ heart xfer, 4♥ spade xfer, 4♠ asks for the number of aces, 4NT quantitative. But in this case I don't have any agreement I guess in the case of diamonds (when they opened hearts) it sounds better as natural to play and in the second case I like Ken's option (asking for how good the stopper is).

 

I like this a lot. My favourite partner and I play these same 4-level bids over 1NT openers, but have never considered whether to play them over 1NT overcalls (at lower levels we play natural takeouts).

[aguahombre]

OP asks what it means if playing "system on". I don't think "natural takeouts" are what one would think of in the meaning of "system on".

 

So, if normal system is on, then 2D is some kind of transfer to hearts. I could wait a long time to want to play in hearts when lefty has opened that 5-card major. So, KenRexford's scheme is the most logical ---showing an invite+ hand in NT, and checking for a real stopper.

I might be influenced by the fact that it is what we use. It also lets us keep the artificial meaning of 2NT, and allows 2C Stayman to really have the other major.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

 

If you play "system on", ... this is a transfer.

 

Of course you may ask, how frequent it is to transfer in a suit, which happens to break 5-?

Assumining that they have made a psych 1 level opening bid, ..., maybe if the opening

happened in 3rd seat.

 

Bergen gave an example, and asked how elso to get there.

And if the 1NT overcall was after a 3rd level opening bid, ..., sometimes they open 4 card suits

in 3rd seat, even when playing 5 card major.

 

We play, that the transfer bid, that makes no sense major showes the unbid major and exactly inv.

strength, so that still sensible transfer bid is either weak or GF.

 

Does not come up often, but makes some sense.

 

With kind regards

Uwe Gebhardt

[whereagles]

Since I overcall 1NT with or without stoppers, I use those bids as stopper ask. Example:

 

1♥ 1NT pass 2♦

pass ??

 

Now:

 

2♥ = 1/2 stopper

2/3NT = full stopper

2♠/3m = no stopper, trying to land somewhere

[Free]

This is probably well known, but it is not known to me.

 

In the sequence:

 

(1H)-1N-(P)-2D

 

what is 2D when playing "systems on"? Is it to play? Is it a cuebid of some kind?

 

Likewise in the sequence:

 

(1S)-1N-(P)-2H

 

what is 2H? Is it to rightside a heart contract? Is it a cuebid?

 

Thanks for the thoughts.

I like to play it as a natural (light) invite that doesn't care about rightsiding (if there is such thing in this case). It's less useful with ♦, but you can stay lower.

 

Alternatives are the normal transfers, hoping to field a psych (particulary useful after 3rd seat openings).

[Finch]

I don't believe that there is a 'standard' as such. We play the call as showing one of two hand types

(i) a game forcing 3-suiter with singleton or void in their suit

(ii) a transfer to their suit

 

Overcaller must compete, and responder can pass or bid game in their suit with type (ii) and do something natural with type (i).

It's not just a matter of guarding against a psyche (although that doesn't hurt) but some people systemically open 1H on 5432 in the suit.