Overcall or double?

[ceblair]

With S Kxx H xx D Kxx C AKxxx, I would double a one heart opening. There

is a risk that LHO will jump in hearts and partner will bid with a weak four-

card spade holding. If we happen to play responsive doubles (I confess I usually

don't), there is less danger of this.

 

I dislike overcalling two clubs, because of the poor suit (for a 2-level overcall)

and the danger of losing spades.

 

I consider passing a reasonable second choice, but (1) a game could be missed

(2) competing later might be more dangerous. Suppose, for example, that you

pass and subsequent bidding is 1NT on your left, 2D on your right. Partner still

could have 5 or 6 spades, but clearly your problems now are at least as bad as

before.

[Finch]

I draw a completely different conclusion from the full hand: namely that double was the winning action. At the tables where it wasn't, West did not bid their hand. After 1H - dbl - 2H, the West cards are close to a 3S bid immediately, not 2S and pass out 3H. Playing IMPs I've been in worse games than 4S on the EW cards, and I'd want to be in it vulnerable (yes, I know this is NV, so 3S is enough for me).

 

As somebody said, it's a matter of partnership harmony. My partnerships stay harmonious when I don't make 2-level overcalls on hands that would have opened a weak NT.

[fred]

I would double. 2C would be a distant 2nd choice for me.

 

Fred Gitelman

Bridge Base Inc.

www.bridgebase.com

[awm]

I prefer 2♣ here. Looking at cases based on LHO's hand:

 

If LHO is about to bid 3♥, then the 2♣ overcall loses when partner has five spades and doesn't know to bid them at the three-level. But it wins when partner has four spades and doesn't try to bid them at the three level, or when partner has five clubs and knows to bid them at the four level. I think this is pretty much a wash.

 

If LHO is about to bid 2♥, the example hand seems like a kind of silly auction. After a double, partner will bid a four or five card spade suit, and with five spades will compete later when opponents push. After a 2♣ overcall, partner will bid 2♠ over 2♥ with five (and a decent hand); with four spades he may make a responsive double or bid spades after overcaller's balancing double. The problem hand would seem to be a hand like AQx xxx xxx Qxxx. After an overcall of 2♣ and a 2♥ raise, this hand (correctly I think) competes to 3♣. Note that to set two hearts, you need both black suits breaking and the diamond king behind the ace; in such a position 3♣ will be cold and in fact it also makes in a lot of other cases when 2♥ is making. Would partner find the 3♣ bid after a double? Is he supposed to make a responsive double on this hand (seems ugly to me, likely to reach a 4-3 spade fit with ruffs in the long hand)?

 

What if LHO is not about to raise hearts? After a double, he has several useful bids available such as 1NT or XX (just showing values), a 1♠ bid, or a nonforcing 2♦. After the overcall, it can be difficult for LHO to show a five card spade suit (for example, suppose opponents fit is in spades with opener having three and responder five, after 1♥-2♣ responder doubles lacking the strength for a forcing 2♠... if advancer now raises to 3♣ the spade fit will be lost). If advancer can raise the clubs, it may also be hard to find a 6-2 heart fit -- LHO has no means to show "values" after the overcall so the auction may well go 1♥-2♣-P-3♣ at which point a heart rebid would surely show more strength. Compare this to something like 1♥-X-1NT-2♣-2♥-3♣-3♥... Despite not taking up all that much space, the 2♣ bid jams opponents a lot more on non-fitting hands.

 

Finally, we can consider penalty doubles. The most common way for this to happen is for the 2♣ call to be passed to opener, who balances with a double and it passes out. But this gives partner a perfect opportunity to bid his own suit (in a nonforcing way) at the two level! If no two level contract is safe, then double could well be getting in trouble too (after 1♥-X-XX). So while the penalty double is certainly possible, I don't think it's likely enough to deter the overcall.

 

There's also the off-chance partner ends up on lead (say against 3NT) in which case the overcall is a great lead director.

[jdulmage]

You are in second seat with no one vulnerable playing IMP pairs.  RHO opens the bidding with 1H.  You hold:

 

K97

J5

KT2

AK985

 

Do you pass, double or bid 2C?  Why?

Go for 2♣ now, reopen with double if you must later. You've got to get that sure fire lead direct bid in there. If they end up in some number of a suit, you'll wait a club lead. If you double first, there is no other chance to get that lead suit in there.