4-Card New Suit after Overcall?

[msheald]

Hello! I've been taught that responder should have 5 cards to bid a new suit after an overcall. For example, 5 spades with the bidding 1 club, 1 heart, 1 spade.

 

The robots seem to consistently bid a new suit with 4 cards, which causes me to overbid.

 

Is this a glitch or a planned bidding pattern? Thank you.

 

Mike

[TylerE]

You were taught wrong then, by almost any rational standard.

[Stephen Tu]

You were taught wrong then, by almost any rational standard.

 

Completely disagree. Expecting 5 for new suit advances after an overcall is an exceedingly common treatment.

 

[helene_t]

The robots are supposed to show five except in these two auctions:

1♣-(1♦)-1♥

1♣-(1♦)-1♠

These two exceptions apply because dbl would show 4-4 in the majors so with only one of them, you bid it even if it's a 4-card suit.

 

Occasionally the robots will deviate from the system with an awkward hand, but after the 1♥ overcall they will double with four spades and bid 1♠ with five.

 

This is North American standard, although some pairs have different agreements.

[smerriman]

What helene_t said :) TylerE and Stephen Tu appear to have misunderstood the question.

 

While robots can go off system at times when they're stuck, I've never seen a robot bid 1♠ over a 1♥ overall with 4 cards, given double is always available. So I'm guessing you have indeed mixed this up with 1♦ overcalls, which is a different situation as described above.

[msheald]

Thank you, all. I appreciate your comments. Best regards.

 

Mike