Overcalls
These notes are based on Klinger's writings. He preaches disciplined overcalls as a means of precisely communicating good information about your hand to partner; this is necessary because of the slightly-cramped bidding space.
At the 1 level
To overcall at the 1 level you should hold:
- Good 5 card suit
- 8-15 HCP
- 6-8 losers
If stronger than indicated
- With 16 HCP or 5 losers, make a takeout double, then bid your suit.
- With 19 HCP or 4 losers, also takeout double, but jump bid your suit.
- Holding 3½ losers and a long strong suit allows a double followed by a jump to game
- 3 losers or better, force game by a double followed by a cue bid of opponents' suit.
Responses
To respond to an overcall at the 1 level:
- With support and potential ruffs, use the loser count as normal - assume 8 losers from partner and let them bid up.
- With support and no ruffing values, look at your cover cards instead.
- If sufficiently strong that slam seems worth a try, responder should bid the enemy suit as a cue, then raise the overcalled suit. It would be possible, but extremely rare, to go straight to Blackwood given that opponents opened.
At the 2 level
You should hold:
- Strong 5 or 6 card suit
- 10-15 HCP
- 6-7 losers
Again, if stronger than that think about interposing a double, jump and/or cue.
Responses and continuation
Use the same response strategy as for 1-level overcalls, but assume 7 losers from partner.
As an exception, bear in mind that 3NT is likely to be a better contract than game in a minor, provided your hand is the right shape, and remember that having overcalled at the 2 level, you're in danger of sailing right past that. Therefore, Klinger suggests the following special arrangement when a minor game looks makeable in this situation:
- If you have the opponents' suit stopped, 4 cover cards and 12-14 HCP or so, bid 2NT.
- With a stop, 5 covers and 15-17 HCP, go straight to 3NT.
- If you don't have a stop for the enemy suit, bidding that suit would ask partner whether they do and to make for no-trumps if so;
Remember also that in no-trumps, the traditional 24-26 HCP rule of thumb for bidding game goes out the window if you can run your long suit and maintain control.
Overcalling pre-empts
Overcalling at the 3 level would show a better-than-minimum opening hand (6 losers, maybe 7 in the pass-out seat), and an excellent suit - six cards, honour-rich.
Overcalling at 4 is the same, but requires 5 losers.
If you hold just four losers, double (forcing!) then bid game in your suit.
Responses to such overcalls should be based on cover cards. Klinger suggests the following actions for an overcall at the 3 level:
| Number of covers | Action |
|---|---|
| up to 2 | pass |
| 3 | raise to 4 |
| 4 | raise to game |
| 5 | explore slam |
Jump overcalls
These are a subject of contention - partnership must agree on which convention to use!
Weak jump overcalls: show 6-10 HCP, at least 6 card suit, 7-8 losers. These are effectively pre-empts.
WRY commented: We seem to be using weak jump overcalls in the SGO/nC bridge circles.
Intermediate jump overcalls: show 11-15 HCP, at least 6 card suit, 6-7 losers. Essentially these are like opening strength bids, equivalent to bidding the suit at the 1-level, but showing the extra length and pre-empting a bit.
Strong jump overcalls: show 16-19 HCP, at least 5 card suit, 5-6 losers, only one suit worth bidding. (If have 2 or 3 biddable suits, double first.)
Roman jump overcalls: Strange bids showing two 5-card suits. Recommended only for use by strong partnerships.