RainBow Series – Lesson V

Overcalls and Takeout Doubles

      A word about nomenclature: Opener's partner is called "Responder", and must not be confused with Overcaller/Takeout Doubler's partner, "Advancer". 
      Defensive Bidding can occur, whenever the opponents have opened the bidding.  Our side can begin with either a double or an overcall.  The advantages of entering the auction in this manner (in no particular order of importance) are as follows:

      Any double of a suit bid below the 3NT level opposite a partner who has not, as yet, made a call other than a pass, is a takeout double.  These are some examples of Takeout doubles:

West North East South 1 Dble	West North East South 1 Pass 2 Dble
West North East South 1 Pass 1 Dble	West North East South 1 Pass 1NT Dble

West North East South 1 Dble Pass 1 Pass 1

West North East South 1 Dble Pass 1 Pass 1NT

West North East South 1 Dble Pass any Pass 2

      It follows, then, that a double followed by a free new suit rebid by the Doubler (e.g., 1♦-Dble-P-1♥-P-1♠) shows a 17+ point hand.
      Similarly, a double followed by a simple NoTrump bid (e.g., 1♣-Dble-P-1♥-P-1NT) shows 19-21 points.
      A strong Doubler can always force the bidding with a cuebid of the enemy suit (e.g., 1♠-Dble-P-any-P-2♠). 

      1.  Let's say I have 3-5-1-4 and my RHO opens 1♦.  Can I double with a 5-card major suit or should I overcall 1♥ ?
      2.  Can I overcall and make a takeout double later ?
      3.  What is an "anchor" suit ? 
      4.  Are there other types of takeout doubles ? 
      A takeout double asks Advancer to bid hir longest suit, with particular attention to any Major suit.  ONLY with 8+ points and 5 of their trumps, should you "convert the double to penalty" by making a "penalty pass". 

x x x

x x x

x x x x

x x x

LHO opens 1♦ and partner doubles.  Gulp !   RHO passes.  You must bid here !   I suggest 1♥, the cheapest of your non-Diamond (3 card) "suits".  :(-   Do NOT pass 1♦ !   And do NOT bid 1NT !   

K x

Q x x

K Q 10 x x

J x x

      NOW you would pass the takeout double of 1♦. 

West	North	East	South
1	Dble	Pass	1

      The weakest response to a takeout double is a simple call in an unbid suit (i.e., 1♣-Dble-P-1♦, 1♥ or 1♠).  This shows a maximum of 8 points. 

West	North	East	South
1	Dble	Pass	2

      Holding 9-12 points, Advancer should make a single Jump response in hir longest suit (i.e., 1♥-Dble-P-2♠, 3♣ or 3♦). 

West	North	East	South
1	Dble	Pass	2

      Advancer's strongest recourse is a cuebid of the opponent's suit (i.e., 1♠-Dble-P-2♠) with 13+ points.  SAYC notes state that such a cuebid is game forcing. 

NoTrump responses to the takeout double show flattish hands and positive values, with a stopper in the enemy suit. 

      In his second call, any new suit bid by Doubler is forcing. 
A new suit bid by Doubler (i.e., 1♥-Dble-P-1♠-P-2♣) is strong (17-22 points) but NOT forcing; Doubler must Jump in that new suit (i.e., 1♥-Dble-P-1♠-P-3♣) to force the bidding. 

West	North	East	South
1	Dble	Pass	1NT
Pass	2?

      1.  If I double with 12 points and a 5-card Major, should I bid the Major, when Advancer bids 1NT ?  i.e., 1♦-Dble-P-1NT-P ... can I rebid 2♥, or 2♠ ?        A 1NT overcall shows 15-18 points, a flat hand and a guard in the enemy suit.  Because this allows Responder to make a  penalty double with 8+ points, we should Never stretch to make such an overcall. 
      In fact, in close decisions, make a Takeout Double rather than a 1NT overcall.  Myself, I will only overcall 1NT with a "source of tricks": a 5-card suit, very good spot cards (10s & 9s), etc. 

      A simple SUIT overcall shows 8-16 points and,
       Usually, a 5+ card suit. 
       Occasionally, a 4-card suit will be bid (especially at the 1-level), if Overcaller lacks shape for a Takeout Double. 

x

A Q J x

K x x x

x x x x

      Over a 1♠ opening bid, you would Double. 
      But what about over a 1♣ opening ?   1♥. 
      Advancer will proceed under the assumption that Overcaller has a five-card suit. 

Forcing West North East South 1 1 1

Non-Forcing West North East South 1 1 Pass 1 Forcing West North East South 1 1 Pass 2 Forcing West North East South 1 1 Pass 2 Single Raise West North East South 1 1 Pass 2

One important distinction must be made here: a new suit by Responder is forcing, but NOT a new suit by Advancer !   1♣-1♥-1♠ is forcing, but NOT 1♣-1♥-P-1♠.  Rather, such a free bid by Advancer is "forward going", with 10-15 points, but NOT forcing. 
      To force with a new suit, Advancer must Jump (i.e., 1♣-1♥-P-2♠) in it. 
      As always, Advancer can cuebid the enemy suit (i.e., 1♦-1♠-P-2♦) to show great strength. 

      Single raises of Overcaller reveal a wide range, 6-10 points. 
      A jump to the 3-level is, sadly, Limit (11-13 points) in SAYC-OK. 
      Jumps to the four level (1♥-1♠-P-4♠) are pre-emptive. 

      If playing with a steady partner, I would NOT suggest the above SAYC-OK treatment.  Rather, use the Cuebid as a general force, which may be just a Limit Raise. 

Cuebid & Pass West North East South 1 1 Pass 2 Pass 2 Pass Pass

Cuebid & Game Forcing West North East South 1 1 Pass 2 Pass 2 Pass 3

      In response to ANY such cuebid, Overcaller will rebid hir suit (i.e., 1♣-1♠-P-2♣-P-2♠) IF MINIMAL.  Should the cuebid happened to have been a limit raise, Advancer can then Pass !  
      Only with a truly game-forcing hand, will Advancer continue on (i.e., 1♣-1♠-P-2♣-P-2♠-P-3♥) over any such discouraging rebid.  This treatment "frees up" the jump raise for PRE-EMPTIVE use.  1♣-1♥-P-3♥ would be PRE-EMPTIVE if using cuebids in this manner.

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Pass & Bid

West	North	East	South
1	Pass	1	Pass
2	2

Standard practice with a good hand (10-15 pts.) but a weak suit is to pass the opening bid and then bid the weak suit later.  1♣-P-1♥-P-2♣-2♦, then, shows a good hand with weak Diamonds. 
      1.  Do other pairs use different ranges for their overcalls ?   What does "Roth-Stone" style overcalls mean ?
      2.  I know what "lead direction" is (bidding a suit to get partner to lead it), but what is "lead discovery" ?
      3.  What do I do, if I have TWO suits to overcall ?  Should I bid one of them, or use a 2-suited overcall (be it an Unusual 2NT or Michaels) ?
      1.  RHO opens 1♦.  What would you bid with:

Hand A:	x x	Q J 10	K Q 10	A K Q x x
hand B:	K x x x x	A x x	x	A Q x x
hand C:	A K x x x x	x x x	x	A Q x x
hand D:	x	A K Q x x x	A x x	A x x
hand E:	A K x	A K x	K Q x x	A x x
hand F:	J x x x x	A x	A Q x	K 10 x
hand G:	A Q 10 9 x	x x	x x x	K 10 x

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RAINBOw Series

The Rainbow Series, from 2:30 to 3:30 pst every weekday, is a lecture program on the SAYC system, from Opening Bids all the way through to the conventional aspects of SAYC. Unlike the FireSide and 5th Chair sessions mentioned above, the Rainbow Series is a semi-private lesson program for our students. Nevertheless, you are invited to stop by and "eavesdrop" on the discussion from the Spectator's Loft. If you have any questions arising from these notes, or about the Rainbow Lesson Series, please do not hesitate to email me at: cpw@escape.ca

Lesson #1: Opening Bids Lesson #2: Responses to Opening Bids Lesson #3: Rebidding Strategies Lesson #4: Interference Lesson #5: OverCalls & Takeout Doubles Lesson #6: Two-Suited Overcalls Lesson #7: Pre-Empts Lesson #8: Competing with Doubles Lesson #9: Lebensohl Lesson #10: Defensive Signalling Lesson #11: Defensive Strategies Lesson #12: Declarer Play

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General Rules of SAYC Bidding	Fit Inspired Bids – "FIBs"
Doubles	Cuebids
IMPs Versus MatchPoints	Lebensohl
Hand Evaluation	Defensive Signals
Jacoby Transfers	Pre-Empts
Jacoby 2NT Response to 1♥ or 1♠	Michaels Cuebids
3 Types of Responding Hands	Percentages in Bridge
Roman Key Card Blackwood	BROZEL over their 1NT
4th Suit Force	Assume Jumps Are Raises
Glossary of Terms	Colin's Rules of Bridge

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