Responses to an Overcall

Responding to an overcall is similar to responding to an opening bid.

You count your points, and prioritize your bidding choices the same way as you do when responding to an opening bid.

In order of priority:

• Pass with a bad hand.
• Raise partner's major suit, with support.
• Show your own major suit.
• Bid NT, with a stopper.
• Raise Partner's minor suit, with support.
• Show our own minor suit.

Before we get into the details of exactly how to follow those priorities, I'd like to clear up a vocabulary issue.

The partner of the Opener is called Responder.

The partner of the Overcaller is called Advancer. When Advancer bids, either by raising Overcaller's suit or bidding a new suit, he "advances the overcall." We still call him Advancer even if he passes.

Partner overcalls 1♠, and you hold...

example 1

♠ Q 8 5 ♥ A J 8 ♦ 5 3 ♣ T 6 4 3 2

Good news! You've found a major suit fit.

You can raise partner's overcall on the same hands that would raise if he had opened the bidding.

Raise to the two level on 6-9 points with support. The example hand is a comfortable raise to 2♠.

example 2

♠ K 8 5 ♥ A J 8 ♦ 5 3 ♣ Q 6 4 3 2

What do you do when your hand is too strong for a single raise? Cue bid opener's suit. Cue bid = 10+ with support.

Partner will then tell you (with his bidding) how good his overcall is. He will repeat his suit with 8-11, and bid something else with a full opening hand of 12+ points.

Note: a cue bid is also used for stronger hands without support, similar to a Power Double.

Let's consider how example hand 2 should be bid facing various rebids by overcaller.

Opener	Partner	Responder	You
1♦	1♠	P	2♦
P	2♠	P	?

Overcaller puts his hand into the 8-11 box by repeating his suit. You have only 11 in support of spades, so game is out of reach. PASS.

We've just seen why we don't jump to 3♠ with a "limit raise." Overcaller can have as little as 8 points, and 3♠ on his 8 facing your 10-11 is just plain too high.

Opener	Partner	Responder	You
1♦	1♠	P	2♦
P	2♥	P	?

This time Overcaller says he has a full opening bid. Now what?

Example hand 2 is in the bottom of the Cue Bid box – only 10-11 points. So just bid 2♠ to confirm your spade support and tell partner that you have nothing extra.

Partner will then place the spade contract at the correct level, based on how many points he has.

Opener	Partner	Responder	You
1♦	1♠	P	2♦
P	2N	P	?

We're still looking at bidding sequences to follow example 2.

After your cue bid, partner's 2N says he has a full opening hand, with NT distribution and diamonds controlled. He also says he has a minimum, only 12-13 points. If he had more, he'd bid 3N instead of only 2N.

You don't have enough strength to go on to game, but you show your spade fit with a 3♠ bid. Partner will pass because he's already said he doesn't have enough points for game.

example 3

♠ Q T 5 2 ♥ K 4 ♦ A 9 7 6 ♣ K J 8

Opener	Overcaller	Responder	You
1♦	1♠	P	2♦
P	2♠	P	?

What is your hand worth in support of partner's spades? show answer

How many points does Overcaller have? show answer

What will your next bid be?

pass 3♠ 4♠

example 4

♠ A K J 7 3 ♥ Q T 4 ♦ 9 7 6 ♣ 9 8

Opener	Overcaller	Responder	You
1♦	1♥	P	?

What is your hand worth in support of partner's hearts? show answer

Should you bid spades? show answer

What will your next bid be?

2♦ 2♥ 3♥

example 5

♠ K Q 4 ♥ A J 8 6 ♦ 5 ♣ K T 8 7 3

Opener	Overcaller	Responder	You
1♦	1♥	P	2♦
P	2♥	P	?

You have a heart fit. What is your hand worth? show answer

How many points does Overcaller have? show answer

What will your next bid be?

pass 3♥ 4♥

When partner overcalls, our first priority is to find a major suit fit. If partner has overcalled a major, raise to the appropriate level when you have support.

Our second priority is to bid a major suit of our own. We could take the view that the combination of the two is really only one priority – to look for a major suit fit.

What are the strength and suit requirements for showing your own suit?

Simple, the same as making an overcall of your own, starting with 8hcp and a 5+ suit. You can stretch one level higher than you would for an overcall of your own because partner has already promised a hand worth bidding.

example 6

♠ J 6 ♥ K Q 7 5 3 ♦ T 7 6 ♣ K J 2

Opener	Overcaller	Responder	You
1♦	1♠	P	?

You cannot raise partner's spades, but you do have a good five card heart suit with 10hcp. Bid 2♥.

What do I mean by stretching one level higher? In this case, you are bidding at the two level, so you need the hcp requirements for a one level overcall. You do not, however, need the usual number of plus factors because partner already has them for her overcall.

example 7

♠ A J T 8 6 ♥ T 7 5 3 ♦ Q 6 ♣ K 2

Opener	Overcaller	Responder	You
1♣	1♥	P	?

What is your hand worth in support of partner's hearts? show answer

Should you bid spades? show answer

What will your next bid be?

2♣ 2♥ 3♥

Overcaller repeats his suit after your cue bid. Now what? show answer

Bidding NT is our next priority, after searching for a major suit fit. When Overcaller promises 8+ points, Advancer can bid a NT game with 16, and invite game with 14-15.

example 8

♠ J 6 ♥ A J 8 ♦ A Q 9 ♣ K J 4 3 2

Opener	Overcaller	Responder	You
1♦	1♠	P	?

Partner overcalls 1♠.

As soon as you saw the hand diagram you did count your points, didn't you? You don't have spade support, and you don't have hearts either, so the search for a major suit fit is over.

If partner has extra length in spades, HE might not think the search for a major suit fit is over, but leave that up to him.

You have 16 points and diamonds double stopped, so you can jump to 3N. Partner's 8+ and your 16 is enough for game.

example 9

♠ 7 6 ♥ A J 8 ♦ A Q 9 ♣ K 8 4 3 2

Opener	Overcaller	Responder	You
1♦	1♠	P	?

This time you have 14 points, not enough to bid game on your own. Invite game with a bid of 2N. Partner will carry on to game when he has enough extra points.

example 10

♠ 7 6 ♥ Q J 8 ♦ A J T ♣ T 8 4 3 2

Opener	Overcaller	Responder	You
1♦	1♠	P	?

Funny how these hands keep getting weaker! 8 points this time.

Bid 1N to let partner know that you have something, including a diamond stop, though not enough to take a stronger action. You have promised about 8-11 hcp.

example 11

♠ K Q 7 6 ♥ J 2 ♦ A Q 2 ♣ T 8 6

Opener	Overcaller	Responder	You
1♦	1♥	P	?

What is your hand worth? show answer

You don't have heart support so you can't raise. You have a diamond stop, so you'd like to bid NT, but 12 hcp doesn't fit any of the NT bids we've talked about. You don't have a suit of your own to bid. But if you pass, your partnership might miss a game.

Any ideas? show answer

If partner rebids 2♥, showing 8-11 points, what will you rebid?

pass 2NT 3♥

Be careful about those hcp ranges, don't just memorize them...

...because they change.

That's bad news, isn't it. But you see, they have to change because partner promises different hcp minimums when she makes different bids.

For example, if her overcall is at the two level, she will have a 10 hcp minimum instead of only 8 for a one level overcall. Then you can jump to 3N with only 14 hcp instead of the the 16 you need when she promises an 8 point minimum.

The way to remember what you need for your bids is to think of partnership totals, not just what you have in your own hand.

• You can jump to 3N if the partnership total is 24+.
• You can invite with 2N when the partnership total is 22-23.
• And when the partnership minimum is less than 22, you'll have to content yourself with 1N, a cue bid (prepared to pass if partner shows a minimum), or simply passing when partner overcalls.

Bidding minor suits is our lowest priority, after Majors and NT.

If partner overcalls in a minor suit...

1. Bid a major if you have one.
2. If not, bid NT when you can stop their suit.
3. Failing both, raise partner's minor in preference to showing your own minor.

example 12

♠ 8 3 ♥ T 7 2 ♦ K T 2 ♣ K Q T 9 2

Opener	Overcaller	Responder	You
1♠	2♦	P	?

What's your call? show answer

example 13

♠ 8 3 ♥ T 7 2 ♦ A Q 2 ♣ K Q T 9 2

Opener	Overcaller	Responder	You
1♠	2♦	P	?

What's your call this time? show answer

example 14

♠ 8 3 ♥ K 7 2 ♦ Q 2 ♣ A Q T 9 5 2

Opener	Overcaller	Responder	You
1♠	2♦	P	?

Let's see, you can't bid NT; you can't raise diamonds; and your hand is not strong enough for a cue bid, so... show answer

Go to the next topic:

Takeout Doubles

Or see all articles in the Bridge Bidding series.  +