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Release 2.19p

Overcalls

One call that comes up frequently during the auction is the overcall. Suppose the player on your right opens the bidding 1♦ and it’s your turn. The guidelines for making an overcall are straightforward:

At the one level - 7-17 points and a good five-card or longer suit.

At the two level - 12-17 points and a good six-card or longer suit.

This advice should be easy to implement. Some experts suggest 8 – 17 at the one level, and 13-17 at the two level but the idea is the same. You don’t need opening bid values to overcall at the one level and you need to be careful at the two level.

Let’s try a four question Quick Quiz:

East opens 1♦. You’re sitting South and it's your turn.

Answers

1. The hand has a five-card spade suit with two of the top three honors. There are a total of 8 high card points. 1♠ is the textbook bid.

2. With 13 points, East would open 1♣ with this hand, however, to overcall at the two level with 2♣, you need a better and a longer club suit. Pass is the suggested call.

3. There are 19 high-card points and the limit is 17 high-card points for making an overcall. 1♥ would show fewer points. The double is used first. Then you bid hearts. This sequence of bidding describes the point-count range and the length of the heart suit.

4. You might not have discussed this with your partner before the game. There are several ideas. This looks a lot like a weak two bid: a good six-card suit and a weak hand with 6-10 high-card points. Many, even most players, would make a weak 2♠jump overcall. It describes a hand with a good six-card suit but little else. It’s like a weak 2♠ preemptive opening bid.

Examples like these help refine your overcalling skills and put you in a position to handle unfamiliar or undiscussed situations.

Suppose you’re playing with a new partner and like the experience. You’d like to play again. After the person on your right opens 1♦, you have this hand.

Once you’ve spent time refining your overcalling - and the subsequent auction - skills, you can feel confident about the decision you make with a hand like this. This four-card heart suit ‘feels’ like a five-card suit. It’s reasonable to overcall 1♥. If partner’s on lead, you’ve given a suggestion about what suit to lead, and that’s one of the three reasons for overcalling. You might make the contract; you might get in the way of the opponents getting to the best contract; you can suggest an opening lead.

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At the one level - 7-17 points and a good five-card or longer suit. ..........

Welcome to Cayman Islands Bridge Club

Visiting Grand Cayman?

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We would be thrilled to welcome you to our club!

Our games and times of play are listed under the 'Information' tab. Please drop us a line at caymanbridgeclub@gmail.com to sign up an ..........

Last updated : 20th Jun 2022 18:04 BST

WELCOME TO THE CAYMAN ISLANDS BRIDGE CLUB

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Duplicate Bridge has been a social pastime in the Cayman Islands for nearly 50 years, started by Michael Cantin in the old Cayman Arms pub. Sir Vassal Johnson who lived in George T ..........

Last updated : 20th Jun 2022 18:04 BST

The Director Speaks! 👱🏻‍♂️

The Director Speaks!

At the beginning of each playing session, we Directors will normally make announcements covering the number of tables, the direction of play, the introduction of new players and on odd occasions, when we are reminded to do so, provide guidance on a point or two of etiquette.

Away from the immediate pressures of playing and directing the game, we wanted to ask you to join us in thinking about how important it is that, while playing a competitive game, one remains courteous and considerate. If you simply Google 'duplicate bridge etiquette', you will find examples from all over the world of how important different clubs and associations believe good manners and, in most cases, common sense, to be.

Rather than regurgitate the (probably better written) views of others, we would like to home in on just one or two issues each time we put pen to paper (well, index finger to keyboard in truth). This is not intended to be a witch hunt or 'spot the offenders' competition. If, of course, you feel that your partner might occasionally or inadvertently be guilty of breaches, you would be helping him or her by drawing their attention to this article!

Before the first board begins it is certainly permissible to exchange pleasantries with partner and the opponents. However, once the bidding has started, comments should be kept to a minimum. ln particular, you should not conduct post-mortems at the table! A post-mortem can upset the opponents, undermine your partner or, in the worst case, communicate information to players at other tables who have not yet played the hand!

lf your partner, or indeed your opponents, happen to play a hand particularly well, quietly compliment them. A ‘well done' will normally suffice! While it is acceptable in soccer or tennis to do 'high fives', it is not proper behavior at bridge. Neither, it should be said, is berating your partner when he or she plays less than perfectly. Behave unto others, etc."

And as a final, unrelated point - please silence your phone! If you really must have it with you for an urgent matter, please set it to 'vibrate' and, in need, respond quickly and quietly outside during a break in play. lt is not fair to disturb the concentration of other players.

We hope no one will feel 'got at' by this or any of the articles that follow. lt is just your humble directors trying to lead us gently along the path of becoming an even better club.