Underbid and missed game

North is certainly max for the initial pass, but it could be right if South is min for the overcall, which could be on somewhat less than opening strength. You are arguably more likely to overreach by bidding than miss a game by passing. Possibly down to overcalling style. The risk of missing a superior Spade fit possibly tips the balance in favour of bidding.

{Edit}
In The Times (London) Mon 02 Oct 2006, Andrew Robson quotes a hand from the Buffet Cup, in which against Tor Helness, second seat overcalled 1S with
S:KQJ96
H:T86
D:J843
C:5

Quote

Per Robson -
Normal winning bridge: space-consuming, lead-directing, nuisance bid.

Are we to be content with a forcing new suit response on an 8 count with (for all we know) no fit?
{/Edit}

I am unconvinced by the arguments that North should bid on the second round for no reason other than that he is maximum for his passing to date. Examples abound in other situations where passing is automatic. This may not be one of those situations, but it is missing out a few steps in the argument to assume that.

If you are playing intermediate jump overcalls (on the first round), and South can now be relied upon for a hand too strong for such a first round action, then a raise by North seems clear. If you are playing weak jump overcalls then I can picture example hands by South that are too strong for a weak jump overcall, still have no game ambitions and yet not wish to risk selling out to 2C. If North is then expected to raise he might be accused of hanging his partner. Perhaps it is a good hand for intermediate jump overcalls.

Anyway, I was North and that was my reasoning, and I accept full responsibility. Looking at my hand in isolation I had expected South either to double 1C, or to overcall 1H then double 2C, or (rarely) to overcall 1H then 3H, if between us we had enough for game. Having looked at his hand with the benefit of hindsight I cannot fault the 1H then 2H action, so I agree that I shall probably have to rethink my philosophy.

North has a clear 1♠ advance--then depending on how constructive the partnership plays it, either South has a limit raise and Noth has an acceptance, or South has a single raise and North has an invitation which South will accept.

Unfortunately, this is likely to lead to the wrong game: in spades, we are likely to lose 2 trumps, a heart, and a diamond even if everything breaks well. 4 hearts is fairly good--it requires trumps to be 2-2 or a stiff trump honor to drop: about 70% but you need to shave some off as the bidding suggest East has a lot of clubs as he bid them twice but West didn't raise. Say 60%.

If North has followed up his initial pass with a raise to 3♥, this should get the partnership to game. The actual auction isn't so bad at matchpoints but even not vul at Imps its better to be in game.

Perhaps better than 1♠ or pass would have been 1NT, this avoids a possible poor spade contract but advertises some values.

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