[mike777]

No I do not think x and then 2clubs and then 2s is game force.

On the other hand what will partner bid over 2clubs here? 2h could be zero hcp and 4 tiny hearts.

[Halo]

I don't feel comfortable about a one spade overcall on a hand this big. OK your agreement is that partner will support on a few points (when he has support). What does he do with a modest hand and no support?

After double, 1H, 1S I still feel uneasy. It's very elegant, but you'll need quite a few agreements to avoid missing NT and heart games - and at IMPs I'm not happy about missing game occasionally when I don't believe it will be the same in the other room.

I would be in the double, 2C,2S camp.

[dake50]

RHO now jumps to 3C, what now?

[Halo]

If you mean after double ... 1H, then over 3C I'd double again.

I understand the advantages of getting a 5-card major into the auction, I'm not convinced it's usually going to help much when i've got such a big hand.

I like the generalisation that I overcall when I can (NT or suit) up to about seventeen points, and double when I am too strong.

[Joe de Balliol]

awm, on Mar 11 2007, 05:04 PM, said:

I like 1♠. Not forcing, but showing too good a hand to overcall. If partner passes it out, it's fairly likely we didn't have a game. For me 2♠ would be forcing and tend to be more spade-oriented (generally if a non-jump shows a big hand already, a jump is forcing).

I agree with this.

J