[jules101]

When overcalling am I right in thinking "the modern style" is to bid your 5-card major when you are 5-4 in the majors?


If so, do this always apply, or when there is big disparity in your suits (eg the 4-card suit is much better) do you prefer to double?

For example What would you do with

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or with

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Thanks for your thoughts!

[keylime]

I confess, I probably make a t/o on both.

[ahydra]

I'll make a TOX on both of these because the spades are poor. If the spades were better I would overcall 1S on the second hand (and probably the first as well, depending on which side of the bed I got up on).

It gets more interesting if you reverse the spades and hearts.

♠Kxxx ♥KQ10xx ♦x ♣Axx

Now if you overcall 1H, it's not going to be so easy to also show the spades, so I think there's an argument for making a TOX?

ahydra

[Statto]

I'm told that a take-out X is better with a singleton than a void, but I think I'd choose it with both hands at these colours, at both forms of scoring.

[rmnka447]

With both hands, a take out double is right. It gives your side a chance to find a fit in either major. Both ♠ suit you give are not very attractive five card suits -- single honor, virtually no intermediates. They may not play well opposite 2 or 3 small in pard's hand.

If the 5 card suit is much stronger -- say ♠ AKJ75 ♥ J863 ♦ 5 ♣ K85, overcalling would seem more reasonable with hope you might find a ♥ fit later if need be.

[ggwhiz]

I know I'm in the minority here but when I overcall 1♠ and the opps bid something cheap back to me, I double and pard can park it in a 5-2 fit when necessary.

Often we just bump them up but if you start with double and they bid something cheap back to you, you are out of it.

Whatever style is comfortable and most importantly discussed is fine. In my partnership we don't pass as many simple overcalls as others because we know they can be quite good.

[Yu18772]

I would overcall on 1♠ on hand one, mainly because i can bid 2♥ or double later on most weak auctions, I am not afraid to loose the heart suit. Holding 5 hearts and 4 spades I would double. Second hand looks a clear double to me.

Yu

[mike777]

x I hve 3 suits not two....


If I cant bid double on this hand ...too tough.......


dont understand `1spade are we afraid we lose boss suit?

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let me put it this way non x =zero

[Quantumcat]

I tend to double with a hand that only merits one bid, and bid my suit then make a takeout double with a hand that merits two. This way you show the most number of cards you can.
With the weaker hand, overcalling shows only five of your cards, while doubling shows at least nine (three in each unbid suit), but really more since pard with two suits will be expecting at least one four card support.
With the stronger hand, doubling then doubling again shows only nine cards the first time and still nine on the second. However, bidding then doubling shows about eleven or twelve of them - and pard is well placed to choose a contract (with two three-card suits, he can support your five card rather than end up in a 3-3 or 4-3 fit, which could happen if you just doubled then doubled).
Hands for doubling then doubling again are the good 4441's or the very good 4432's.

With both of those hands, I think they only warrant one bid each so I will double. However, add a nice king or ace and I will bid my suit planning to double later if it goes, say, (1♦) 1♠ (3♦) pass (pass) ?

[mikl_plkcc]

On 5-4-4-0, I double, regardless of the quality of the 5-card suit;
On 5-4-3-1, I bid if the 5-card suit is good, double if most of the value is outside the suit.

[Phil]

1♠ on the 1st, dbl on the 2nd.

[the hog]

X on both for me. Though I could certainly be persuaded that 1S on the first one is best.