[silvr bull]

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Playing with a good partner against random BBO opponents. The poll above is for your first bid with the east hand.

If you bid 2♦ or 2♥ or 2♠ or 2NT, and if partner then rebids 3♣, what do you do next?

[RunemPard]

Doesn't 2NT describe this hand exactly?

[aguahombre]

RunemPard, on 2012-November-25, 11:22, said:

Doesn't 2NT describe this hand exactly?

It is probably what we should do, anyway. With a bit more strength we could have tried 2♦ attempting to uncover a 4-4M even though it would normally show a club fit, and then follow with 3NT. The given hand can't quite do that.

Having advanced the overcall with 2NT, we pass 3♣ easily. The 2♣ overcall of 1♦ should be given a lot of slack if I were the overcaller; I like to do it for nuisance value at almost every opportunity.

[Hanoi5]

I bid 2♦ and 3NT over 3♣.

I think this is quite a good hand and if partner is missing one club honour and he has a side ace we can usually make 3NT. My twelve and partner's 12-ish hand sorrounding opener should be good enough for game.

I have some issues regarding this situation in general, though. When we invite via 3NT, is partner's rebid of his suit non-forcing? Should partner pass when he doesn't accept an invitation or should he try to improve the contract? Is that a style thing?

[Phil]

Prefer the 2♦ approach so we can give room to partner to bid a major.

[aguahombre]

Phil, on 2012-November-25, 12:41, said:

Prefer the 2♦ approach so we can give room to partner to bid a major.

This will work if we are willing to stop in a part-score via single raise of that major, and if pard will show it.

After 2NT, we also can get to 4M when overcaller bids a major while accepting the invite.

[wyman]

I would 2N and pass, but my partner's 2C/1D can be awfully ratty.

[the hog]

Hanoi5, on 2012-November-25, 12:25, said:

I bid 2♦ and 3NT over 3♣.

I think this is quite a good hand and if partner is missing one club honour and he has a side ace we can usually make 3NT. My twelve and partner's 12-ish hand sorrounding opener should be good enough for game.

I have some issues regarding this situation in general, though. When we invite via 3NT, is partner's rebid of his suit non-forcing? Should partner pass when he doesn't accept an invitation or should he try to improve the contract? Is that a style thing?

I bid 2NT and then pass.
You have asked for partner's opinion with the 2NT bid. You then doublecross partner and say you want to play 3NT. Why did you even bother asking your partner if you are going to take no notice of his reply? Further why on earth should your partner have a 12 count? 2C over 1D takes away a lot of room and can be quite light for many.

[gszes]

see no reason why we cannot bid 3n here so I have
little trouble bidding 2d (giving p room to show a 4 card
major) and if all they do is show a min bid 3n. We can play
this hand double dummy and it is hard to convince me the
T9 of clubs arent worth at least a Queen.

[the_dude]

Yeah, partner's favorable 2C over 1D could be pretty bad. I'm still bidding 2D looking for a major and following with 3NT over 3C.

Even in this spot he shouldn't be both 5332 AND have a terrible hand. Meaning he will almost always have 4M, 6C, or a good hand. In any of those cases I'm will to take a shot at game. Let LHO figure out which honors to underlead a few times vs 3NT. I won't make it every time but I'm willing to bet I'm over 50%.

There are many 11-12 counts where my partner *thinks* he has a minimum but game will be excellent. Frankly my partner will always expect me to bid game with this hand so his evaluation will be based on that.

[Codo]

There are nearly o 11-12 counts MY partner would call a minimum... Talk about 8 and 9 counts.

I would bet that game is highly odds on opposite a lot bad 11 counts, but I would bet too, that my partners will bid 3 NT with a lot of these hands.

[P_Marlowe]

2D, followed by pass, if partner bids 3C showing a min. 2C overcall.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[phil_20686]

I think if you aren't driving a game here you are over calling 2C too light.

2D is my preferred approach.

[the hog]

phil_20686, on 2012-November-26, 15:11, said:

I think if you aren't driving a game here you are over calling 2C too light.

2D is my preferred approach.

I think if you believe that the responding hand is a gf then your 2C overcalls of 1D are a losing strategy. I suggest you get in touch with Sabine Auken.

[mikeh]

I bid 3N.

I would bid 2♦ if I felt comfortable that I'd make the winning decision over 2M. However, it is far from clear to me that we should force to game in our 4-4 fit with a diamond lead coming through my hand, and equally as far from being clear that we should just invite.

I would bid 2N if I knew that partner was 5332 and minimum and would pass (well, maybe not...if I knew that, I'd probably pass 2♣). But if partner is bidding 3N, the hand will play either no worse or better after my 3N jump, since it will be tougher for the opps to place cards on defence. And if partner pulls to 3♣, which he expects me to pass, I will want to bid 3N anyway to honour (pun unintended) my Aces and the club 109.

I bid 3N precisely because of my Aces, the diamond J, the club 109 and the advantage that the defenders will, if plausible, play me to hold this hand or better, while the 2N route suggests this hand or worse.

btw, I do expect partner to be a little more aggressive in this sequence than any other 2/1 overcall, but I don't expect lunacy. While this is space-consuming, it is also the easiest partial to double and defend, since if we make, it's not game.

[ggwhiz]

the hog, on 2012-November-26, 18:15, said:

I think if you believe that the responding hand is a gf then your 2C overcalls of 1D are a losing strategy.

Overcalling 2♣ on cheesy hands in front of an unpassed pard was a big losing strategy for us and we changed it to pass and balance if you can with those things. 2♣ barely bothers opponents with decent agreements anymore.

That makes this hand worth a game force but with the possibility of endplaying the diamond bidder on lead and a likely winning finesse or two (I hope) I would just blast 3nt. Four of a major with partner on play to a diamond lead and a possible bad trump break does not appeal and any positional advantage (which you may need) requires you to declare.

This is only our partnership choice after some stinky results from overcalling at the 2 level in front of an unpassed hand without the goods. I don't mind the other style at all but it just didn't work for us.

ps. We also overcall at the 1 level with chunky 4-card suits and 1/2 a reason so it's a bit easier for me to give up on a major.

[Siegmund]

2NT seems right on values, but 2D keeps the majors in the picture. I'd go for the immediate 2NT only if I were playing a toy to show the 4M5+C hands immediately (which, with my two most frequent partners, I am.)