Guidelines for Overcalls

The convention card has a place to mark your expected strength for a one-level overcall, but little else; here are my guidelines for overcalls. Rules (1) and (3) (Strength and Suit Quality) are due to Ron Klinger.

Overcalls

After an opponent opens, bidding a suit is called an Overcall. Overcalls are made for any of several reasons:

(1)   As the first move on a good hand where we may have game.

(2)   As a lead-directing bid.

(3)   To help us compete for a part-score.

(4)   To jam the opponents bidding, jockeying them out of their best spot.

These goals overlap, and most are aided by bidding good suits and/or good hands.

Styles of overcalls vary a great deal; the following guidelines, however, will generally produce overcalls that most players would consider reasonable.

Expectations for (non-jump) overcalls:

(1)   Strength – 8+ hcp at the 1 level, 10+ at the 3 level, 12+ at the 3 level, etc.

(2)   Lead – 5 hcp in the suit (KQ or AJ minimum.)

(3)   Suit Quality – length of suit plus honors = tricks level (7 at 1 level, 8 at 2, etc.)

(4)   Not vulnerable – vulnerable overcalls should have extra strength or suit quality

(5)   Five card suit. Over calling a four-card suit is a flaw at the one level, a major flaw at the two level, and unthinkable at any higher level.

Minor flaws, as with any bid, include unguarded honors, no Ace, and poor shape (5332.)

Side 5 card suits and voids would be bonus values, as would overcalls that take up maximum space (2C over 1D, 2D over 1H) and/or preempt a major.

A hand that meets all expectations with no flaws is a clear overcall:

(a) KQxxx Axxx xx xx is an obvious 1S bid over 1C, 1D, or 1H.

(b) xx Ax KQ10xx J10xx is an obvious 2D bid, not vulnerable, over 1H or 1S. Vulnerable, you should want a better suit (such as KQ109x or KQ10xxx) or a better hand (add a useful point or two.) You might bid 2D anyway over 1H for the preemptive value.

(c) AQxxxx xx AQx xx is an obvious 2S bid over a weak 2D or 2H opening.

Hands that fail one or more expectation may overcall with compensation elsewhere:

(d) QJxxx xx AKxx xx, bid 1S over any lower opening. Fails the Lead test but has extra strength.

(e) 9xxxx AQx AQxx x fails both the Lead and Suit Quality tests, but with a full opening bid the hand is likely to belong to our side, and odds favor partner having 3 card support. Partner is less likely to be on lead when we are this strong, and a spade lead may still be best against a notrump contract.

(f) AQ10x xx AQxx xxx – you would double 1H for takeout, but cannot double 1C or 1D for lack of heart support. This hand fails only the 5 card suit test, however, and the extra strength compensates.

Hands which fail the strength requirement but have a good suit often qualify for a weak jump overcall:

(g) AQJxxx xx xxx xx, you could overcall 1S on the basis that the good suit compensates for less than 8 hcp, but  weak 2S is a better description and takes up more space. You should make this bid at any vulnerability; the hand has such a high offense to defense ration (ODR) that you will rarely suffer a poor result. Don’t “chicken out” with a 1S bid, for which partner would expect a likely 10 hcp vulnerable. A vulnerable weak jump overcall does NOT promise any extra strength than when non-vul, but does suggest a sound suit.