Friday, May 23, 2003 1:48 AM
Hand Evaluation – Misfits ( 1NT after an overcall )
PITBULLS:
A
simple auction that should be understood by established partnerships
. What does 1NT mean in response to an
overcall ? Some people say the “modern” way is to play it as just a
bid to keep the auction alive so does not even promise a stopper in the
opponents suit ! It is a forcing NT bid that is not forcing . I think that bid is semi-suicidal as the easiest bid to double is 1NT
. If you have a misfit , there is going to be
serious blood on the table . You overcall to “get in there “
to help partner with leads so these overcalls can have very minimum values.
A |
x |
A |
x |
J |
x |
J |
x |
10 |
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x |
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x |
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x |
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x |
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Everybody vul , the
opponents bid 1♦ . You overcall 1♠ , partner bids 1NT . You are minimum
, flat so you pass. It goes double on your left and 2♣ by partner which gets
doubled . Partner now bids 2♥ which gets doubled again . With clubs & hearts breaking badly you go for -800
& the opponents are cold for +120 . Partners hand is
x |
Q |
x |
A |
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x |
x |
x |
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x |
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x |
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x |
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x |
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x |
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x |
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Surely you need more values to bid 1NT to an overcall . Yes , partner can have a opening bid value hand to make an overcall . However .Bridge is a game of probabilities . The
range of an overcall makes it such that the odds are that the overcall is under the HCP
needed for game values . To
make a game with a misfit , partners overcall would have to be quite substantial . Bidding 1NT on
a misfit with 6 HCP with no stopper in
the opponents suit
is inviting disaster. Modern bidders are
certainly not afraid to go down as they proclaim quite often.
In match points
, I guess the risk might be
worth it , as 1♠ is going down you
are making an “advance rescue”
bid . However , how does partner determine the
difference between a rescue &
a constructive 1NT bid ? Pass is a legal bid in Bridge
. If the opener re-opens with a double & 1♠ gets converted , you have a nice 1NT run out saying run to one of
the unbid suits partner. After an overcall
, bidding 1NT with 6 HCP with a stiff in partners suit , my estimate is
the opponents have an average of 24
HCP to your 16 HCP. The ominous pass by
RHO smell of spades & it is a misfit auction . Why put your head
on the chopping block ? Bidding 1NT with 6 HCP ,
stiff in partners suit and no stopper in the opponents suit is destructive bidding.
What if partner took you for
the flat 10 HCP you are supposed to have , so bids 3NT
? The opponents cash 6 diamonds , a another trick so
–300 instead of your club partial for +110 . What if partner plays you for some
values and competes in spades so
gets doubled for -500 against nothing ? I feel 1NT is
a master minding bid in that you
are not bidding your own hand but what partner might have . You are ignoring the odds & worrying about the
infrequent hands where partner might have a “rock” overcall where there is game with your misfit. Bridge works out better if you bid your own hand & let the partnership
make a joint decision !! If this 1NT bid is the
“modern way”, I
do not want any part of it .
Bidding
a suit is just a one round
force to an overcall. If you have some
more values say 8+ HCP & up, just pick a suit & bid it rather
than 1NT. You have that luxury with overcalls that you do not have with opening
bids. If partner shows no sign of life ,
just drop the auction . Don’t forget that the rebid of the overcall just says I
have a minimum ( death response ) but says nothing
else. Some players go 1 step further . Because their
overcall style is so light , they play a new suit by
responder to an overcall as not even forcing one round ! This prevents playing
a 1NT bid as a general “catch all” bid to an overcall.
I
think this style of responding to an overcall is a
result of the so call “modern style” of overcalling. With 5-4 in the majors ,
they refuse to make a T/O double holding an opening bid or better &
allow equal
level conversion to sort things out . They must overcall with
their 5 card spade regardless whether it buries the
heart suit (other suit(s) ) or not , even with
strong hands. Now they need the silly 1NT bid as a catch all.
Why not have overcalls generally show single suited hands (
variable strength ) or two suits under an
opening bid range & T/O doubles or
toys show more than one suit ? It follows that a one NT response would be back
to normal. Modern bidding sucks $%^$##$ . Advocates of
modern bidding confuse me …
Comments please …
P.S. Klimo & Vince Nowlan said that the 1NT bid is “obvious” with this hand in a discussion
tonight. I find this “style” incomprehensible
in IMPS. Modern bidding is not modern , it is just plain bad.