Monday, January 31,
2005 2:46 PM
Hand Evaluation – Forcing
pass ( 2 Level Overcalls )
PITBULLS:
One bid in Bridge
that has changed over the years in expert circles is the 2 level overcall. In the early days
of Bridge, an overcall had to be less than an opening
bid or else you would have
doubled. Experts over time realized that this burdened the double with way too many hand types so the strength of two level overcalls
started to creep upwards. In today’s bidding, an overcall
at the two level is generally considered to have opening bid values or better. If you just hold
a suit , you can always pre-empt instead. KQJ10xx of
hearts is not a 2♥ overcall to a spade opening but rather a 3♥ pre-empt. If you
have about a 10 count , experts prefer to wait a round & balance or make a belated overcall to “get in
the auction” . They preserve the sanctity
of the two level overcall to show good values rather than just a
suit. This contributes to “partnership
discipline” for established partnerships.
This
understanding has repercussions . Maurice De La Salle
playing with a good partner from Vancouver doubled the opponents in 3NT with 10
HCP after partner had made a 2 level overcall in clubs. He rightly thought that
the opponents had really over extended themselves. Wrong !
Partner had only ♠xxx ♥xx ♦x ♣AJ109xxx for a two level overcall !! No expert
overcalls at the two level with that kind of hand in
this day & age. It is a pre-empt or a back in later type of bid. A
partnership should be at the same wavelengths for the strength of the two level
overcalls. Partnership discipline is eroded with such “variable” two level
overcalls.
An
understanding in one area contributes to an understanding in another. My
partners & and I play two level overcalls at the opening bid strength or
better. This understanding affects our forcing
pass structure. Tom overcalled 1♥ with 2♣ with
this hand ♠AJx ♥void ♦KJ10x ♣AJ109xx . He has a strong hand but it is more
descriptive to overcall 2♣ initially
rather than double. The opponents now bid two hearts so I freely bid 2♠ . A two spade bid is forcing at least one round &
shows values. They bid 4♥ so Tom bids 4♠ . The opening bidder now bids 5♥ so Tom passes . Is his pass forcing ? Forcing passes are
turned on when one side “owns the auction”. Partner has overcalled at the two level & partner shows values contracting for game. We
should “own the hand” so forcing passes should
apply. I double 5♥ & Tom pulls to 5♠ as a slam try. I
make +450 with ease & they only go down 2 in 5 hearts doubled.
What
if the auction went a little bit differently ? Say Tom
only rebid his clubs to show a minimum overcall & we still got to 4 spades.
Would his pass be forcing then ? No
, it would not as there is no clear indication
we
own the
hand. In doubtful cases , play D.S.I.P. competitive
double theory instead . If you can not tell from the bidding
that you own the hand forcing
passes do not
apply.