Saturday, July 19, 2008
4:41 pm
Hand Evaluation – Doubles vrs Overcalls
PITBULLS:
Moderns bidders tend to overcall
with huge hands. They tend to rationalize this behaviour that "since
everybody bids & jams so much it is best to get your suit in
early" . I agree in theory with the "shape before strength"
as this is called but do not over do
it. The litmus test goes back to the quality of your HCP's.
If they are quick tricks ( controls ) choose a double rather than an
overcall. A double implies two things in the game of Bridge. Support for
the unbid suits & defence
measured in quick tricks. If I do not have much defence , I usually
choose to overcall.
Here is a hand from the Gandolfo match in the GNT in Las Vegas. ♠K109xxx
♥AQJx ♦♦Axx
♣void with everybody vul 3♣ by the
opponent & your bid ? Doubles vrs overcalls. Making these
decisions come from evaluating
your HCPs . You are all controls which equates to defence .
You have 2 1/2
quick tricks outside of your spade suit !
An overcall normally means a single suited hand with a decent suit. You
normally "live" there. This hand ,you have support for all the unbid suits. Say
you overcall 3♠ & partner has no spade fit ♠x
♥Kxxxx ♦KJ10
♣xxxx . Partner will pass & +1430 in hearts makes your way
! Worse still with this hand is you set partner up for failure as she will
make the wrong decision. You are describing your hand to yourself as true
"solo artists" do all
the time but not to
partner . Keep partner guessing is the call of modern bidders
! Say the auction takes off after the "modern" 3 ♠
overcall. Partner likes her stiff
spade & with her ♦KQ10xxx
& scattered values she doubles them as they are just too high. . Wrong
, as they make their contract for -750 & +1370 in diamonds
makes your way . By overcalling spades you are not showing where you live
or even close to describing
your hand to partner. There are 10 HCP's in spades in
the deck & you have 3 HCP's there. You are misleading partner again with
your HCP concentration.
Same distribution ♠KQJxxx ♥KQJx ♦QJx ♣void. this is a 3♠
overcall but it pales in comparison with the other hand due to lack of controls
( quick tricks ) .
Some say what if partner passes 3♣ double they
lament. Happiness ! We can not make anything because of the club
duplication of value & since partner has quick tricks for the
double they are looking at -1100 when you convert for penalty with ♣QJ1087
or the like. A 3 spade overcall with this hand is for modern :solo
artists & there are many of those types around unfortunately. Fuzzy thinkers is a
synonym for modern bidders in my opinion. Tom's partner Doug Deschner doubled
with this hand making it easy for them to reach slam in a crowded auction.