A word about nomenclature: Opener's partner is
called "Responder", and must not be confused with
Overcaller/Takeout Doubler's partner, "Advancer".
Defensive Bidding can occur whenever the opponents
have opened the bidding. Our side can begin with
either a double or an overcall. The advantages of
entering the auction in this manner (in no particular
order of importance) are as follows:
1. Competing for and perhaps winning the Declarership
2. Making it harder for THEM to find the right contract
3. Discovering the best opening lead for our side
4. Pushing the opponents up to a level they can't make
5. Finding a good sacrifice
--------------- TakeOut Doubles --------------
Any double of a SUIT bid below the 3NT level
opposite a partner who has not, as yet, made a call
other than a pass, is a TAKEOUT double. These are
some examples of Takeout doubles:
1C-Dble
1S-P-2S-Dble
1D-P-1H-Dble
1H-P-1NT-Dble
A takeout double shows one of 3 types of hands:
1. 10+ points, support for the unbid suits
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Double a 1D opening bid. Pass anything but
a cuebid response by partner (Advancer).
2. 17+ points, ANY unbalanced distribution
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Too strong to overcall 1S (which would show
at most 16 points), double a 1C, 1D or 1H
opening bid with the idea of rebidding in
Spades.
3. 19+ points, flat hand, too strong for a 1NT overcall
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Double ANY opening bid with the idea of
rebidding in No Trump to show a hand too
strong to overcall 1NT immediately (hence,
19-21 points) but too weak to double and
then JUMP in No Trump (22-24 points).
It follows, then, that a double followed by a free
new suit rebid by the Doubler (e.g. 1D-Dble-P-1H-P-1S)
shows a 17+ point hand. Similarly, a double followed by
a simple NO TRUMP rebid (e.g. 1C-Dble-P-1H-P-1NT) shows
19-21 points.
A STRONG Doubler can always force the bidding with
a cuebid of the enemy suit (e.g. 1S-Dble-P-any-P-2S).
--------- Questions ----------
1. Let's say I have 3-5-1-4 and my RHO opens 1D.
Can I double with a 5-card major suit or should I
overcall 1H?
2. Can I overcall and make a takeout double LATER?
3. What is an "anchor" suit?
4. Are there other types of takeout doubles?
------- Responding to a Takeout Double -------
A takeout double asks Advancer to bid hir longest
suit, with particular attention to any MAJOR suit. The
most important point here is that UNLESS RESPONDER makes
a call OTHER THAN A PASS OR A REDOUBLE, Advancer MUST
"take out" the double by bidding hir longest suit--even
with ZERO HCPs! ONLY with 8+ points and 5 of their
trumps should you "convert the double to penalty" by
making a "penalty pass".
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LHO opens 1D and partner doubles. Gulp! RHO
passes. You MUST bid here! I suggest 1H, the
cheapest of your non-Diamond (3 card) "suits". :(
Do NOT pass 1D! And do NOT bid 1NT!
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NOW you would PASS the takeout double of 1D.
No Trump responses to the takeout double show
flattish hands and positive values, with a stopper in
the enemy suit. 1NT promises 7-10 points, 2NT shows
11-13 points, 3NT reveals 14-17 points. Any new suit
rebid by Doubler is forcing.
The weakest response to a takeout double is a simple
call in an unbid suit (e.g. 1C-Dble-P-1D, 1H or 1S).
This shows a maximum of 8 points. A new suit rebid
by Doubler (e.g. 1H-Dble-P-1S-P-2C) is strong (17-22
points) but NOT forcing; Doubler must JUMP in that new
suit (e.g. 1H-Dble-P-1S-P-3C) to FORCE the bidding.
Holding 9-12 points, Advancer should make a single
JUMP response in hir longest suit (e.g. 1H-Dble-P-2S,
3C or 3D). Now a new suit by Doubler (on 17+ points)
*is* game-forcing because THIS time Advancer HAS shown
positive values.
Advancer's strongest recourse is a cuebid of the
opponent's suit (e.g. 1S-Dble-P-2S) with 13+ points.
SAYC notes state that such a cuebid is game forcing.
--------- Questions ----------
1. If I double with 12 points and a 5-card major,
should I bid the major if Advancer bids 1NT?
e.g. 1D-Dble-P-1NT-P ...can I rebid 2H or 2S?
------- Simple Overcalls --------
A 1NT overcall shows 15-18 points, a flat hand
and a guard in the enemy suit. Because this allows
Responder to make a penalty double with 8+ points,
we should NEVER stretch to make such an overcall.
In fact, in close decisions, make a takeout double
rather than a 1NT overcall. Myself, I will only
overcall 1NT with a "source of tricks": a 5-card
suit, very good spot cards (10s & 9s), etc.
A simple SUIT overcall shows 8-16 points and,
USUALLY, a 5+ card suit. OCCASIONALLY, though, a
4-card suit will be bid--especially at the 1-level--if
Overcaller lacks enough cards in one of the other
unbid suits to warrant a takeout double.
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Over a 1S opening bid you would double.
But what about over a 1C opening? 1H.
Advancer will proceed under the assumption that
Overcaller has a FIVE card suit. One important
distinction must be made here: a new suit by
RESPONDER is forcing, but NOT a new suit by ADVANCER!
1C-1H-1S is forcing, but NOT 1C-1H-P-1S. Rather,
such a free bid by Advancer is "forward going",
with 10-15 points, but NOT forcing. To force with
a new suit, Advancer must JUMP (e.g. 1C-1H-P-2S)
in it.
As always, Advancer can cuebid the enemy suit
(e.g. 1D-1S-P-2D) to show great strength. Single
raises of Overcaller reveal a WIDE range, 6-10
points. A jump to the 3-level is, sadly, LIMIT
(11-13 points) in SAYC-OK. Jumps to the FOUR level
(e.g. 1H-1S-P-4S) are pre-emptive.
------ A suggested Alternative --------
If playing with a steady partner, I would NOT
suggest this SAYC-OK treatment. Rather, use the cuebid
as a general force, which may be just a limit raise.
In response to ANY such cuebid, Overcaller will rebid
hir suit (e.g. 1C-1S-P-2C-P-2S) IF MINIMAL. Should
the cuebid happened to have been a limit raise, Advancer
can then PASS! Only with a truly game-forcing hand will
Advancer continue on (e.g. 1C-1S-P-2C-P-2S-P-3H) over
any such discouraging rebid.
This treatment "frees up" the jump raise for
PRE-EMPTIVE use. 1C-1H-P-3H would be PRE-EMPTIVE
if using cuebids in this manner.
-----------------------------------------
Standard practice with a good hand (10-15 pts.)
but a WEAK suit is to PASS the opening bid and then
bid the weak suit later. 1C-P-1H-P-2C-2D, then,
shows a good hand with WEAK Diamonds.
------------ Questions ----------------
1. Do other pairs use different ranges for their
overcalls? What does "Roth-Stone" style
overcalls mean?
2. I know what "lead direction" is (bidding a suit
to get partner to lead it), but what is "lead
discovery"?
3. What do I do if I have TWO suits to overcall?
Should I bid one of them or use a 2-suited
overcall (be it an Unusual 2NT or Michaels)?
--------- Quiz ----------
1. RHO opens 1D. What would you bid with:
| HAND A: |
 xx |
 QJ10 |
 KQ10 |
 AKQxx |
| HAND B: |
Kxxxx |
Axx |
x |
AQxx |
| HAND C: |
AKxxxx |
xxx |
x |
AQxx |
| HAND D: |
x |
AKQxxx |
Axx |
Axx |
| HAND E: |
AKx |
AKx |
KQxx |
Axx |
| HAND F: |
Jxxxx |
Ax |
AQx |
K10x |
| HAND G: |
AQ109x |
xx |
xxx |
K10x |
|
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RAINBOW Series
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The Rainbow Series, from 2:30 to 3:30 PST every weekday, is a lecture program on the SAYC system, from
Opening Bids all the way through to the conventional aspects of SAYC.
Unlike the FireSide and 5th Chair sessions mentioned above, the
Rainbow Series is a semi-private lesson program for our students.
Nevertheless, you are invited to stop by and "eavesdrop"
on the discussion from the Spectator's Loft.
If you have any questions arising from these notes,
or about the Rainbow Lesson Series, please do not hesitate
to email me at: cpw@escape.ca
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