Responding to an overcall by Paul Bowyer

A: 2♠. This may look obvious - indeed, it IS obvious. However, there are some players who think along the following lines... "Partner's overcall doesn't promise much, in fact he may have only 9 points or so. If I bid we'll be out on a limb with insufficient values and may suffer a penalty. Best is to Pass". All we can say is that men were shot at dawn for lesser acts of cowardice. The point to note is that the weaker partner is (the normal range for a 1♠ overcall is about 8-15 points) the more you should be attempting to obstruct West, who must have a good hand. Going down in 2♠ will be no tragedy if East-West have 25 points between them!

Your result so far:

A: Pass. Now you have no fit with partner and have little reason to bid. You shouldn't introduce a four-card suit into proceedings (partner will always assume you have a good five-carder if you bid a fresh suit) and you are not strong enough to bid 1NT. If the opponents want to play the hand - let them.

Your result so far:

A: 1NT. You shouldn't bid your four-card Spade suit here (this is not the same situation as when partner has opened 1♥). However, with 10 points you are too strong to let 1♥ go. Best is to bid 1NT, which is a constructive bid. Remember this - after an opening bid you keep the bidding alive on any old heap and respond 1NT with 6-9 points.

After an overcall the situation is very different. The exact range for a 1NT "response" varies from partnership to partnership but we'd suggest something round about 9-11 points. Will, of course, sound stoppers in the opponents' suit.

Your result so far:

A: 3♠. Yes, you have 13 points and would certainly have enough to raise to game if partner had opened 1♠. However, here he hasn't - he's overcalled 1♠, so may only have a fairly weak hand. As such, therefore, you are only able to invite game rather than to insist on it. Leave it to North to advance to 4♠ if he fancies the prospect - give him some leeway if he's overcalled on good Spades and on your good looks (!)

Your result so far:

A: 4♠. Partner's overcall promises a good five-card suit and, note, he is vulnerable. (Don't fool around when vulnerable - it can prove expensive). With 15 points and good trump support (well, ♠K 10 8 is perfectly adequate) you have to take a pot at game.

Your result so far:

A: 4♠. This is in the nature of a barrage bid. West was probably about to bid again after East's 2♥ raise (maybe with a game try, maybe with a game bid). Now you have put it to him at the four-level he won't know what to do. Should he bid 5♥? Should he Pass? Should he Double? Watch West squirm... great fun!

Note that these hands where both sides have big trump fits are among the most exciting at bridge. Often they can make ten tricks in Hearts and we can make ten tricks in Spades. Working out just how high to bid can be exquisitely agonising.

Note also that you don't mind if 4♠ buys the hand and you go down. Surely East-West would have made a large number of Hearts? Heads you win, tails they lose.

One problem is that partner doesn't know if a game raise is a barrage bid (like this) or a "genuine" raise as in Hand 5. Later, MUCH later, we will modify this...

Your result so far:

A: Pass. With no fit for partner's Hearts you shouldn't be bidding, really. 2♦? well, what do you expect that to produce? You don't have the values here to bid and all you are going to do is to provoke partner into bidding 2♥. 1♠ is also completely wrong - you don't want to introduce a rubbishy suit into proceedings.

Maybe West will bid again, and you will prefer defending to playing this hand.

Your result so far:

A: 3♠. How can you best judge these situations? Well, we will give you a useful rule of thumb that experienced bridge players use regularly these days. It may seem strange but, amazingly, it works.

"Be prepared to compete to the level of the known number of trumps"

That may not be clear so let's clarify it. We know we have nine Spades between us (partner's overcall shows five). That means we should be prepared to compete to the nine trick level. That's 3♠ so we should bid 3♠. With only eight Spades between us we should give up competing at the eight trick level (at the two-level, in other words).

This may not always work but it takes the sting out of guesswork. Note that it doesn't say 3♠ will make, it just says that you should bid it. Most likely you will be set by a trick but 3♥ would probably have made in that case. "One off, good bridge!"

Your result so far:

A: Pass. They want to play at the three-level - let them. You may have pushed them too high and therefore may pick up 50 or 100 points.

Now, you may argue that with 11 points you should fight on with 3♠ but this would be wrong. Using the logic of Question 8 you only have eight Spades between you so you should be prepared to compete to the eight trick level. That's 2♠ - we bid that. After than don't overdo it. If 3♠ makes it is likely that 3♥ fails. Much more likely is that both 3♥ and 3♠ fails.

Your result so far:

A: 3♠. Another example of competing to the right level. Remember:

"Be prepared to compete to the level of the known number of trumps"

We know we have nine Spades between us so that means we should be prepared to compete to the nine trick level. That's 3♠ so we should bid precisely that.

True, you are about to look a lemon if West now comes to life and bids 4♥ and makes it. Well, it happens. Perhaps, though, partner will know what to do if West does bid 4♥. He may be lurking there waiting to Double. In these cases you must bid your cards and let partner decide what to do with his.

Your result so far: