What to Overcall?

Playing matchpoints. Both you and the Opponents are vulnerable.

Here is your hand:
♠AKQJ73
♥985
♦7
♣T94

Your RHO (Right Hand Opponent) is Dealer and opens the bidding 1♦. What is your call?

Show Answer

I like 2♠.

This gets across that you have a SIX card suit but weak values.

You are vulnerable so Partner should expect a good suit so you are not too strong for this bid.

If you overcall 1♠ and then rebid your ♠ suit (because who wouldn't want to show six of that lovely suit!) then you tend to show some defence.

After all, with a six card suit and no defense you would have started with a 2♠ bid!

Fabulous Rebid?

Playing matchpoints. You are vulnerable and the Opponents are not vulnerable.

Here is your hand:
♠T2
♥Q8
♦AKQJ75
♣AT9

You are Dealer. We decided last post to open 1♦. You are unbalanced with no stoppers in either major so that is why you didn't open 1NT. The Opponents stay silent during the bidding. Partner responds 1♠.

You have a fabulous bid to describe your hand perfectly! What is your call?

Show Answer

3♦.

This should show a GOOD six card suit with about 16 to 18 HCP (High Card Points).

Partner has a ♥ stopper and about 9 HCP. They will bid 3NT and you will make a game.

If you rebid 2♦ you don't get across just how strong your hand is and Partner just says "Pass".

Rebids

Playing matchpoints. You are vulnerable and the Opponents are not vulnerable.

Here is your hand:
♠T2
♥Q8
♦AKQJ75
♣AT9

You are Dealer. What is your call?

Show Answer

I think 1♦ is the best call.

You do have 16 HCP (High Card Points) but you are not totally balanced. You have two doubletons.

Plus both those doubletons are weak with no stoppers in them.

Now sometimes we are stuck and have to open the bidding 1NT with two doubletons. But only if we are stuck for a rebid. You are not.

Open 1♦ and you have a good rebid to show your hand.

Just what is this rebid? Stay tuned and find out! (I love these cliffhangers!)

What to Rebid?

Playing matchpoints. You are vulnerable and the Opponents are not vulnerable.

Here is your hand:
♠KQ76432
♥63
♦76
♣65

Your Partner is Dealer and opens the bidding 1♥. The Opponents are silent during the auction. You decide to respond 1♠. Your Partner rebids 2♥. They should have a six card suit for that.

What is your call?

Show Answer

2♠

You do have a ♥ fit -- this is true.

However just how many tricks will your hand take if ♥ are trump?

Not many. One at the very, very most.

How many tricks will your hand take if ♠ are trump?

Quite a few more. You can now use Partner's high cards to stop losers in your other suits.

You can take 10 tricks if ♠ are trump. (You will never bid the game though.)

You can take nine tricks only with ♥ as trump. Partner has to lose two ♥ tricks if ♥ are trump. Only one if ♠ are trump.

With a weak hand and a long suit prefer to play in YOUR suit rather than Partner's.

What to do?

Playing matchpoints. Both sides are vulnerable.

Here is your hand:
♠73
♥974
♦T8632
♣Q72

Three "Passes" to your Partner who opens the bidding 2♣. The Opponents do not come in the auction. You respond with a 2♦ "waiting" bid. This shows zero or more points. Now Partner bids 2♥. They should have a five card suit.

You have a TERRIBLE hand. What is your call?

Show Answer

If you have a second negative bid I'm okay if you want to bid that. If you don't know what a second negative bid is you don't play it.

Otherwise you've GOT to support your Partner's suit!

Bid either 3♥ or 4♥ -- depending on what Partner thinks is weaker.

But you've GOT TO BID!!!

If you "Pass" 2♥ Partner will play there (unlikely the Opponent's are coming in!) and take twelve tricks!

Yes, twelve tricks with your lousy hand.

You even take three tricks yourself!

Partner's hand:
♠5
♥AKQ32
♦AKQ
♣AK54

Maybe you are thinking Partner should have shown a stronger hand. But they did open 2♣. They show a strong hand when they open 2♣. They don't want to jump to 3♥ over your 2♦ bid because they don't have enough ♥ to do this. That takes up too much room in the bidding also.

No. Partner should rebid 2♥ and TRUST YOU to bid again. Then they will bid their game.

If Partner needed you to have some points to make a game they would have opened the bidding 1♥. Now if you have nothing you will "Pass" and you won't be too high.

If Partner wants to be in a game if you have no points they start with a 2♣ bid. That forces you to bid -- even with nothing!

Bid?

Playing matchpoints. Neither side is vulnerable.

Here is your hand:
♠K32
♥T7
♦KQ743
♣932

Partner opens the bidding 3♠. Your RHO (Right Hand Opponent) says "Pass". What is your call?

Show Answer

I hope you bid 4♠! Raise Partner to their LAW level! (Partner has seven trump -- you have three. That's ten trump. Ten tricks is the four level.)

Think about it. Partner is weak (they opened with a pre-empt) and you've only got eight points. That means the OPPONENTS probably have enough to make a game!

If you "Pass" you make it easy on your LHO (Left Hand Opponent). They will come in with their suit (or maybe "Double"?) and they will bid the game.

If you bid 4♠ now your LHO has to make a FIVE LEVEL OVERCALL.

That takes not only a really good hand but a certain amount of guts to do that. Maybe they will chicken out and let you have the contract for 4♠.

Even if Partner goes down seven or eight tricks (unlikely!) it is better to do that then have the Opponents bid their game.

Turns out your Partner will even make 4♠ if they guess everything right!

But guess what? The Opponents can make a small slam in ♣ and also a small slam in ♥.

Most players bid 4♥ if they were allowed to.

Only one player bid 5♥.

Rebids by Responder

Playing matchpoints. You are NOT vulnerable but the Opponents are vulnerable.

Here is your hand:
♠Q3
♥T6
♦Q852
♣AKQT3

Partner opens the bidding 1♣. The Opponents are silent during the auction. We decided last post to respond 1♦. Force Partner to bid. Partner now bids 1NT. What is your call?

Show Answer

3NT. You have an opening hand and Partner opened the bidding. Put them in game.

Sure you have a minor suit fit. But you will take tricks with those ♣ in NT and your hand is fairly balanced. Partner should have the majors stopped with their 1NT bid. Besides, they opened 1♣ and their ♣ suit is terrible so they must have values elsewhere.

Plus you only need nine tricks to make 3NT. You need eleven tricks to make 5♣.

Your Partner will take nine tricks in 3NT but only ten trick in 5♣. The Opponents can take three ♦ tricks right off the top!

What to Rpond?

Playing matchpoints. You are NOT vulnerable but the Opponents are vulnerable.

Here is your hand:
♠Q3
♥T6
♦Q852
♣AKQT3

Partner opens the bidding 1♣. The Opponents are silent during the auction. What is your call?

Show Answer

Thing is on this hand you have a FORCING raise in ♣. But I bet you don't have a bid to show that. You have to have a bid that says "I like your ♣ and we are going to game."

Nowadays most people play 3♣ as an invitational hand. So about 11-12 points with at least five ♣.

But Partner is allowed to "Pass" if they are minimum.

You don't want that.

So unless you have a forcing raise in ♣ you need to make a forcing bid.

Bid 1♦. Partner will bid again.