E has a big hand and bids a TO dbl (to make sure responder bids) with a response of 1 S by W. Unfortunately, E jumps to 3 NT.
How should the bidding have progressed? 3 NT went down 2
Mark:
You always have such great hands! A book, or at least
a long chapter, could be written on the subject of what to do when you have a
good to great hand and an opponent has just bid your best suit. Most of the
time the best answer, even with an opening hand or slightly better, for the
best probability of a good result, just pass. If the opener's partner has
enough to bid, then your partner is broke and you won't have a making contract.
If the opener's partner is the one that's broke, he may be desperate to escape
to a different suit but can't afford to bid. If they opened 1 club on a 3 card
suit, they could be about to play in a 3-2 fit unless you provide a way out.
You'll make more on defense than on offense if they play in what is normally
your side's best contract, even when only on the 1 level. OK, having said that,
sometimes your hand is just too good to pass. You risk missing a game. With 15
to 18 points scattered among the suits and a decent stopper in their suit, you
just overcall 1 NT. That's very descriptive and most of the time your partner
can judge where to play, just as if you'd opened 1NT and with a bonus of
knowing something about the opponents hands to help guide you in the play.
Incidentally, most players play "system on" after a NT overcall, so
stayman, transfer bids, etc are still on.
What if you have more than 18 and a hand that could
otherwise overcall in NT. The standard call is the double that was made in this
case, (tentatively for takeout, but clarified later as something else) and then,
after a response of 1 of a suit, that could well be done with 0 points, the
doubler just bids 1NT! That shows a balanced hand, a stopper in the opener's
suit and 19 or m20 points, as in the present case. 2NT in this auction would
show 20 to 22. Tend to assume that they will lead the opener's suit and upgrade
or downgrade a little from the above scheme if you think the lead will give you
potential extra tricks. In this case, the lack of good intermediate cards in
the opener's suit suggests a slight downgrade. If the clubs were, for instance
5 with the A, 10, 9 or A, 10, 8... you could upgrade. As it is, you have the
bare minimum for a 1NT rebid, not nearly enough to bid 2NT and surely not 3.
The advantage in this case is not only to stay on a reasonable level, but to
give your partner a chance to show more features of the hand, if there are any.
In this case, partner, knowing you have 18 or 19 points, bids 2 hearts, showing
5 spades and 4 hearts. ( West would bid 2 clubs, stayman with 4-4 in the majors)It
shows a hand not good enough to invite a game. With a good 6 high card points,
partner bids 3 hearts, inviting game in Spade, hearts or NT. This hand isn't
quite good enough to do that, so 2 hearts only. Note how the mutual
description changes the re-evaluations of both hands. Always think in terms of
where you are relative to what you've said so far. A moment ago east had the
minimum hand to bid 1NT after having doubled. East shouldn't accept a 2NT
invitation by west, which would promise a 4 card spade suit and a good 5 or
average 6 points, denying 4 hearts or 5 spades. However, the hand improves
significantly after West bids 2 hearts. Now East has significantly better than
minimum values for the bidding so far, and invites (still not good enough to
insist on game) by bidding 3 hearts. Back to West. The West hand is pretty
maximal for having failed to invite game previously. This is enough to accept
the invitation. Notice the careful dance of both partners re- evaluating based
on updated information from the other. You reach a very good 4 heart contract
that is likely to make on the actual deal.
The play in a NT contract can be interesting.
Paradoxically, NT plays better from the West. North has no reason (Unless he's
been peeking) to lead the club king. The normal lead of the club 4 comes around
to the singleton Q. This gives West the only possible entry to lead hearts. You
still don't make game or equal the score you get in a heart contract. but at
least it's a plus and might be an average or better board.
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