Main
Menu ▼
Beginners Bidding Opening Lead Playing Deals
Quiz: Barrier-Reversing

Quiz: Deal # Thursday
Free Downloads Cribsheets Conventions Quick Book Glossary Books to read Deal a hand Other stuff
Basic
strategy
0000). How to use 0001). Bidding Objectives = "8 and 25" 0002). 28 for minor 0003). 33 for NT slam 0004). Suit slam 0005). Importance of length 0006). Convention card 0007). ACOL and American Standard, differences 0008). A-Z Glossary 0690). A-Z Glossary
Hand
evaluation
0010). Balanced-Unbalanced 0011). How strong is your hand, HCP 0012). Distribution points 0013). Losing trick count 0014). Barrier-Reversing 0015). Selection of opening suit 0016). Showing shape 0017). 4441 distribution 0018). The skip over principle 0019). Rule of 20 Opening 1 of a suit 0019a). Rule of 25 Opening 2 of a suit 0019b). Rule of 500 Max penalty risk on preempt if doubled 0019c). Law of total tricks 0019d). Rule of Protective bidding
Opening
bids
0020). Plan of attack 0021). Bal, 12 to 19 HCPs, weak NT 0022). Bal, 20+ points 0023). Bal, 15 to 17 HCPs, strong NT 0025). Unbal, 12 to 19 HCPs, 1 suit 0026). Unbal, Strong 2s 0027). Unbal, Pre-emptive 0028). Unbal, Gambling 3NT 0029). Benji Strong 2s
Responder
1st bids
0030). After 1NT, General principles 0031). After 1NT, Weak 0032). After 1NT, Getting out of trouble 0033). After 1NT, 11+ balanced 0034). After 1NT, 11+ 4-card major 0035). After 1NT, 11+ unbalanced 0036). After 1NT, 19+ 0037). After 2NT 0038). After 1NT, and Enemy has interfered 0039). 1 NT responses 0040). After 1 Suit, With fit 0041). After 1 Suit, No fit, but alternative suit 0042). After 1 Suit, No fit, no new suit, probably balanced 0043). After 1 Suit, 6 points, nothing to bid 0044). After 1 Suit, Very strong 0045). After 1 Suit, Weak freak 0047). After 2 Suit, Strong 2s 0048). After 2 Suit, Weak 2s 0049). After 3 Suit, Responding to preempt
Openers
rebid
0050). Unbalanced, The general idea 0051). Unbalanced, You are weak 0052). Unbalanced, You are strong 0053). Unbalanced, Partner replied with 1NT 0054). Unbalanced, Delayed support 0055). Balanced
Responder
rebids
0060). Responder rebids, The general idea 0061). Choice of two suits 0062). Responders reverse 0063). After 1NT rebid
Basic
Convention
0080). Stayman 0081). Transfer 0082). Transfer after 2NT 0161). Minor suit transfer
Slam
bidding
0090). Slam, Spotting the chance 0091). Blackwood 0092). No-trump slam 0093). Gerber 0094). Extra slam techniques
Interfering
bids
0100). Overcalls, the basic idea 0101). Overcalls, in a suit, over a suit 0102). Overcalls, in a suit, over 1NT 0103). Overcalls, in NT, over a suit 0104). Overcalls, Jump overcall 0105). Overcalls, Double then bid a suit 0106). Overcalls, Bidding opponents suit 0107). Overcalls, Balancing (protective) 0108). Overcalls, Overcall a preempt 0109). Overcalls, Preemptive double jump 0110). Overcalls, To overcall, or to double 0111). Overcalls, Response to 1NT after suit overcall (Lebensohl) 0115). Defence after 1NT 0116). Competitive bidding 0117). Be cautious sometimes 0118). Sacrificing Be bold when non-vulnerable 0119). Sacrificing 0120). Doubles, Double a 1NT 0121). Doubles, Double for takeout 0122). Doubles, Doubling after opponent overcall 0126). Doubles, Protective double
Doubles

0120). Doubles, Double a 1NT 0121). Doubles, Double for takeout 0122). Doubles, Doubling after opponent overcall 0123). Doubles, Negative double 0124). Doubles, Double a 1NT overcall 0125). Doubles, Double a suit over 1NT 0126). Doubles, Protective double 0127). Doubles, Responsive double 0128). Doubles, Double then bid a suit 0129). Doubles, Penalty 0130). Doubles, Support double 0131). Doubles, Lead directing double 0132). Doubles, Maximal double 0133). Doubles, Redoubling - coded meanings 0134). Doubles, Forcing Pass 0135). Doubles, Re-opening double 0139). Doubles, Index of doubles
Advanced
Convention
0150). Majors Jacoby 2NT 0151). Majors Splinters 0152). Majors Weak 2s 0153). Majors Weak 2 defence 0154). Trial bid 0160). NT and minors 4th suit forcing 0161). Minor suit transfer 0162). DONT Bidding When Opponents open 1NT 0163). Game tries 0166). Grand Slam Force 0167). Roman Keycard Blackwood 0168). Cue bidding for controls 0170). 2-suited Overcall Unusual 2NT 0171). 2-suited Overcall Michaels cue bid 0172). 2-suited Overcall Landy over 1NT 0173). Overcall Unassuming cue bid 0179). Very advanced

Quiz How much do you know about this page? Quiz

<= find/hide more deals exploiting this aspect

Quick summary

"My overcall says I've got two 5-card suits".

2NT (unusual !): I've got 2 good minor suits, or the missing minor + a random Major (call enemy's suit to enquire which one)

2 of the enemy's suit: I've got 2 good Major suits, or the missing Major + a random minor (call 2NT to ask me which one)

Your rebid clarifies if weak or strong (8-15HCP).

Response: It's forcing unless there's an intervening bid: choose best of the two, jumping to encourage; bid opener's suit to force to game; or 3NT if strong and stopped in the other 2 suits.

Print cribsheet

Bridge Venue

« 0171 »

2-suited Overcalls

Unusual No Trump and the Michael's Cue Bids

If the opponents have opened the bidding, it can be difficult to bid effectively when you have length in two suits. And yet such hands have enormous potential if your partner has a fit in one (or both) of your two suits.

Here is a way of telling your partner about this 2-suited opportunity, by using two otherwise almost totally meaningless bids:

an overcall of 2NT is called the Unusual No Trump, and is basically looking for minors;
an overcall in opponent's suit is called a Michael's cue bid, and is basically looking for Majors.

The bids can also be used to tell your partner when you have 2 long suits where one is a Major the other a minor.

The two systems work in much the same way. You need about 8-15 points (similar strength to a normal overcall) and two good suits containing honours.

These bids are forcing, and therefore they can also be used on strong two-suited hands. If the overcaller has more strength than the normal level, he can show this in his next bid, after his partner has responded.

Both of these bids can be used as destructive devices, as they take away bidding space from the enemy.

Major Michael ! (bids the enemy's suit)

Hey, I've got two 5-card Majors. Which do you think is best ?

Well, at least that's what it means when the overcall was after a minor, e.g. 1-2. (If the overcall was after a Major, then it guarantees 5-cards in the other Major, and an unspecified minor).

A bid of two of the suit which the enemy has just bid is called a "Michael's Cue Bid", promising at least 8HCP and two five-card suits including at least one unbid Major, or two Majors when the enemy bid a minor. E.g.

either 1-2 or 1-2 promises both five hearts and five spades;
1-2 promises five spades, and either five clubs or five diamonds;
1-2 promises five hearts, and either five clubs or five diamonds.

If the Michael's bidder has a strong hand (up to 15 HCP), the Michael's bidder can show the strength by re-bidding an agreed suit at a higher level.

Responding to a Michael's cue bid

Responder to the cue bid should bid on the assumption that partner has minimum strength.

you have to respond, unless there's an intervening bid;
without a good fit for either of partner's suits, bid the one you like best (or dislike the least);
with a good fit, make a single or double jump in the suit, depending on your strength;
with an even better hand, you can force to game by bidding the enemy's suit;
NT? With a strong hand, and good stoppers in the 2 suits your partner hasn't promised, especially the enemy's suit, you can bid 3NT. It must be 3, not 2, because 2NT has a special meaning. . ...
a reply of 2NT is forcing and asks which minor is held, after bids promising only one Major (i.e.1-2-pass, or 1-2-pass);
a bid in a suit not promised by partner is natural and non-forcing, based on a very long suit. Overcaller will generally pass.

Michael's cue bid, example 1

West opens 1 and North overcalls 2 (Michael's cue bid) showing 2 good Major suits. East passes, what should South bid with these 3 hands?

	Hand 1
	J 9		South should bid 2, the cheaper of the two suits. (If East had doubled the 2 overcall, South should pass, implying no preference for either suit, in case the overcaller has 6-5 in the majors).
	J 7
	K 7 6 4 3
	K 6 5 2

	Hand 2
	A 5		With a good fit in , a useful card in and an Ace, South should bid 3 hoping for a conversion to game by his partner. 2 is too weak, since such a bid is forced anyway. A bid of 4 would also be possible, since we know that partner has a good 5-card Heart suit, and shortage in minors so my weak minor "tails" won't be a problem.
	J 9 6 2
	K 8 7 4
	8 6 2

	Hand 3
	9 7		South has more points than in the previous example, but not in the right place. Kings and queens in the opponents suits are not much use when playing in hearts. South should bid a weak 2, to show preference.
	J 9 6 3
	K Q 7 2
	K J 6

Michael's cue bid, example 2

The bidding goes like this: West 1, North 2, East Pass.

So, South knows that his partner has a good spade suit, but does not know which minor suit is held. What should South bid with these hands ?

	Hand 4
	7		South could bid 2NT, to ask partner to show which minor suit he holds, and talk about his strength. South will pass either 3 or 3, since with only 17HCP guaranteed, things are dodgy. If North jumps to 4 of his minor to show considerable extra strength, then South can bid game in the suit, because now we are talking about up to 26HCP plus lots of distribution points for the shortages in Spades and Hearts.
	8 7 5 4 2
	A J 7 6
	K J 9

	Hand 5
	J 10		Bid 3NT. In addition to 16 HCP and almost a full set of 10s, South has (1) a good stopper in hearts, (2) great cards in whichever good 5-card minor suit that partner holds (that'll be a nice to play suit) and (3) a strong no trumps position in the other minor suit. South is short in Spades, but he knows North has 5 of them, along with 8-12 HCP (in this case, North can't have more than 12 HCP, as there are only 40 in the pack).
	K J 10 7
	A Q 10
	A J 10 6

The redundant bids you are replacing

When the opponents have opened the bidding, an overcall in the opponent's suit (e.g. 1- 2) was used to show a hand with enough strength to insist on game. Such hands are rare, and can usually be bid by starting with a (forcing) takeout double.

Similarly, an overcall of 2NT traditionally used to show a balanced hand of 20-22 points, just like an opening bid of 2NT. Unfortunately, when one of the opponents holds opening strength, the chances of you having a strong hand like this are slim. In fact, the opportunity to make this 2NT overcall (showing a balanced 20-22 points) comes up so rarely that it makes sense to use the bid in an unusual way. Hence the name "Unusual 2 NoT trump".

170. 2-suited overcalls (8-15 HCP, 2 good suits)
Openers bid	Overcallers bid (8-15 HCP)	meaning	responder bid	responder clarifying bid
The simple and obvious case
	2NT	2 minors	best minor
	2 of same suit	2 Majors	best major
Mixed majors and minors
	2 of same suit	other Major, + a minor	Major, or 2NT	2NT = "clarify which minor"
	2NT	other minor, + a Major	minor or	= "clarify which Major"
Responder (always bidding his preference, if no intervention) assumes minimum from overcaller: jumps if fit is good, bids enemy suit to force game, or 3NT if strong and stopped in the other 2 suits. Responder seeks clarity as above if interested in the 2 unspecified suits.
Overcaller passes if not forced, or bids higher if top end.
Add to your customised cribsheet

About us Contact us Terms & conditions of use Log in Comment on current page

Quiz: Barrier-Reversing

Quiz: Deal # Thursday