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Response to Overcall - Unassuming cue bid
- Question 1
(of 10 on this page)
Your LHO opened one Heart. Your partner overcalled 2 Hearts.
Whatever does he mean ?1. He has 6 strong Hearts sitting on top of the enemy Hearts
2. He has 20+ points
3. He has 5 good Spades and 5 good cards in a minor
4. He's confused, or drunk, or both
5. It's an unassuming cue bid, promising an opening hand.
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- Answer 1
(of 10 on this page)
Your LHO opened one Heart. Your partner overcalled 2 Hearts.
( 3 ). He has 5 good Spades and 5 good cards in a minor
Whatever does he mean ?
In the old days, this bid used to mean 20+ points, nothing else. Given opener has 12+, that's quite a rare situation. Much more useful is the 2-suited overcall requiring 8-15 HCP, and that's worth studying and using. (See bidding subject no. 171 and quiz B 0171).
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- Question 2
(of 10 on this page)
Your RHO opened one Heart. You overcalled one Spade, having the 7-Loser 13-HCP hand shown. Your partner then bid the enemy suit, calling 2 Hearts.You have this 13-HCP 7-loser hand
K Q J 9 2
4 2
10 4 2
A K 3
Whatever does he mean ?1. He has 6 strong Hearts sitting on top of the enemy Hearts
2. He has 20+ points
3. He has 5 good Spades and 5 good cards in a minor
4. He's confused, or drunk, or both
5. He has an opening hand, and wants you to bid again
6. He has an opening hand, with 3-card support for your overcall, and wants you to bid again.
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- Answer 2
(of 10 on this page)
Your RHO opened one Heart. You overcalled one Spade, having the 7-Loser 13-HCP hand shown. Your partner then bid the enemy suit, calling 2 Hearts.You have this 13-HCP 7-loser hand
( 6 ). He has an opening hand, with 3-card support for your overcall, and wants you to bid again. K Q J 9 2 4 2 10 4 2 A K 3
Whatever does he mean ?
This is known as an unassuming cue bid, and is worth getting to know. Your partner doesn't know if your hand is weak or strong. He wants to know because he has close to an opening hand (10+). His three-card support is very useful to know, since you must have an 8-card fit between you.
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- Question 3
(of 10 on this page)
Your RHO opened one Heart. You overcalled one Spade, having the 7-loser 13-HCP hand shown. Your LHO opponent then called 2 Diamonds. Your partner then bid the enemy suit, calling 2 Hearts.You have this 13-HCP 7-loser hand
K Q J 9 2 4 2 10 4 2 A K 3
That certainly made life difficult for the enemy. What should you bid ?1. pass
2. 2 Spades
3. 2 NT
4. 3 Clubs
5. 3 Diamonds
6. 3 Hearts
7. 3 Spades
8. 3 NT
9. 4 Spades
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- Answer 3
(of 10 on this page)
Your RHO opened one Heart. You overcalled one Spade, having the 7-loser 13-HCP hand shown. Your LHO opponent then called 2 Diamonds. Your partner then bid the enemy suit, calling 2 Hearts.You have this 13-HCP 7-loser hand
( 9 ). 4 Spades K Q J 9 2 4 2 10 4 2 A K 3
That certainly made life difficult for the enemy. What should you bid ?
The only thing you can assume about your partner's hand is close to opening points and 3-card support. But with your hand that's all your need for game in Spades. The losing trick count of 7, and his presumed 7 also gives you a green light.
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- Question 4
(of 10 on this page)
Your RHO opened one Club. You overcalled one Diamond, having the 6-loser hand shown. Your LHO opponent passed. Your partner then bid the enemy suit, calling 2 Clubs.You have this 13-HCP 6-loser hand
J 10 A K 9 3 K Q 10 8 2 4 2
What should you bid ?1. pass
2. 2 Hearts
3. 2 Spades
4. 2 NT
5. 3 Clubs
6. 3 Diamonds
7. 3 Hearts
8. 3 Spades
9. 3 NT
10. 4 Spades
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- Answer 4
(of 10 on this page)
Your RHO opened one Club. You overcalled one Diamond, having the 6-loser hand shown. Your LHO opponent passed. Your partner then bid the enemy suit, calling 2 Clubs.You have this 13-HCP 6-loser hand
( 7 ). 3 Hearts J 10 A K 9 3 K Q 10 8 2 4 2
What should you bid ?
Although you have an 8-card fit in Diamonds, it's a minor. Since it appears that you have enough for game you should explore the Major suit, given that you have a very nice 4-card suit in Hearts. Bid at the three level, given your powerful hand and your losing trick count of 6, otherwise partner will rightly think you are weak (with as few as 8 points after a 1-level overcall).
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- Question 5
(of 10 on this page)
Your RHO opened one Club. You overcalled one Diamond, having the 8-loser hand shown. Your LHO opponent passed. Your partner then bid the enemy suit, calling 2 Clubs.You have this 8-HCP 8-loser hand
J 10 K 9 8 3 K J 10 8 2 4 3
What should you bid ?1. pass
2. 2 Diamonds
3. 2 Hearts
4. 2 Spades
5. 2 NT
6. 3 Clubs
7. 3 Diamonds
8. 3 Hearts
9. 3 Spades
10. 3 NT
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- Answer 5
(of 10 on this page)
Your RHO opened one Club. You overcalled one Diamond, having the 8-loser hand shown. Your LHO opponent passed. Your partner then bid the enemy suit, calling 2 Clubs.You have this 8-HCP 8-loser hand
( 3 ). 2 Hearts J 10 K 9 8 3 K J 10 8 2 4 3
What should you bid ?
Assuming that your partner has an opening hand but no more, game is unlikely. But who knows? What about your 4-card Major? By bidding 2 hearts, you are describing your hand further, as requested, and telling your partner that you are at the weak end of things. His 7-loser hand should be enough to get 3 tricks, so he can revert to diamonds if there's no heart fit. On the other hand, hearts and game could just be a possibility.
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- Question 6
(of 10 on this page)
Your RHO opened one Club. You overcalled one Diamond, having the 7-loser 14-HCP hand shown. Your LHO opponent then passed. Your partner then bid the enemy suit, calling 2 Clubs.You have this 14-HCP 7-loser hand
10 4 2 J 4 2 A K 9 8 2 A Q 3
What should you bid ?1. pass
2. 2 Diamonds
3. 2 Hearts
4. 2 Spades
5. 2 NT
6. 3 Clubs
7. 3 Diamonds
8. 3 Hearts
9. 3 Spades
10. 3 NT
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- Answer 6
(of 10 on this page)
Your RHO opened one Club. You overcalled one Diamond, having the 7-loser 14-HCP hand shown. Your LHO opponent then passed. Your partner then bid the enemy suit, calling 2 Clubs.You have this 14-HCP 7-loser hand
( 5 ). 2 NT 10 4 2 J 4 2 A K 9 8 2 A Q 3
What should you bid ?
You are strong, with strength for game. Your fit however is in a minor, and you have no 4-card alternative suit to bid. But you DO have a stopper in the enemy suit. Since they seem to have nothing too dangerous in Spades, and your partner's 10+ HCP have to be somewhere, you can bid 2NT promising opening strength and an enemy suit stopper.
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- Question 7
(of 10 on this page)
Your RHO opened one Club. You overcalled one Diamond, having the 7-loser 15-HCP hand shown. Your LHO opponent then passed. Your partner then bid the enemy suit, calling 2 Clubs.You have this 15-HCP 7-loser hand
10 4 2 A 4 2 A K Q 8 2 Q 3
What should you bid ?1. pass
2. 2 Diamonds
3. 2 Hearts
4. 2 NT
5. 3 Diamonds
6. 3 Hearts
7. 3 NT
8. 4 Diamonds
9. 4 Hearts
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- Answer 7
(of 10 on this page)
Your RHO opened one Club. You overcalled one Diamond, having the 7-loser 15-HCP hand shown. Your LHO opponent then passed. Your partner then bid the enemy suit, calling 2 Clubs.You have this 15-HCP 7-loser hand
( 5 ). 3 Diamonds 10 4 2 A 4 2 A K Q 8 2 Q 3
What should you bid ?
You are strong, with strength for game. Your fit however is in a minor, and you have no 4-card alternative suit to bid. And you don't have a stopper in the enemy suit. You'll have to bid your own suit. But that would signal that you are weak! So, you'll have to jump in your own suit, bidding 3 diamonds. Your partner will adjust to game if he has a 6-loser hand, or the stoppers needed for NT.
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- Question 8
(of 10 on this page)
Why is it called an "unassuming" cue bid ?
1. Nobody could think of a better name
2. Your partner is a modest person
3. Your partner makes no assumptions about your hand, other than you have a 5-card suit and shapely fingers
4. You should make no assumptions about his hand, other than it's of close to opening strength.
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- Answer 8
(of 10 on this page)
Why is it called an "unassuming" cue bid ?
( 4 ). You should make no assumptions about his hand, other than it's of close to opening strength.
Well, yes, but that's not quite everything. You can assume nothing about his suits, other than the fact that he has 3-card support for the suit you overcalled.
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- Question 9
(of 10 on this page)
You opened 1 Club with this 16HCP 6-loser hand. Your LHO overcalled 1S, your partner replied 2D, and your RHO supported the Spades overcall by raising it to 2 Spades.You have this 16-HCP 6-loser hand
5 2 A K 7 K 8 4 A Q 7 5 3
What should you bid ?1. pass
2. double
3. 2NT
4. 3 Clubs
5. 3 Diamonds
6. 3 Hearts
7. 3 Spades
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- Answer 9
(of 10 on this page)
You opened 1 Club with this 16HCP 6-loser hand. Your LHO overcalled 1S, your partner replied 2D, and your RHO supported the Spades overcall by raising it to 2 Spades.You have this 16-HCP 6-loser hand
( 7 ). 3 Spades 5 2 A K 7 K 8 4 A Q 7 5 3
What should you bid ?
You know that game is on, since partner promised 10+ HCP. But game is only possible in NT or in a minor. By bidding your openents' suit at the 3 level you are telling your partner that you are strong AND asking your partner "Have you got a stopper there in Spades?". Since you two are bidding in minors, you are NOT saying YOU that have that stopper! You are trying of course to get into No Trumps, which partner will bid if he does have the magic missing stopper. If he doesn't, he'll describe his hand further - not wanting to leave your contract in the enemy's suit!
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- Question 10
(of 10 on this page)
Your enemy is not vulnerable and the Left Hand Opponent (LHO) opened the bidding with 1 NT. Your partner doubled this bid, and then the enemy on your right hand side bid 2 diamonds.You have this 9-HCP 7-loser hand
J 8 7 3 K Q 7 2 2 K 7 5 3
What should you bid?1. pass
2. doubled
3. 2 Hearts
4. 2 Spades
5. 2 NT
6. 3 Clubs
7. 3 Diamonds
8. 3 Hearts
9. 3 Spades
10. 3 NT
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- Answer 10
(of 10 on this page)
Your enemy is not vulnerable and the Left Hand Opponent (LHO) opened the bidding with 1 NT. Your partner doubled this bid, and then the enemy on your right hand side bid 2 diamonds.You have this 9-HCP 7-loser hand
( 7 ). 3 Diamonds J 8 7 3 K Q 7 2 2 K 7 5 3
What should you bid?
When your partner shows he is very strong by doubling a 1NT for penalties, you should always consider doubling any reaction from the enemy, as they are likely to be in trouble. In this case they cannot have more than 16 points between them. But equally, you have no less than 24, and probably have more, so game and juicy bonus points may be available. But which suit shall you bid in? You have a kind of doubling for takeout hand, but doubling is not what you want to do, since you have almost no diamonds - yet a double will be interpreted by your partner as "for penalties". Whenever you bid the enemy suit, and that's the solution here, it means "I'm stronger than you might assume, please keep describing your hand". And in this case that means let's find the right suit for game. Your partner will bid his longest / strongest suit, and if you have 4-cards in it and it's a Major, you can raise to game.
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