[AL78]

MPs, game all. My RHO held this hand:

♠KQ874
♥3
♦AQJT53
♣4

My partner (their RHO) opens 1NT 15-17. What would you do here if you do not have a two suited overcall to show these two suits?

[mw64ahw]

Playing Hello I bid 2♣ as diamonds or 5M and 4+m and take it from there; otherwise show diamonds and rebid spades if possible

[AL78]

mw64ahw, on 2022-August-06, 10:31, said:

Playing Hello I bid 2♣ as diamonds or 5M and 4+m and take it from there; otherwise show diamonds and rebid spades if possible

I've never heard of that convention. Quickly looking it up, it looks like a decent defence allowing you to show one and two suiters whilst retaining the penalty double.

[apollo1201]

If I can’t show a 2-suited, I’ll show D, and as it is likely that things are not going to stop there, I’ll bid S then, at the 2, 3 and maybe 4 level if need be.

And if it stops there, partner having lots of H, well, let’s hope S dont produce a better MP score.

But I think D then S is a better anticipation of what could happen next.

[mw64ahw]

AL78, on 2022-August-06, 10:37, said:

I've never heard of that convention. Quickly looking it up, it looks like a decent defence allowing you to show one and two suiters whilst retaining the penalty double.

Yep. 4th seat calls are marginally different and I've been caught out occasionally by a newish partner forgetting😀

[LBengtsson]

6/5 come alive BUT...

One hand has already showed strength. The deal could be a big misfit. 2♦ is enough. If they bid and support ♥s next, I feel I am worth 3♠ but no more. That would show 6/5 imo. It is now for partner to bid on. With 5/5 you would have bid ♠s first without gadgets. I bid the same at MPs or IMPs. It could be disaster but I go for -500 they will have game, I feel. If I go for -800, they must have game. The whole hand may be 3/1, and I find that if one hand is balanced, and one is distributional, the other two hands may be distributional also. If ♥s are not supported by the ops., I might pull back from bidding 3♠ here. The last thing you want is playing in a 5-2♠ fit, playing away from your hand, and then being tapped in the trump suit. You could lose control of the hand. The hand shown might be 6/5 but you still have to exercise caution.

[Huibertus]

AL78, on 2022-August-06, 09:59, said:

What would you do here if you do not have a two suited overcall to show these two suits?

Without a possibility to show these 2 I'd bid 2 ♦ and compete in ♠ at the level they come in with ♥. It will not die out and could easily be game for both. Bidding like that should help partner to judge.


A general approach I've played to defend against NT openings,

Double either a semi-solid single suiter (opps to have one stop at most) with a side entry let's say XX, XXX, AX, AKJT9X or balanced 17+
2 ♣ onwards all transfers, the suit transferred to (not qualifying for double) or the next two with two other bids for the non adjacent two suiters.

2 ♣ = ♦ one suiter or ♥/♠
2 ♦ = ♥ or ♠/♣
2 ♥ = spades or ♣/♦
2 ♠ = ♣ or ♦/♥
2NT = ♣/♥
3 ♣ = ♠/♦

[P_Marlowe]

2D

My best and longest suit, ..., I may get the chance to bid 2S, which would show the hand.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[nekthen]

AL78, on 2022-August-06, 09:59, said:

MPs, game all. My RHO held this hand:

♠KQ874
♥3
♦AQJT53
♣4

My partner (their RHO) opens 1NT 15-17. What would you do here if you do not have a two suited overcall to show these two suits?

Colour me crazy but I start with a double

[Huibertus]

nekthen, on 2022-August-08, 12:01, said:

Colour me crazy but I start with a double

That might work, being down a LOT if you are scoring all diamonds and spades.

What also might happen is they make 11 tricks if they decide to stay, where 4 spades is cold. Or the might get to 4 hearts before you can introduce a second suit and you and up in the wrong game or let them play with both sides have a cold game...

If you desperately need a swing, yeah ok. Otherwise, nah...

[johnrmoore]

I bid 2H transfer then bid 4D to at least inform partner I dont see 3NT as a finished contract. Hope partner will now either pick game in either or try for slam after his 1NT opener.

[Cyberyeti]

johnrmoore, on 2022-August-08, 18:15, said:

I bid 2H transfer then bid 4D to at least inform partner I dont see 3NT as a finished contract. Hope partner will now either pick game in either or try for slam after his 1NT opener.

It's your opp not your partner that bids 1N

[Douglas43]

Assuming all that is available in natural overcalls then either suit could be right. My normal inclination is to get the spades in, because the other side may be about to bounce in hearts, but diamonds is my six card suit and I'm game all, so I'll probably join the 2♦ bidders.
Normally I play Astro which is not as comprehensive as the likes of Cappalletti, but still helps

[nekthen]

Huibertus, on 2022-August-08, 16:14, said:

That might work, being down a LOT if you are scoring all diamonds and spades.

What also might happen is they make 11 tricks if they decide to stay, where 4 spades is cold. Or the might get to 4 hearts before you can introduce a second suit and you and up in the wrong game or let them play with both sides have a cold game...

If you desperately need a swing, yeah ok. Otherwise, nah...

There is no way it is passed out

[Huibertus]

nekthen, on 2022-August-09, 05:46, said:

There is no way it is passed out

Agreed. That's what I wrote in my own response here. It's also why you need to start bidding suits so you can bid the second before you assess the level as being to high to do so. Just to help partner.

[tflorin]

AL78, on 2022-August-06, 09:59, said:

MPs, game all. My RHO held this hand:

♠KQ874
♥3
♦AQJT53
♣4

My partner (their RHO) opens 1NT 15-17. What would you do here if you do not have a two suited overcall to show these two suits?

[tflorin]

2s

[rvchandran]

AL78, on 2022-August-06, 09:59, said:

MPs, game all. My RHO held this hand:

♠KQ874
♥3
♦AQJT53
♣4

My partner (their RHO) opens 1NT 15-17. What would you do here if you do not have a two suited overcall to show these two suits?

I will bid 3 diamond to indicate slam possibility. A minimum of 5 diamonds or 6 six diamonds makeable depending on partner's response.

[Cyberyeti]

rvchandran, on 2022-August-09, 08:33, said:

I will bid 3 diamond to indicate slam possibility. A minimum of 5 diamonds or 6 six diamonds makeable depending on partner's response.

Actually read the OP more carefully, it's an opp not partner that opens 1N

[mikeh]

If, for some strange reason, I didn’t have a way of showing two suits, I would ALWAYS bid 2D. With 5=6, and good suits, there is little reason to lie about shape. Bid spades first and partner should never believe you have longer diamonds

When one can involve partner, by describing one’s hand accurately, good things tend to happen. In my experience partners generally enjoy being part of a partnership rather than being the ‘partner’ of someone who makes all of the decisions.

There’s actually another, equally important, reason for diamonds first.

If we overcall 2S, there is a very real chance of the auction dying right there. The other two players don’t have many hcp between them, so there’s some risk that LHO will pass 2S, and even more risk that partner won’t raise even with some support.

I’d very much like to let LHO bid hearts so that I can then bid spades, thus bidding both suits and in the correct order. I intend to compete as high as I need to unless, after bidding both suits, partner doubles (I very much doubt that that situation would arise).

Btw, this is a much easier hand than it would be were my suits hearts and a minor…with spades, I can and probably will keep bidding over their probable hearts. With hearts, I’d be worried that I couldn’t comfortably show both suits were they to bid spades.