Overcalls

Overcalling means making a bid when your side has not opened the auction.
The overcall can have several objectives:

- Finding a contract for your side to play
- Giving partner a good lead if the opponents win the auction
- Bothering the opponents when they are looking for their contract

Firstly, we recommend that you overcall with a minimum strength of 12 points, as for the opening bid. The overcall is limited to 17 points (this is a major difference from the opening bid) because we will see in the next chapter that with more points, you have to proceed otherwise.

Here is a list of the differences compared to an opening bid for each overcall:

Overcalling a suit at the 1-level

As well as a minimum of 12 HCP, you need to have at least 5 cards in the overcalled suit.

Over the

opening, you can't bid

because you don't have 5 cards. You will have to pass.

Over the

opening, you will bid

. Even though your suit is not nice, you would have opened

, so you can overcall

Overcalling a suit at the 2-level

To overcall at the 2-level without jumping, as well as opening values, you need at least 5 good cards or 6 cards in the overcalled suit.

Over the

opening, you will bid

without hesitation.

Over the

opening, you won't bid

. You have opening strength but the suit is too weak. You would have bid

with 6 cards.

Jump-overcalling a suit at the 2-level

This will be a pre-emptive bid. You will learn more about this in chapter 11. For your information, it shows 6 nice cards and a weak hand of 5-10 points.

Overcalling 1NT

Just like the opening bid, this shows 15-17 HCP and a balanced hand. The only difference is that you need a stopper in the opponents' suit.
Stopper

Over the

opening

You will bid

with

But you will pass with

Play a deal Next chapter