[JLOGIC]

Perhaps north was consumed with the idea that if he bid, he might get doubled and go for a number (indeed, if he got doubled, he should be scared). And south, no doubt, after considering what would happen to them if they overcalled 2H, was surely mightily scared of now bidding 3H, after announcing he had a terrible hand, and the opps having easy ways to double him now. So he passed again, and they missed a vulnerable game.

You cannot live your life consumed with fear. The south hand is a textbook overcall. Many normal actions risk going for a number. I would overcall 3S over a 3N opener red/white with AQx Ax Kxx Kxxxx and consider this automatic. But certainly I can and will get doubled some of the time, and those times will be very bad. That does not mean you should teach people that these cases are clear passes, that is criminal to me, this is not one of those cases where it doesn't matter much what you do in the long term and it's close.

[mgoetze]

JLOGIC, on 2011-June-07, 22:04, said:

I would overcall 3S over a 3N opener

The more immediate risk of this action is of course not going for a number, but having the director called to your table.

[JLOGIC]

dyslexic imo

[the_dude]

Thanks to all for the responses - your feedback is greatly appreciated. A few thoughts:

- Had S held the J or 109 of hearts, I would have overcalled 2H without much of a thought. Without them I saw it as a pass. I think I am clearly overvaluing a couple of spots .. that's a blind spot on my part.

- I learned bridge by reading (and re-reading ad infinitum) everything Mike Lawrence ever wrote. I consider "Overcalls" as one of my bibles .. and by those standards the South hand is not a 2H call vul at imps. That being said .. the discussion here indicates I'm clearly wrong about this and need to update my competitive judgement. I'm not sure if Mike's stuff is just old or I just don't understand bridge :s

- I think mostly about potential gain vs loss (and the likelihood of both) and probably don't give enough merit to the destructive effects of overcalls. Another blind spot...

All told .. this forum is an invaluable resource for stuff like this .. thanks again!

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

I dont know Mike Lawrence "Overcalls", but it is a classic, and certainly worth reading.
But the book was written 1979, and the agressivnes of the bidding has increased, the words
"Bridge is a Bidders Game" are the expression for this.

And if you say, that adding the Jack or the Ten / 9 would have made it for you translates to
the hand is just a tad to weak, so this just mean, if you see a hand, that is just a tad
too weak according to Lawrence, the hand will be normal for todays standard.

With kind regards
Marlowe



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