[tgwall413]

i have 13 points and 5 hearts so i plan to bid 1H, but my opponent bids 1S. What should i bid?

[eagles123]

what's the rest of the hand? The answer could be pass, double or 2H depending on the distribution/quality of the heart suit, etc.

[Stephen Tu]

It depends on the rest of your shape, and suit quality, vulnerability, form of scoring. Depending on the rest of your shape, you might:

- make a michaels cue bid (holding 5-5 and decent suits)

- overcall 2H (with a very good suit)

- make a takeout double (holding short spades, generally partner will only play you for 4 hearts max and the 5th won't be able to be shown later)

- just pass (which will often be best with flattish hands, spade length, or mediocre suit). Just because you would have opened the bidding if passed to you doesn't require you to make a non-pass if someone opens in front of you. Sometimes the downside of getting into trouble is worse on average than the upside of bidding, you have to just try to go plus on defense unless things change (LHO passes 1S and partner balances, or partner otherwise comes into the auction showing strength).

[tgwall413]

how do i put a photo of the hand into a post? I can find the game in history. is it ok to do that?

[Cyberyeti]

tgwall413, on 2022-May-25, 10:41, said:

how do i put a photo of the hand into a post? I can find the game in history. is it ok to do that?

Use the hand editor, the spade symbol between 2 red bars.

[tgwall413]

https://tinyurl.com/2brpbqce
i'm not sure if this works, but the link is all i cd do. it was my wife's hand (matergirl).

before anyone asks--we play together but are in totally separate rooms, doors closed, no comm btwn us!

let me know what you think.

Thanks!

[eagles123]

That hand is only 11 points not 13, but it's a clear PASS. let's say the J of hearts was the K instead to get it up to 13, it would still be an automatic pass. The hand simply isn't good enough to take action on.

There's a novice/beginner section on this forum which could be perfect for a newer player such as yourself. Always people on hand to lend advice and no question is a bad question!

[tgwall413]

i think she was counting 2 for the singleton. lately i've told her not to do this, because i read it somewhere.

going forward i'll post in the beginners forum. i did notice it, but only after i posted this.

[LBengtsson]

tgwall413, on 2022-May-25, 12:06, said:

i think she was counting 2 for the singleton. lately i've told her not to do this, because i read it somewhere.

going forward i'll post in the beginners forum. i did notice it, but only after i posted this.

Distributional points (length of trump suit/shortness in other suits) are usually counted after finding a potential trump fit.

[Cyberyeti]

Also the reason for your bad score is your defence. Lead your stiff club, declarer plays trumps, you win, switch to a diamond to the JA and when you win the second spade, diamond to partner and a club ruff. Playing ♥K is very naive, you know partner has 5, dummy has 3, so declarer only has one and it's very unlikely partner has underled the A so that's declarer's so just play low.

[eagles123]

Cyberyeti, on 2022-May-25, 13:13, said:

Also the reason for your bad score is your defence. Lead your stiff club, declarer plays trumps, you win, switch to a diamond to the JA and when you win the second spade, diamond to partner and a club ruff. Playing ♥K is very naive, you know partner has 5, dummy has 3, so declarer only has one and it's very unlikely partner has underled the A so that's declarer's so just play low.

Steve, the OP is a beginner player by his own description. The fact he's asked this question about whether it's a 2H overcall imo is a very positive sign. Let's not be too harsh and potentially put him off from asking further questions. A small Heart at trick one, and expecting to find the perfect defence is way beyond what a beginner player should be expected to find imo.

[helene_t]

It may not be politically correct (and maybe bad advice to a newer player) but personally I think that 2♥ is acceptable when non-vulnerable. It disturbs the opponent's auction a bit, and you want to fight for the partscore battle when both sides are invulnerable.

Sometimes you go for -500 but that's not so common.

Another disadvantage of bidding 2♥ is that partner will not know when you have a serious overall so will find it more difficult to decide whether to raise your suit or not.

[mw64ahw]

LBengtsson, on 2022-May-25, 12:42, said:

Distributional points (length of trump suit/shortness in other suits) are usually counted after finding a potential trump fit.

South would open 1♥ 13tp & 2 quick tricks, counting 2 for the singleton in old style Goren

I bid 2♥ upgrading by a point for the 5 card suit when the fit is found with another point added if there was a 2nd 5 card suit and a further 2 for each additional trump over 5. Partner would upgrade for shortness.

North's bid is competitive and no more with EW going down 1 in 4♠ on the singleton ♣ lead

[eagles123]

helene_t, on 2022-May-25, 14:40, said:

It may not be politically correct (and maybe bad advice to a newer player) but personally I think that 2♥ is acceptable when non-vulnerable. It disturbs the opponent's auction a bit, and you want to fight for the partscore battle when both sides are invulnerable.

Sometimes you go for -500 but that's not so common.

Another disadvantage of bidding 2♥ is that partner will not know when you have a serious overall so will find it more difficult to decide whether to raise your suit or not.

If you polled 100 experts I would put my life on the fact none of them would bid 2H, unless they had some kinda wire lol.

[Cyberyeti]

eagles123, on 2022-May-25, 14:39, said:

Steve, the OP is a beginner player by his own description. The fact he's asked this question about whether it's a 2H overcall imo is a very positive sign. Let's not be too harsh and potentially put him off from asking further questions. A small Heart at trick one, and expecting to find the perfect defence is way beyond what a beginner player should be expected to find imo.

The small heart merely saves the overtrick, and should be obvious even to a beginner simply counting to 13, finding the winning defence is harder. Also playing ♠10 saves declarer a guess although one he may well get right.

The main reason I wouldn't overcall 2♥ is that partner always leads the K from Kx when I do, when his natural lead would have been a lot better.

[eagles123]

Cyberyeti, on 2022-May-25, 14:58, said:

The small heart merely saves the overtrick, and should be obvious even to a beginner simply counting to 13, finding the winning defence is harder. Also playing ♠10 saves declarer a guess although one he may well get right.

The main reason I wouldn't overcall 2♥ is that partner always leads the K from Kx when I do, when his natural lead would have been a lot better.

Sorry but I think this is a dreadful attitude. Yes it's obvious for you and me, but not for a new player, certainly not something I'd expect a beginner to pick up on.

[DavidKok]

helene_t, on 2022-May-25, 14:40, said:

It may not be politically correct (and maybe bad advice to a newer player) but personally I think that 2♥ is acceptable when non-vulnerable. It disturbs the opponent's auction a bit, and you want to fight for the partscore battle when both sides are invulnerable.

Sometimes you go for -500 but that's not so common.

Another disadvantage of bidding 2♥ is that partner will not know when you have a serious overall so will find it more difficult to decide whether to raise your suit or not.

The downside of bidding 2♥ on minimum hands with poor 5-card suits is that when you do have an actual overcall (6-card suit or interesting extras) partner can't take you seriously in competition. In my experience this is one of the few agreements that many people simply refuse to learn - if they open 1 of a suit, and we wish to overcall on the 2-level, we need a 6-card suit or a 5-card suit with compensation. The reason is obvious: their suit is higher ranked than ours, so if partner wishes to compete further we need to have them outgunned in some other way. And on occasion you can pick up a low HCP 3NT.

[mw64ahw]

Expert Thinking on Overcalls (bridgewinners.com)

[AL78]

eagles123, on 2022-May-25, 14:49, said:

If you polled 100 experts I would put my life on the fact none of them would bid 2H, unless they had some kinda wire lol.

2♥ is ugh to me but I can almost guarentee in the clubs I play at, at least a third, maybe half the field will overcall 2♥, and they'd find four to an honor in support opposite like here. I don't know where 2♠ came from but 4♠ has chances which is more than it deserves.