Traditional overcalls
The weak simple overcall:
When contemplating a weak overcall, suit quality is more important than point strength.
The worst penalties are incurred when LHO (Left Hand Opponent) has trumps sitting over you.
For this reason, it is best not to have a suit with "holes" in it. Consider the following
suits for example:
Both have the same number of points but the second is far preferable for an overcall.
With the first holding you may only make one trump trick if all the missing cards are
off side. The second holding is guaranteed to yield four tricks however badly the trumps
are split.
Crowhurst recommends that you should not make a 2 level overcall if you are in danger
of losing more than two trump tricks.
Although a simple overcall is referred to as "weak" this is a reference to its minimum
strength. As a jump overcall requires a good opening hand it is frequently necessary to
do a simple overcall with hands which are in the lower end of opening strength, particularly
if the overcall suit is lower ranking than the opening suit.
The Intermediate/Strong jump overcall:
Traditional methods play the jump overcall as "Intermediate" (what was traditionally
referred to as "strong" jump overcalls were very strong by modern standards and are
now very much out of favour).
The intermediate jump overcall requires a good opening hand. Even at the two level,
a decent six card suit (or excellent five) is the minimum. At the three level you need
an even better suit - preferably seven.
A jump overcall at the three level is usually in a minor and Crowhurst makes the very valid
point that partner is entitled, with a good hand and stops in the other suits, to convert to
3NT on the assumption that he can "run" your suit for four or five tricks. If you lay down
a dummy containing something like K J 10 6 5 2, he is going to be sorely
disappointed.
Responses.
Opposite any level of overcall, any strength, I like to play a simple suit switch as
forcing for one round. However, this is a matter for partnership understanding. Apart
from that, everything is natural.
Is there a better way?
In my opinion, yes. The weak jump overcall system is generally recognised as being more
effective. Weak jump overcalls can have a devastating pre-emptive effect when the hand
belongs to the opposition. The system also allows simple overcalls with a strong
hand, leaving more bidding space to investigate our options when the hand belongs
to us.
For a discussion of the weak jump overcall system, click here.
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