Defending After Opponents Make a 2-Suited Overcall
Overview
If right-hand opponent overcalls partner's opening bid with an unusual 2NT,
a Michaels cue-bid,
or Ghestem, responder's initial decision will be driven by whether he wants to compete for
the contract, investigate game, consider penalising opponents, just stay out of
things.
If RHO's Michaels cue-bid identifies both his suits, i.e. he's cue-bid
partner's opening minor suit, we can treat it exactly as we do the UNT and
Ghestem.
Possible Actions
- an immediate raise of partner's suit is competitive, with no aspirations
for going further. Partner needs to know the score before opponents get
together and take the level too high for us to get further involved.
- if RHO's two suits are both known:
- a direct bid of the fourth suit shows a 5-card
suit [minimum] and is non-forcing. It's something like a weak-2 opening in
that suit, say 7-10.
- a cue-bid of
RHO's lower suit shows the lower of the other two suits, cue-bidding RHO's
higher suit shows the higher. In one case this is showing support for partner,
in the other it's showing a good 5-card [minimum] suit with game interest.
- with David Benjamin, a cue-bid of RHO's lower suit shows
support for partner, cue-bidding RHO's higher suit [if known] shows at least 5
cards in the fourth suit.
- if RHO has cue-bid opener's major,
we don't know which minor suit he holds. If we have at least invitational
support for opener's major, we show this by cue-bidding RHO's known suit. If
we have a good holding in one minor, we bid it.
- an immediate double shows general values [9/10+ HCP], with a preparedness to double at least
one of RHO's suits for penalties. Could be short in opener's suit, certainly
without obvious support, but could have a 3-card suit if the opening bid has
only promised a 4-card suit. A subsequent double after an initial pass would
be take-out.