Pick a side on overcalls and takeout doubles

With bridge players having few opportunities to play cards in-person because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, test out your skills instead by trying out the questions posed in our weekly quiz.

We continue this week with the current series of review quizzes on the allimportant subject of overcalls and takeout doubles. The responses to overcalls and takeout doubles have been covered in this space over the past 12 months.

Today’s quiz: Simply decide whether each of the following statements is essentially true or false. A brief explanation follows each answer.

1. An overcall in any suit promises possession of at least five cards in the suit named.

2. After an opening bid of one of a suit, a one notrump overcall by the next player (the opener’s opponent) shows a hand of opening notrump strength with every suit stopped.

3. It is possible for a player to make more than one takeout double on the same hand.

Answers:

1. True. And although one may, on a rare occasion, may make an overcall on the one-level with a very strong four-card suit, the bidder should be aware that he is misleading his partner while at the same time increasing the chance of being doubled for penalties by the opponents and suffering a big set. This might happen after the overcaller’s partner innocently raises the suit with three small cards in support.

2. False. The direct notrump overcall guarantees a hand of opening notrump strength and distribution with the opening bidder’s suit stopped, but the overcaller does not have to have all the other suits stopped as well.

3. True. If partner has not answered the initial takeout double, it can be repeated at the next opportunity. Such an action, of course, implies holding extra values.