Reviewing the rules of how to play overcalls, takeout doubles
players still have few opportunities to play cards in person due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. So instead, fans of the card game can test out their skills by solving 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.
1. It is possible for a player, as his first turn to bid, to make a takeout double with as few as eight or nine high-card points.
2. Overcalls can be made on hands with which one would not normally open the bidding.
3. If a player opens the bidding, and this is followed by two passes, an overcall of one notrump by his right-hand opponent indicates a balanced hand of approximately 15 to 17 points with at least one stopper in the opener’s suit.
Answers:
1. True. This can happen, for example, when your left-hand opponent’s bid of one of a suit is passed around to you. With the proper shape — shortness in the opener’s suit and support for all the other suits — you can make a “balancing” double to prevent the opponents from buying the contract too cheaply. Partner should take the circumstances into account when he is choosing his reBridge sponse and not get overly excited if he has a fairly good hand with which he could not act initially.
2. True. Overcalls at the two-level do tend to show a hand worth an opening bid, but all that is required to overcall at the one-level is a good five-card suit and upwards of eight or nine points.
3. False. As in the answer to the first question, responder is allowed to “cheat” on a one notrump overcall in the balancing position. Most partnerships play that a one notrump overcall in the balancing seat shows about 11 to 14 points and guarantees at least one stopper in the opener’s suit. If the player in that position actually has a 15 to 17 point notrump hand, he should begin with a double and bid notrump at his next turn (unless of course he has excellent support for the suit his partner names in response to the double).