Overcall - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Contract bridge

Contract bridge, usually known simply as bridge, is a trick-taking card game using a standard deck of 52 playing cards played by four players in two competing partnerships with partners sitting opposite each other around a small table...

, an overcall is a bid made after an opening bid has been made by an opponent; the term refers only to the first such bid. A direct overcall is a bid made directly over the opening bid by right-hand opponent; an overcall in the 'last seat' (made over a bid by left-hand opponent and two subsequent passes) is referred to as a balancing
Balancing (bridge)
In the game of bridge, the term balancing refers to making a call other than Pass when passing would result in the opponents playing at a low level. Balancing is done by the player in the balancing position, i.e. to the right of the player making the last non-pass call. This is in contrast to...

overcall.

Objectives

The overcaller has one or more of the following objectives:

To secure the contract
To suggest a good lead from partner
To induce the opponents to a higher-level contract
To find an effective sacrifice
To hinder the opponents in their bidding

Suit overcalls

In most bidding system

Bidding system

A bidding system in contract bridge is the set of agreements and understandings assigned to calls and sequences of calls used by a partnership, and includes a full description of the meaning of each treatment and convention...

s, an overcall in an unbid suit is natural denoting length and strength in the suit bid. The common requirements include:

A good 5-card or any longer suit
Suit (cards)
In playing cards, a suit is one of several categories into which the cards of a deck are divided. Most often, each card bears one of several symbols showing to which suit it belongs; the suit may alternatively or in addition be indicated by the color printed on the card...

; the definition of 'a good 5-card suit' is subject to partnership agreement.
8-16+ high-card points
Hand evaluation
In contract bridge, various bidding systems have been devised to enable partners to describe their hands to each other so that they may reach the optimum contract. Key to this process is that players evaluate and re-evaluate the trick-taking potential of their hands as the auction proceeds and...

(HCP) for an overcall at the 1-level.
10-16+ HCP for an overcall at the 2-level.
A higher level overcall (e.g., after an opponents' preempt
Preempt
Preempt is a bid in contract bridge whose primary objectives are to thwart opponents ability to bid to their best contract, with some safety, and to fully describe one's hand to one's partner in a single bid. A preemptive bid is usually made by jumping, i.e. skipping one or more bidding levels...

) requires at least opening-bid strength.

The rule of thumb is that the weaker a hand is in high card points, the better the bid suit should be (i.e., longer or with more honors).

Examples

According to modern bridge theory, the following hands:
all warrant a 1 overcall over an opposing 1/1 opening. Stronger hands such as are considered too strong for an overcall, and should be bid via a takeout double

Takeout double

In the card game bridge, a takeout double is any call of "double" that shows a desire to compete for the contract by further bidding. Many takeout doubles nearly require partner to bid; partner should pass for penalty with an appropriate hand, but that is uncommon...

followed by the most economical rebid in hearts.

Notrump overcalls

Notrump overcalls at the 1-level normally indicate 15-18 points in a balanced hand, with at least one stopper in opponent's suit. Usually Stayman is 'on' but transfers are 'off'.

Example

The hand is suitable for 1NT overcall over any opening bid, as well as 2NT overcall over an opponents' weak two bid

Weak two bid

The Weak two bid is a common treatment used in the game of contract bridge, where a jump bid of two of a suit signifies a weak hand with a long suit. It is a form of preemptive bid...

Jump overcalls

Jump overcalls are made by skipping one level of bidding, e.g. 1 – (2).

In the past, such bids described either "strong" overcalls (e.g. with 17 points or more) or "intermediate" ones (11-15 points with a 6-card suit). Today, a far more common treatment is to use a weak jump overcall (WJO) to show the same hand shape and values as would an opening preempt at the same level.

Other overcalls

Some partnerships utilise more exotic overcalls. An example are the canapé

Canapé (bridge)

Canapé is a bridge bidding system where the second suit bid is always longer than the first. The name Canapé refers to a small bite presented before a big meal....

overcalls used by the Italian top pair Norberto Bocchi

Norberto Bocchi

Norberto Bocchi is an Italian bridge player. Bocchi has won four World teams championships along with six consecutive European teams championships and a seventh European in 2010. For many years his regular partner was Giorgio Duboin...

and Giorgio Duboin

Giorgio Duboin

Giorgio Duboin is an Italian professional bridge player. He has won four world teams championships along with six consecutive European teams championships and a seventh European in 2010...

. In canapé overcalls the suit bid typically contains a three card, whilst the hand contains a five card in another suit.

Conventional overcalls, such as Michaels cuebid

Michaels cuebid

The Michaels cuebid is a conventional bid used in the card game contract bridge. First devised by Mike Michaels of Miami Beach, it is an overcaller's cuebid in opponent's opening suit and is normally used to show a two-suited hand with at least five cards in each suit and eight or more points.After...

, Unusual notrump

Unusual notrump

In the card game of bridge, the unusual notrump is a conventional bid showing two lower unbid suits.When the right-hand opponent opens 1 or 1, the immediate overcall of 2 NT shows at least 5-5 in the minor suits and, presumably, a weakish hand...

and Raptor, denote specific hand types.

Responses to overcalls

The system of responses to overcalls typically adheres to:

pass: weak hand (no fit guaranteed)
support bid: three trumps, 7-10 HCP
cue bid
Cue bid
In contract bridge, a cue bid is a term that applies to two types of bid:*A bid of a suit that has already been bid by opponents.*A slam-investigating bid made during an auction's later rounds that shows control of a suit...

: A) three trumps, invite or better (11+ hcp), B) game forcing
Forcing bid
In the card game contract bridge, a forcing bid is any bid that obliges the partner to bid over an intermediate opposing pass. Owing to the partnership's bidding system or a bridge convention, partner must "keep the bidding open", i.e...

hand
jump support: four or more trumps, weak
new suit: at least five card, round forcing
Forcing bid
In the card game contract bridge, a forcing bid is any bid that obliges the partner to bid over an intermediate opposing pass. Owing to the partnership's bidding system or a bridge convention, partner must "keep the bidding open", i.e...
1NT: 9-12 hcp, no fit, stopper(s) in opened suit