This chapter covers how we compete after the opponents open the bidding. It sets out the style of our overcalls and takeout doubles, our balancing agreements, and the specific systems we use against their notrump openings, their weak two-bids, their strong or artificial club, and other artificial openings.
Overcalls can be light, and they can be a good four-card suit. A four-card overcall happens most often when we have length in the opponent's suit and cannot make a takeout double because of our shape, for example a doubleton in a major. A light overcall is often for lead direction.
Takeout doubles can be mildly off-shape. A doubleton in an unbid minor is common. A doubleton in an unbid major is not allowed unless we plan to double and then bid.
A two-level minor overcall is usually six cards, occasionally a sound five when nothing else fits. With a flat 5-3-3-2 we often double rather than overcall.
A direct 1NT overcall is sound, a good 15 to 18 HCP. In the sandwich seat (both opponents have bid) we add a point, so a nominal 17 to 19.
When the opponents make an artificial bid, our double is lead-directing if their bid promised invitational-or-better values, for example a double of a 1M-3♦ Bergen raise. If their artificial bid could be weak, our double is takeout, for example a double of a 1M-3♣ Bergen raise.
Most balancing actions are natural, with a few notes. Jumps show good hands and good suits, and the higher the jump the better the hand.
A 1NT balance over a major is wide, about 11 to 16. Our 2♣ response becomes a size-ask Stayman: normal responses show 11 to 14, and 2NT shows any 15 to 16. A 1NT balance over a minor is 11 to 14 with little system on, and a cue-bid is Stayman.
Against their 1NT opening we play Woolsey.
2♣ Both majors. 2♦ Multi: a weak two in one unspecified major. 2♥ Hearts and a minor. 2♠ Spades and a minor. X Over a strong 1NT: a 4-card major and a longer minor. Over a weak 1NT: penalty.
2♦ Equal length in the majors. Pass or correct. 2♥ / 2♠ To play, NF. 2NT Limit-or-better raise of a major. 3♥ / 3♠ Mixed raise.
Against a weak two in a major, after our 2NT overcall we play Soloway. Responder's 3♣ is a puppet to 3♦ that lets us sign off in any suit, a cue-bid of their major is Stayman, and 3♦ is a transfer to the other major that is invitational or better.
3♣ Puppet to 3D, then pass or correct to sign off in any suit. 3♦ Transfer to the other major, Inv or better. Opener accepts with game or a cue. 3M Cue-bid of their major = Stayman. 3OM Bid of the other major = puppet for minor two-suiters, as over a 2NT opener.
Against a strong 1♣ (and against any artificial response that shows only values, not shape) we play Suction. Each bid is either a transfer to the next-higher suit or the two remaining suits. Double stands in for the suit it replaces in the ladder. NT bids show shape, the two non-touching suits. In general the higher we bid, the more distribution we hold, and we often start with a pass on a decent hand because immediate action tends to be destructive.
Against a Polish or balanced club there are no special methods, except that our double can hold any minor-suit distribution. Against a Precision 1♦ we play 2♦ natural, 2♥ as weak Michaels, and 3♦ as strong Michaels.
Against a strong or Precision 2♣ we treat the opening as an opening hand, so our jump overcalls are weak.
Against Flannery, we have defenses versus both the 2♦ and 2♥ forms, built around a takeout double, natural suit bids, and 2NT showing 16 to 18 balanced.
Against a three-level preempt there is little to discuss beyond our methods over their 3NT overcall.
Against a Gambling 3NT we still need to lock in one of two defenses, either a shorter-minor takeout or Woolsey. For most other artificial preempts, including Multi, we follow the provided defense, playing natural bids with pass-then-double as takeout.