The Cuebid of Opponent's Suit as a Limit Raise or Better
You are south and you hold:
Kxx xx AQxx xxxx
The bidding proceeds:
West North East South
1H 1S Pass 2S
As beginners, we are taught to raise partner’s overcall one level with 8-11 pts and to jump raise with 12-14 pts. including distribution.
Now that you are all grown up, we strongly recommend a change in strategy.
Let’s look at what happens when you bid this the old-fashioned way:
West holds: S AKxxx East S QJxx
H xxx H xxx
D xxx D AKQ
C xx C xx
South West North East
1C 1S P 3S
P P P
The opponents quickly take the first 5 tricks. Down one. East had a limit raise and jumped. West had a dog’s breakfast and the bidding simply got too high.
Now have a look at the recommended alternative: East, holding a limit raise or better, should cue-bid the suit the opponents have bid. This will show 10 or more points and support for partner’s suit.
With the above hand, here is how the bidding would go:
South West North East
1C 1S P 2C
P 2S*
* shows a minimum hand. East will pass at his next opportunity and the bidding will stay happily at the 2 level.
From now on, with 6-9 points, raise partner’s overcall one level only. With 10 OR MORE points (called heretofore a limit raise) cue bid the opponents’ suit if you have adequate trump support i.e. at least xxx. From now on, this will show a limit raise or better. i.e. With the hand above, you will bid 2C. This way, if your partner (who overcalled 1 S) has a lousy hand, he may now bid simply 2S and you will pass. In the past, if you had responded 3S with 12-14 pts, you may have found yourselves too high if the overcaller only had 8 points.
With junk (very weak hand) and favourable or equal vulnerability, you have one extra bid at your disposal now...jump raise your partner’s overcall to the 3 level. This is strictly pre-emptive showing a crummy hand and 4 card or longer support. Approximately 2-6 points (including distribution) with FOUR of partner’s suit.
West North East South
1C 1H Pass 3H
Your hand south might look something like:
xx
Axxx
xxxxx
xx
RESPONDING TO PARTNER’S OPENING BID WHEN RHO HAS OVERCALLED
A similar concept applies in the following situation:
South holds: KQxx xx AKJ Jxxx
North opens bidding
North East South West
1 S 2H 3H
If you had bid 3S, this would now be pre-emptive (see above response to partner’s overcall as it is similar in concept) so the only way for you to show a limit raise or better would be to cue bid the opponents’ suit.
If North has a minimum opening bid, he will now bid 3S and with the above hand, you will raise to 4S.
If however you had this hand: KQxx xx AJx xxxx
North East South West
1S 2H 3H
If North now bids only 3S, you will pass as you had only a bare limit raise and your bid invited the opening bidder to bid game with extras. If opener has 15 or more points, he will accept your invitation (3H) and now bid 4S.
TRY IT!!! Don’t wait till you are ready to master this. Just do it! Get it wrong a few times. This is a game of mistakes, the more you make, the faster you’ll learn! GO GET ‘EM!!
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