You undoubtedly recognize the bridge terms opener, overcaller and responder. Less known is overcaller’s partner, advancer.
If opener bids one of a suit, overcaller makes a higher suit bid and responder passes, the ball is in advancer’s court:
Open Overcall Respond Advance
Suit Suit Pass ?
What bids are available to advancer? Some choices:
• Pass
• Raise partner’s major-suit overcall.
• Raise partner’s minor-suit overcall.
• 1NT with 8-10 high-card points and at least one stopper in opener’s suit.
• 2NT with 11-14 HCP and at least one stopper in opener’s suit.
• 3NT with 15+ HCP and at least one stopper in opener’s suit.
• Bid of a new suit showing the same kind hand used for an overcall.
What all these bids have in common is that they’re non-forcing. The advancer bids below are forcing:
• A cuebid of opener’s suit. The cuebid usually shows a limit raise or better in overcaller’s suit.
• A jump bid in a new suit showing a strong hand with six- or good five-card length in the suit. With a weaker five-card suit and a strong hand, advancer will cuebid partner’s suit and then correct back to advancer’s own.
Here’s a deal from OK Bridge, with West dealing and no one vulnerable:
NORTH
♠5 4 3
♥10 9 6 2
♦Q
♣A K Q J 9
WEST EAST
♠ A K Q 7 6 2 ♠ J 9
♥ 5 ♥ J 8 3
♦ A ♦ 10 6 5 4 3 2
♣ 10 7 5 4 3 ♣ 8 2
SOUTH
♠ 10 8
♥ A K Q 7 4
♦ K J 9 8 7
♣ 6
The bidding proceeded as follows:
West. North East. South
1♠ 2 ♣ Pass 2 ♥
Pass 3 ♥ Pass 4 ♥
All Pass
Opening lead: ♠A
North-South made four. So what’s the point?
South underbid 2♥ , which could have been passed by North. A proper auction would proceed as follows:
West. North East South
1♠ 2 ♣ Pass 3 ♥
Pass 4 ♥ All Pass
If the subject seems unfamiliar to you, there’s an advancer bid you make all the time. Opener bids one of a suit, overcaller bids 1NT, and responder passes:
Open Overcall Respond Advance
1 (suit) 1NT Pass ?
Use the same replies as if opener passed, overcaller bid 1NT and responder passed.
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