Overcall

SAYC

Preface

  SAYC (Standard American Yellow Card)
  1. Introduction
  2. Bidding Hierarchy
  3. Determine Opening Bid
  4. Opening Bid Options
  5. Scoring Structure
  6. Bidding Strategy

  Statistics

Open 1 Level

Open 1 Level
   Open 1 ♠
   Open 1 ♥
       Open 1 NT
           Open Better Minor
               Open 1 ♦
               Open 1 ♣

Opening Bid & Table Position

Overcalls

Opening Bid - The opening bid is the first non-pass bid made by a player that begins the bidding process. There is only one opening bid, and there is only one "opener" (the player that makes an opening bid). The opener is seat 1. The opening bid is directed to the opener's partner (seat 3), who is asked for a response bid.

Refer to the web page for Table Position and Opening Bids for a definition of seat number.

Overcall - An overcall is generally the first bid made by the oppostion immediately after the opening bid. The person that makes the overcall is the "overcaller", and is generally seat 2. The overcall is directed to the overcaller's partner (seat 4).
Sometimes the overcaller might be in seat 4. In this case, seat 2 has passed, and seat 3 might or might not have passed. Nonetheless, seat 4 is the first opponent to bid after the opening bid (seat 1). This overcall is still directed to the overcaller's partner, this time in seat 2.

Legitimate bid - In most cases, an overcaller has an opening hand and would have been the opener if the opposition had not opened. The overcaller wants to explore the possibility of entering a contract instead of the opposition.

Lead directing - Sometimes an overcaller has a weak hand and realizes the opposition might likely enter a contract. The overcaller bids a suit (different than the opened suit) which suggests a suit for the partner to lead in the event the opposition does win the contract.

Desparation - When the prior three bids indicate the opposition does not have strong hands, a weak overcall by seat 4 just might win a part-score contract. This is risky since seat 4 might win the contract with that bid.

Profitable sacrifice - An overcaller might take a contract away from the opposition knowing that the contract is likely to fail. In this case, the penalty points awarded to the competition are less than the points the competition would receive if they make their contract. For example, the overcaller enters a contract that fails, and the opposition is awarded 100 penalty points. If the opposition entered a contract and was successful, the opposition might be awarded 420 points.

Cue Bids - Advanced players and tournament plays often use overcalls as "cue bids" which transfer information to the overcaller's partner. Two examples are the

× Overcaller has two 5-card suits

Opener's bid	Overcall	Overcaller's Shape
1C	2C	both 5-card majors
1D	2D	both 5-card majors
1H	2H	5-card Spade & 5-card minor
1S	2S	5-card Heart & 5-card minor

and the "Unusual No Trump". Do not worry about these until after you are more comforatble with normal bidding practices.

Preface

Open 1 Level

Respond to 1 Suit Openings

Respond to 1 NT

Weak Bids

Strong 2 ♣

Strong NT Bids

Responses

Other Bids

Taking Tricks

Practice

Practice Websites

Duplicate

Downloads

Overcalls

Responses