Teacher's Manual

Session 6.2 : Four players bidding -
Sacrifice contract - Importance of the scoring table

Session program

• The 1  overcall
• Raises
• The double finesse

After having learnt the 1NT overcall, your pupils will be able to make 1   overcall on a 1 opening.
This session will show them the advantages of an overcall and will teach them how to overcall.

Session first hand (6.2.1)

Directly start with having them play the following hand with North as the dealer.

Hand 6.2.1     Dealer North

	9 6 2   A K J 3   10 2   9 7 3 2
K Q J 4 3   10 7   A Q J 8 4   6		N		A 10 8 7   2   7 6 5 3   K 8 5 4
	W		E
		S
	5   Q 9 8 6 5 4   K 9   A Q J 10

South	West	North	East
		Pass	Pass
1	Pass	3	Pass
4	Pass	Pass	Pass

 

Lead: K
South wins ten tricks by going back in the dummy three times in Heart to take and repeat the finesse to the King of Clubs.
Score : 4   = : 420 NS

Have them play the hand another time with West as the dealer...

Hand 6.2.1     Dealer West

	9 6 2   A K J 3   10 2   9 7 3 2
K Q J 4 3   10 7   A Q J 8 4   6		N		A 10 8 7   2   7 6 5 3   K 8 5 4
	W		E
		S
	5   Q 9 8 6 5 4   K 9   A Q J 10

South	West	North	East
	1	Pass	3
Pass	4	Pass	Pass
Pass

 

Lead: A
West wins eleven tricks: six trumps by ruffing once in the short hand and five Diamonds
by finessing the King.
Score : 4   +1 : 450 EW.

Conclusion of these two hands: in a trump contract, it can happen that both sides win a game contract. If South is the dealer, West should have the possibility of overcalling and finding a winning contract for his side. Here again we will be discussing the notion of overcalling.

Conditions for a 1   overcall on a 1  opening

IYou can overcall with 1  on 1   each time you would have opened with 1  , that is as soon as you have 12 HCPs.

Example :

	South		South	West	North	East
A J 8 5 3   K 4  K 6   J 9 7 2						1
			1

But it may also be interesting to say something when you don’t have an opening hand, but at least de 8 or 9 points with one of the two following conditions being true:

• The hand is irregular (it shows a singleton, two long suits, etc.)
• or the Spades are very "pretty"(minimum three honors)

Examples :

	South		South	West	North	East
A 10 7 4 3   2  K 9 7 4 3   J 6						1
			1

	South		South	West	North	East
K Q 10 9 4   8 7  K 7 5 2   8 6						1
			1

Further bidding

Raises on the opening are not modified by an overcall.
Raises on an overcall follow the same rules.

Double finesse

You try a double finesse if you are missing two honors.

Examples :

	Q J 7		South leads the 2 to the Jack. When he again has the lead, he will play the 5 to the Queen.
K 10 8 3	◊	A 9 4
	6 5 2

	A J 10		South leads the 2 to the 10. When he again has the lead, he will play the 5 to the Jack.
K 8 3	◊	Q 9 7 4
	6 5 2

Session second hand (6.2.2)

"Fighting" for the contract.

Hand 6.2.2     Dealer East

	Q 5 3   K J 6   9 5 2   Q 7 4 2
A K 10 7 2   7 3   K 7 6 4   9 5		N		J 9 6   9 8 4   Q 8 3   K J 8 3
	W		E
		S
	8 4   A Q 10 5 2   A J 10   A 10 6

South	West	North	East
			Pass
1	1	2	2
3	Pass	Pass	Pass

 

Lead: A
Bidding: the four players bid in turn. South has enough points to bid up to 3  .
Declarer: South should take a double finesse in Diamonds (and possibly finesse the Queen of Spades).
Score: 3   = : 140 NS

 

Session third hand (6.2.3)

Further bidding to game after an overcall.

Hand 6.2.3     Dealer South

	10 9 5 3 2   J   K 5 3   K J 10 4
A   10 9 8 4   J 10 9 6 4   Q 7 2		N		K 7   K Q 7 5 2   Q 7 2   A 8 3
	W		E
		S
	Q J 8 6 4   A 6 3   A 8   9 6 5

South	West	North	East
Pass	Pass	Pass	1
1	3	4	Pass
Pass	Pass

 

Lead: 10
North can count 13 pts and bids the game on his partner’s overcall.
Declarer: To win, South must take the double finesse to As-Queen of Clubs.
Defence: If the declarer leads the 10 of Spades from the dummy, don’t go up with the King of Spades...
Score: 4   = : 420 NS

Congratulate the declarer who thought of playing the 10 of Spades

Session fourth hand (6.2.4)

Where you discover it can be a good thing to go down…

Hand 6.2.4     Dealer West

	9 7 6 4   10 4   K J 10 5 3   A 6
10   K 9 7 6   Q 8 7   10 8 5 4 2		N		K 2   A J 8 3 2   A 6   K Q J 7
	W		E
		S
	A Q J 8 5 3   Q 5   9 4 2   9 3

South	West	North	East
	Pass	Pass	1
1	2	3	4
4	Pass	Pass	Pass

 

Lead: 6
Bidding: South has not enough to open, but has a good suit for an overcall.
South can bid 4  hoping that going down will be cheaper than the opponents scoring the game.
Score:
4   = : 420 NS
4   -1 : 50 NS