______ First, a word about how we report an auction. If the opponents are silent, we use colon between the actual bids, ignoring the opponents' passes. If the opponents are not silent throughout, we use hyphens between bids. Hence, 1:1:1 means that Opener began with 1 and rebid 1 over partner's 1 reply. 1-1-1, on the other hand, means that Opener started with 1, only to hear LHO overcall 1 and Responder bid 1.

______ When the opponents interfere over your Partner's opening bid, they make it more difficult for you to find a fit in any unbid suit and they use up some of your valuable bidding space. On the other hand, they give you some tools which you would not have at your disposal had they not interfered. For example, they allow you to Pass with 6-7 points without worrying about missing game; Partner will get another chance to bid and will likely compete with 16+ points.

______ More importantly, though, the opponents give you a bid which will always be forcing: a cuebid of the enemy suit (e.g. 1-1-2). Also, by using or not using a negative double, Responder can often distinguish a 4-card major suit from a 5+ carder. For example, 1-1-Dble suggests only four Hearts. 1-1-2 suggests 5+ Hearts. 1-P-1, meanwhile, is much less exact, showing 4+ Hearts.

Pass by Responder
______ An overcall relieves Responder of the obligation to bid with a minimal 6-7 points. But Responder could also be passing with 8-12 points and 5+ cards in the enemy suit, hoping partner will "balance" with a takeout double (which Responder will gladly pass). The original pass is called a "Trap Pass". If Opener doubles for takeout, Responder's second pass will be a "Penalty Pass", since it converts this takeout double to penalty based on a lot of trumps and 8-12 points.

______ To accomodate the possibility that Responder may have trap passed, Opener will often strain to make a takeout double if the overcall is passed back around to Opener. This is especially true at MatchPoints, and when Opener's side is not vulnerable.

Opener

AQ10x

xx

xx

AKJxx

After 1-1-P-P Non-Vul Opener may re-enter this auction with a double, even with a rather mediocre hand and terrible Heart support. If Responder bids 1, Opener can correct to 1.

Free Bids by Responder
______ After Partner has opened and the next player has overcalled, Responder may raise Opener one level with 6-9 points, jumping to the four level pre-emptively with LOTS of trumps (i.e. five if raising to 4 or 4, six or more if raising to 4 or 4) and very few points. Note: while most will raise Opener's suit freely with 6-7 points some will not.

______ A jump shift in a new suit by Responder (e.g. 1-1-2 or 2) is weak, revealing a 6+card suit and fewer than 8 points.

______ For the most part, though, any free bid by Responder will show 8+ points. A single jump in Opener's suit (e.g. 1-2-3) by an unpassed Responder is still a limit raise (10-12 points, support for Opener).

Questions
Question #1: What do I do over 1D-1S if I have 5 Hearts and only 6 or 7 points?

Pass.

Two Hearts.

Question #2: Why do we call bids by Responder "free" bids immediately after an overcall?

We can Pass, so any bid is gratuitous (i.e. free).

We are free to bid before LHO pre-empts us.