Responding after the Opponents Overcall our Major - Part 3
We are continuing our discussion of how to respond when our partner's opening major bid has been overcalled at the 2-level (2 of a minor).
Bidding 2NT After discussing, raises, new suits and cue-bid responses, we have the bid of 2NT left to discuss. Standard bidding defines this bid as invitational to 3NT (~10-12 HCP), fewer than 3-card support and a stopper in the opponents' overcall (and likely a stopper and a half). That is a reasonable treatment.
However, we have defined, without interference, our treatment of bidding 2NT over our partner's major as a unspecified strength 4-card raise. The opponents are claiming 10+ HCP and partner has 12+ HCP, that leaves significant HCP that might end up in the responder's hand. We prefer to keep the 2NT as a 4-card raise. This option allows us to restrict our cuebid above to no more than 3-card support. Remember the first obligation of the responder was to show agreement to the trump suit, the second was to show strength. By splitting our strong (4-card) support bids from okay (3-card) support, we are serving that obligation.
What do we give up? Hands with poor major suit support, moderate points (8-11 HCP), AND a stopper in the opponent's overcall suit. These are more rare than hands that have 4-card support for the opening major. They do come up though. How to bid them? If the hand has a 5-card suit (likely with shortness in partner's suit) can overcall that suit. You probably aren't missing out on much, if partner passes (showing a minimum opening hand), perhaps your suit contract outplays/outscores a 2NT contract. If your strength in the hand is actually in the opponent's suit, you may be best served by 'trap passing'. If your partner re-opens the bidding with a double, you have a choice to convert it for penalty or now bidding 2NT. Again, we haven't given up much to treat the initial 2NT response as the Compressed 2NT, 4-card suit raise (6+ HCP).
Responding to the Compressed 2NT. We should expect the LHO opponent to raise their partner's overcall frequently after we bid 2NT. We will be restricted in typical Compressed Bergen responses. However, opener should rebid their major to show a 7LTC (minimal opening) hand. Doubling the opponnent's 3-level bid should show that would have been our response and passing indicates we would have made stronger response but the opponent bid was above our desired bid. What if the annoying opponent jumps their partner's suit to the 4 level? Can we still communicate enough to decide that they are 'stealing' and preventing us from bidding our major suit game? Is our major suit game a phantom and we should take the penalty points and be happy? Opener is presented with those choices: Bid game (without knowing if their partner is closer to 6HCP or 14 HCP), Double for penalty or passively pass and throw the decision back to their partner. We suggest that opener should only bid game with very good hands, that would be hands with 6 or 5 1/2 LTC and some shortness value in the opponent's suit. Even with 16 HCP and a weak doubleton in the overcall suit, you are looking at loosing the first two tricks and hoping partner has strength to plug 2 or more potential losing tricks in your hand. Similarly, to double should promise a strongish hand. This time can have some HCP in their suit or quick tricks to expect that can take 3 or 4 tricks in your hand (and trust that partner might obtain one of their own).