February 2022 - 53

Newer Players
Ask Jerry
BY JERRY HELMS
askjerry@jerryhelms.com
jerryhelms.com
Dear Jerry,
My partner and I are facing some
issues with cuebid support of our
overcalls. Do you have any general
advice, because we need help in
every aspect.
Gordy
Hi Gordy,
As is the frequent case, it's all about
partnership agreement. Since you
ask, I will give you some of my preferences.
Let's first establish a few basic
agreements.
1 If partner makes a simple overcall
of an opening suit bid, a jump raise of
his suit is preemptive. To show a limit
raise or better, advancer cuebids the
opponent's suit.
Now some auctions:
West North East
South
1k 1 2k 3k
3k is a limit raise, or better, in
spades. It shows three-card or longer
support, and is at least 10-11 support
points. Example:
K 4 3 k7 2 lA Q 7 4 'J 10 5 3.
Although I strongly prefer to have
four-card or longer support for my
limit raises, I must deal with what I'm
dealt! This hand has 10 HCP, a ruffing
value in hearts, and two quick tricks.
Far too good for a simple raise.
West North East
South
1k 1 2k 3
3 shows four-card or longer support,
generally less than 6 or 7 HCP,
and if that much, not in outside aces
or kings. Examples:
West North East
1 2k Pass
South
2
3' ?
The 2 cuebid forced us to compete
to the three level. The same principle
February 2022 | Bridge Bulletin |
53
2k is the weakest action the
overcaller can make. Because we are
forced to play at least 2k, pass would
be some type of mild game invitation.
Examples:
Q 5 2 kA K 8 6 5 l6 3 2 '8 3.
2k. With a minimum overcall, intervener
should bid 2k immediately
after the double.
9 5 2 kA K 8 6 5 l6 2 'K Q 3.
Pass. Not enough for intervener to
bid game over a minimum limit raise,
but enough to be interested if advancer
has a little extra.
In this sequence, both 2l and 2
are available as cuebid advances. My
strong preference is this type auction:
2l would show a limit raise or better
with exactly three-card support. 2
would show a limit raise or better
with four-card or longer support.
There would be no difference in the
values shown by the cuebid selected
by intervener - only a difference in
trump length.
There is more, much more, which
impacts some of these decisions. Does
your partnership play a new suit by
advancer as forcing? I do not. Does
your partnership have any built-in
mixed raise advances? I do. Is 2NT
ever used to show a limit raise in
some competitive auctions? In some
of mine, yes.
J 8 7 4 k6 2 lQ J 8 5 2 'Q 5.
This 7 HCP is a perfect 3 weak
jump raise.
9 8 7 4 k6 2 lA 8 5 2 'K 6 5
Again 7 HCP, but with an outside
ace and king, which represents defensive
potential, this is not a preemptive
hand. I would bid 2 and if
the opponents bid 3k, I would bid 3,
competitively, following the Law of
Total Tricks, expecting that my side
has nine trumps.
2 Following a cuebid advance, the
weakest action intervener (overcaller)
can take is to return to his original
suit. Examples:
West North East
1l 1k Pass
Dbl
?
South
2l
as above. The weakest thing intervener
can do is to bid 3k immediately.
Pass is encouraging, suggesting advancer
bid game with anything more
than a minimum limit raise. A balanced
12-count is certainly minimum
for a two-level overcall, therefore I
would suggest bidding 3k. With any
extra values, you would simply bid
game, or make an invitational pass.
3 My personal preference: If two
cuebids are available, the one that
keeps us the lowest shows exactly
three-card support, while the one that
forces us the highest shows four-card
or longer support. Neither cuebid
makes any distinction as to values.
Both are limit raises or better, with
trump length the only distinction:
West North East
South
1l 1k 1 ?
http://www.jerryhelms.com
February 2022

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