[iggygork]

Playing matchpoints, white versus red. North deals and sitting East you hear this auction:

(1♠)-P-(2♠)-3♥.

What does an expert pard have for his three level overcall? If it is of any significance, you know the opps and they are highly variable.

Holding: ♠ xx ♥ xxx ♦ AKxxx ♣ Jxx what is your bid? The field is very variable as well.

[Free]

I expect a 6+ card suit and some values, but not really strong (partner will otherwise Dbl first and try to rebid ♥). With the above hand, I'll pass, mainly because of my 2 small ♠s. But this is a matter of style and agreements, so pass could definetly be the wrong choice

[inquiry]

There is a bidding theory called OBAR... which stands for "opponents bid and raise" such as in this situation. The theory goes something like this, after the opponents have bid and raised, they have a fit, increasing the chances you have a fit. Often one of your partnership will have the points to bid but not the distribution and vise versa. So it is safer to bid in this situation than others. If they are going to bid game, an overcall will hardly slow them down, but if they do not have much values, you might have to get in there and bid now.

So if you play OBAR (with or without the name), you are allowed to "balance" in the direct seat if you have the shape for it. This allows lighter than normal takeout doubles and lighter than normal overcalls. The reason, is you are "balancing" even though you are not in the balancing seat.

If your partner believes in OBAR (and playing matchpoints, white versus red OBAR is extremely attractive), your partner could be overcalling on a lot of nothing but some heart length. In this case, he is already bidding everyone of your cards and you should pass and hope to go down only one or two. If your partner has never heard of OBAR, you have a clear 4♥.

[luis]

Agree with Ben.
This is a balancing position and we have a clear pass.
If we are in a pickup partnership it is a guess but playing with an expert I would tend to pass.

[Kalvan14]

A pass, even if game is quite possible. Pard will introduce a 6-card hert suit even without a very strong hand; IMHO, with good hearts he'll be reluctant to double, since it might come back to him at 3♠, without any additional info.

[luke warm]

ben, isn't (1s) p (2s) 2nt part of obar also? iow, a bid of 2nt allows partner to bid 4 card suits (some use 3) up the line, but bidding 2nt then 3h (over p's 3c or 3d) can show a different strength hand from a direct 3h

i know this is called scrambling 2nt or something, but i do believe it's one of the original obar bids

[Double !]

i would really appreciate either a good reference that I can read on the internet, or a thorough discussion of OBAR as it is a rather new approach to me. Not that it doesn't make sense, but that the issue of how to handle the hands that (for in this example) are sound 3 heart bids should be handled, and, especially, how to handle sound 3-level minor suit overcall hands where one really can't double first and then bid the suit.

TIA


DHL

[benlessard]

I thinkMarty Bergen has this in "Better bidding with Bergen Contested auctions" or its Larry Cohen in to bid or not to bid.

Its BIDS Balancing In Direct Seat.

Everything that M.Bergen write is clearly explaned so you should get some of its books for sure.

The principle is that if the 3H bidder has 6-7 h and 8-13 points. He knows for sure his partner cannot balance with a X. So they will play 2S. While maybe you can make 3h or they could go down in 3S

Its like bidding against an opponent strong 1nt. Maybe you have game, maybe you can X them and get a couple of IMPs but its just too unlikely That why bidding for competitive purpose (and to annoy them) will bring more imps in the long run.

[FrancesHinden]

The 3♥ overcall here has a very wide range. Partner will generally be reluctant to double first unless he is prepared to act again at the 4 or 5 level, because opener will bid 3S or 4S a huge percentage of the time.

I would raise 3♥ at imps and pass at pairs.

[Walddk]

Double !, on Feb 2 2006, 05:13 AM, said:

i would really appreciate either a good reference that I can read on the internet, or a thorough discussion of OBAR as it is a rather new approach to me.

Marty Bergen: Bergen's Best Bridge Quizzes, Volume 1.

A variety of topics includes an extensive discussion of OBAR-bids, a Bergen invention which can be an invaluable aid for all players to help their competitive bidding and opening leads.

I play OBAR with regular partners, so I have a clear pass, at MP as well as IMPs. Partner already bid my hand when he overcalled 3♥.

Roland

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

Pass.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[mr1303]

For those of you who do play OBAR, what would you do holding:

xx
AKJTxx
AKx
Kx

?

[FrancesHinden]

I'm not sure OBAR is exactly some you 'play' or 'don't play', it's more a philosophy.
But if you are too good to bid 3H on that hand, I think you have to bid 4H.

[Gerben42]

Quote

or those of you who do play OBAR, what would you do holding:

xx
AKJTxx
AKx
Kx

If you DO have a strong hand you have to either double or jump. Here I would try 4♥. Notice that this may not be terrible as opponents will often bid 4♠ when it is wrong.

[whereagles]

The idea of OBARBIDS is the more you have, the less pard has. With such a strong hand you can bid 3♥ anyway because pard won't have much more than queen or so. You shouldn't be missing out on a game because of the spade doubleton. With spade tripleton or singleton, there's a case for bidding 4♥, though. If opps bid to 3♠, double to show the extras.

If you can't stand the thought of missing a game, by all means, bid it straight away. Or double and follow up with 3/4♥.