No Trump Rebid – After RH Opponent’s Bid

In the previous post we looked at when opener should rebid No Trumps.  What difference does it make if the fourth player overcalls?

As opener, you hold a balanced hand with 12-14 points.  If partner responds at the one level you would be planning a rebid of 1NT.

What should you do if the fourth player overcalls at the 2 level?

Take a look at this example (you are west):

West

S: K J 5
H: Q J 8
D: A 9 4 3
C:  K 7 5

West   North   East   South
1D        Pass       1 H      2C
Pass

Partner’s bid of 1H could show as few as 6 points so we should pass.  If we rebid 2NT it would tell partner that we have 18 – 19 points – which we don’t.

What if partner bid at the 2 level?

West  North East  South
1D       Pass     2H    Pass
2NT

Here, partner’s bid of 2H shows that they hold a minimum of 11 points.  We can safely bid 2NT with a hand of  12 – 14 points.