[Shugart23]

I've been looking around for responses to 2 suited overcalls and can't seem to find much out there.

When my partner opens 2NT, showing both minors, we play 3C or 3D by partner is weak and to play, and 3H as beginning asking sequences setting Clubs as trump and 3S as beginning asking sequencers in Diamonds, where there is slam interest. I'm thinking a similar approach would work with two suited overcall bids (like Ghestem).

For those that play two suited overcalls, is there a consensus on HCP point range? I'm wondering if being either weak or strong makes sense, saving the ,say 11-15 HCP hand to just do a straight overcall showing one suit.

[DavidKok]

Everyone has their own opinions, and mine are shine a rather unkind light on the treatment. Several different agreements about when, how, and when not to make a two-suited overcall exist. There is no real consensus.

[P_Marlowe]

Weak / strong is the classical way, but the treatment to go cont. gains traction.
The adv. you get the shape in, you find your best fit, the disadv. being you may get to high / may need to guess.

With certain vul. like red vs. green, there is no weak variant, you may also say if you are red, there is no weak.

For what's it worth, I dont play Ghestem, simple Michaels is good enough for me, and I use the option less and less.
The adv. of Michaels you can use it with 5/4 hands (even 4/4) , since you stay quite often at the 2 level, with Ghestem
you play most suits on the 3 level.

[mw64ahw]

You can play 2-suited overcalls as part of The Overcall Structure which limits the overcall to about 14hcp

[johnu]

The most important response is an asking bid, asking whether partner forgot they are playing Ghestem.

[pescetom]

johnu, on 2024-April-16, 18:27, said:

The most important response is an asking bid, asking whether partner forgot they are playing Ghestem.

That depends upon how gullible TD and opps are.
Just start by assuming partner may well have "forgotten" and you are ahead of the field.

[AL78]

I have tended to play weak/strong two suited overcalls. The advantage is the bid shows ton very distinct hand types: 1) disruptive/pre-emptive in nature and 2) constructive/looking for game. These strengths can be shown by the overcaller on the second round ofn the auction by either passing or bidding again. If you overcall on the intermediate hands, you may be in the situation where you don't know what your objective is: disruption? game/slam investigation? competing the part score? do you go for a penalty when you are outbid?

If you are going to make a two suited overcall which pushes the auction to the three level, don't do it on 5-4 shape. I've lost count of the number of times partner's have done that to me and I go one or two off in a 4-3 fit at the three level when opps have nothing on.

[pescetom]

Playing 5-4 is attractive because of the much higher frequency, but I think it's limited to interference over 1 level openings and still needs detailed agreements to be really playable.

[paulg]

We've been playing Ghestem for decades and our view is that the overcalls show 5-5 shape and are largely independent of hand strength. However a vulnerable overcall is expected to show invitational values or better, that is, not extremely weak.

We used to play that the lower of 2NT and the lowest unshown suit was a relay and this worked fine when the opponents were silent. But we've found the following agreements help, especially with the wide range:

If the Ghestem call is doubled then:

• Pass shows no preference if the suit doubled is not one of the shown suits. It does not show desire to play in the doubled contract.
• Pass shows preference if the suit doubled is one of the shown suits.
• Redouble shows game interest in one of the shown suits.

If the Ghestem bidder bids one of his suits again, typically this shows extra length rather than strength: hands with extra strength will double first.
As we bid Ghestem with a wide range of strength, partner's double is competitive rather than penalties.

After seeing advice from Kit Woolsey, we now try and play one of the unbid suits as showing invitational values in a shown major. As a serious partnership this involved going through all the sequences to define the bids, which we've found worthwhile but not for the faint-hearted.