[JLilly]

Does anyone have experience with obstructive, two-level jump overcalls showing 5-4 hands? I'm thinking in particular using (1♦)-2♥ to show five+ hearts and four spades, with (1♦)-2♦ now showing four M and five+ clubs. This has a number of advantages compared to Michaels and Unusual 2NT:

(1♦)-2♥ puts their cues above 3 of their suit, unlike Michaels.
(1♦)-2♥ will often be passed by advancer, so opps are more pressured.
(1♦)-2♥ denies them an easy penalty/values double.
(1♦)-2♦ gives them only one, costly cue.
(1♦)-2♦ puts you on the hook for only eight tricks while (1♦)-2NT requires you to take nine.
(1♦)-2♦ lets you make an overcall with clubs+spades in a single bid, which requires two bids and thus substantially more strength with standard methods.

You lose the natural 2♥ overcall; on the other hand, they can easily find their 4-4 spade fit anyway. You lose strong Michaels; a solution is to use (1♦)-2NT for any strong two-suited hand.

Thanks

[helene_t]

I play a 1NT overcall as showing 4-5 hands in some partnerships. This is known as Raptor, and normally (1m)-1NT shows five cards in the other minor, with the major being unknown. Though for some reason I play it, in one partnership, as showing four spades and five in either hearts or the other minor.

Either way, I think I like to use 1NT better than the cuebid, as forcing partner to bid 3♣ is a bit risky.

[PrecisionL]

I have been using a form of Roman Jump Overcalls (RJO) for several years with several partners.
5-4 hands have significant frequency, 25%.

Jump Overcalls show two touching suits, the suit bid 5+ and the touching higher suit 4+. If the higher touching suit is a major of Hxxxx or better, we show it first naturally.

Non-touching suits are shown with a cue bid:

(1♣) 2♣ = 5+♦ & 4+♠
(1♦) 2♦ = 4+♥ & 5+♣
(1♥) 2♥ = 4+♠ & 5+♦
(1♠) 2♠ = 4+♥ & 5+♣

Jump to 2NT = 5-5 and somewhat stronger than above schemes.

5440 hands are treated similarly if one of the 4-cd suits is very weak, xxxx.

We don't use the schemes with 6-4 hands usually.

One gives up weak jump overcalls with this approach.

[nige1]

helene_t, on 2020-July-30, 18:53, said:

I play a 1NT overcall as showing 4-5 hands in some partnerships. This is known as Raptor, and normally (1m)-1NT shows five cards in the other minor, with the major being unknown. Though for some reason I play it, in one partnership, as showing four spades and five in either hearts or the other minor. Either way, I think I like to use 1NT better than the cuebid, as forcing partner to bid 3♣ is a bit risky.

Like HeleneT, we've adopted Kit Woolsey's recommendation to play Raptor, especially when opponent's minor might be short. Then 1N = 5+ any m & 4+ any M.

[Zelandakh]

(1m)
==
2m = wjo in a major; or 5+♠, 5+ om, strong
2♥ = 5+♥, 4+♠, weak
2♠ = 5+♠, 4+ om, weak
2NT = 5+♥, 5+ om
3m = 5+♥, 5+♠, strong
jump om = wjo, nat
--