The Suit Quality Evaluation

The suit quality can be measured based on its useful honours and the suit length. This method of evaluation can come very handy in overcalling, making weak preemptive opening bids and while bidding games without a FIT. 

Let us understand importance of suit quality using examples in overcalling.

Overcalling is interference in the opening bid. It has multiple objectives:

• Try to overbid and win the auction.
• Eat bidding space to make responder’s bid difficult.
• If auction does not go in favour then signal the partner for opening lead.

In the above cases, the trick taking potential using top honours of your overcalled suit should not be ignored. Hence, suit quality of the overcalled suit is more important than the overall hand strength.e.g.

• !sAKJ107 is a good candidate for overcalling even with 8 HCP
• !hQJ1087 is not so good
• !cj10987 is poor choice even with 12 HCP

Suit quality is a number calculated as follows:

            Suit quality = number of useful honours + suit length

• A self sustaining suit will have suit quality= 10+
• At low HCP I.e. 8-11, the overcalling is advised only when suit quality =7+ when overcalling at level 1 and 8+ when overcalling at level 2.

If you’re missing the Ace or King in a suit but still have Q J 10 e.g. in a 5 card suit where suit quality=8, you should down grade the quality unless you have reason to believe that the partner has these honours.

Missing A K Q in a suit makes suit quality a poor indicator and should be avoided for consideration.