[shnk]

1) (1♦) - 1♥ - (P) - ?
The overcall shows 9-17 always with a 5+ card suit.
What is 1S here in terms of spade length and strength? Is it forcing? Does it deny heart support?
If 2D is a heart raise here, what kind of strength does it show?
How about 2C?

2) (1♠) - 2♣ - (P) - ?
What is 2H here in terms of heart length and strength?
What is 2S here?

[Vampyr]

1. 1♠ and 2♣ are natural. You can play them as forcing; then the 2♦ cuebid can promise heart support. If you play 1♠ and 2♣ as non-forcing but constructive, then the cuebid will occasionally have to be used for GF hands without heart support. But you will still usually have support and your range is 10+ points.

Neither new-suit bid promises or denies heart support. Many people play jumps in new suits as showing that suit and also promising support.

2. 2♥ should be 5 hearts and 10+ points; it is a one-round force. 2♠ can be a little weaker than your normal raise to 2♠.

[Codo]

1. I would play 1 ♠ as forcing 4+ spaders , it will overload the cue, if I have to bid all forcing bids with 2 ♦. I would play 2 ♣ as forcing too, but I have no strong feelings about this bid.

2. 2 ♥5+ forcing
2♠ depends on your overall system. As the most likely game after this start is 3 NT, I would use it as asking for strength and stopper. But taste differs.

[Vampyr]

 Codo, on 2013-July-23, 01:43, said:

2♠ depends on your overall system. As the most likely game after this start is 3 NT, I would use it as asking for strength and stopper. But taste differs.

Oh right, LOL I misread the OP and thought that partner had opened 1♠. The general meaning of cuebids like this is showing a good hand and asking partner for further description.

[shnk]

 shnk, on 2013-July-22, 22:52, said:

1) (1♦) - 1♥ - (P) - ?

2) (1♠) - 2♣ - (P) - ?

A) (Auction 1) AQxx/xx/xxxx/Jxx, do I have enough stuff to bid a forcing 1S?
If not how much more stuff do I need?

B) (Auction 2) xxx/AKxx/KQxx/xx, my bid?

[Codo]

A I would bid. Even if you have a system where partner is quite limited, so that game is unlikely, you may improve the contract or shut down opps.

B depends: If 2 ♠ is game forcing, I would just bid 3 ♣. But my partner know that they should not bid without a reason, so they won't show up with a mediocre 5 card suit.
If 2 ♠ is just invitational, I would use it and pass 2 NT, 3 ♣, but bid on after higher bids.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

#1 Playing 1S as forcing is quite common, so is nonforcing, but constructive
The main difference is, that a forcing 1S bid, can be based on a 4 carder.
To a certain degree, it does not really matter, most nonforcing 1S bids, will
also be make the forcing 1S bid.

#2 Again 2H could be forcing / nonforcing, but my guess is, that nonforcing is more
common, even if you played 1S in #1 as forcing.
A 2H bid will always promise 5+ cards.

if 2H is nonforcing, the cue will be inv.+ including gamegoing hands with an own
suit, if 2H is forcing, the gamegoing hands with an own suit will show the suit direct.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[helene_t]

1) I think 2♣ has to be nonforcing, say 9-14 points. If it's forcing then you will get often get too high with 9 opposite 9 points. This means that a stronger hand with clubs has to bid either 2♦ or 3♣ (always the latter if you want the cuebid to promise support). 1♠ I prefer to be nonforcing also but I don't feel strongly about it.

[Zelandakh]

After an overcall, the default for a new suit in most places is natural and forcing. There are many who play this differently though so it is something to discuss with a regular partner. The minimum strength for a forcing new suit is to have serious game interest opposite a maximum. For a typical overcall range this is somewhere around a good 8 or better.

If you do play new suits as natural and forcing then bidding the opponents' suit (cue bid) instead is a good raise of partner's suit. The strength should be ~10+ support points. If your new suits are non-forcing then it is not uncommon to play this cue bid as a general force that includes some hands without support.

On your two sample hands I would pass 1♥ in auction 1A and bid 2♥ in auction 2B given the above style. That said, 9-17 is quite high (6-16 seems more normal to me) so A could easily be worth a 1♠ advance opposite your partner.