Lesson 38 Preemptive Bidding Aims To introduce preemptive

Lesson 38 Pre-emptive Bidding

Aims To introduce pre-emptive opening bids and overcalls To look at how best to respond when partner makes a pre-emptive bid

Pre-emptive openers are opening bids at a level higher than 2 NT. Their purpose is to make it hard for opponents to bid accurately to their best contract. The requirements for a pre-emptive opening bid (any bid of 3 or higher) are : At least a 7 -card suit Few HCP (seldom more than 10, less than an opening) A playing trick total 2 (vulnerable) or 3 (non vulnerable) tricks short of your target

The difference between pre-emptive bids and strong bids! A simple overcall is the cheapest bid you can make in that suit: eg 1 -1 1 -2 A jump overcall - the next level up - is a strong bid eg 1 -2 1 -3 A double jump overcall is pre-emptive eg 1 -3 1 -4 Higher jumps are also pre-emptive eg 1 -5 A pre-emptive overcall is at least a double jump in a suit.

A pre-empt in action: NS Vul A Dealer E J 10863 102 QJ 842 N 97 W E QJ 983 S 1075 KQJ 10965 52 764 3 South, having 23 HCP, is ready to open 2 , when – East opens 3 ! Suppose South doubles for penalties? Here he could score 2210 for a Grand Slam 73 in hearts. AKQ 4 Or 1460 for the small AK 5 slam. AK 96 Even 4 +3 scores 710. But swop the North and West hands and he might have to settle for +100 from 3 doubled The pre-emptive bid: to made it difficult for the stronger side to bid accurately to their best spot

Some pre-emptive openings 72 KQJ 10852 94 84 6 playing tricks in 3 non vulnerable Vul better to pass AQJ 10942 K 2 KJ 1096543 5 QJ 6 532 6/7 playing tricks in But with 13 points you open 1 3 is possible at any vul but non vul you might open 4 !

Some examples from World Championships: Vul v Vul Nonvul v vul. Non vul. Q 87 KJ 76432 Q AKJ 9875 102 J 85 10 KQ 1087653 972 Q 1053 Soulet (FRA) opened 3 USA opened 4 France opened 3 (NOR) opened 3 Manfield (USA) opened 4 Muller (Netherlands ) opened 4

What would you open with these hands if you were a) b) non vulnerable KQJ 10973 85 9 J 42 a) 3 Pass A 7 10 7 Q 105 K 83 AKQJ 865 AQJ 8632 Q 8 KQJ 4 K 976432 32 b) 1 1 c)Pass d) 1 1

The pre-emptive overcall 64 KJ 109752 QJ 10 2 954 Q 52 AK 107543 - A nonvulnerable 3 opener - with 3 If RHO opens 1 or 1 you can still bid 3 But over 1 you cannot bid A single jump is strong AQ 1097643 9 9832 - A nonvulnerable 4 overcall if RHO opens 1 , 1 or 1 Vul , you might bid 3

How to respond to Pre-emptive Bids. Partner has 6 or 7 playing tricks and a long suit. To make game he does not need much in the way of trump support. When considering whether to raise you need to count Quick Tricks rather than High Card Points. A(xx. . ) = 1 Quick Trick AK(xx. . ) = 2 Quick Tricks AQ(xx. . ) = 1½ Quick Tricks K(xx. . ) =½ Quick Trick KQ(xx. . ) = 1 Quick Trick

RAISING PARTNER You should raise whenever you have support for partner’s suit, whether you are strong or weak. You should raise with Quick Tricks which will provide three or four extra tricks partner needs even without trump support. Do not raise with an aceless hand unless you have 4 card support.

OPTIONS OTHER THAN RAISING Do not try to play in a suit of your own unless it is even stronger than partner’s suit is likely to be! A new suit at game level is to play, you believe you have a better suit than partner’s. A new suit below game is forcing, suggesting an alternative place to play Do not bid 3 NT because you have no fit for Partner unless you have at least Hx in partner’s suit

Responding to pre-emptive bids West opens 3 non vulnerable. What should East do? 1) 10832 Q 864 9632 A 2) A 8 3) 6 AK 652 A 63 KQJ 3 Q 53 Q 965 ? ? 4 4 KQJ 4 ? ? Pass

Responding to pre-emptive bids 72 AKQJ 10852 A 82 3 4 ? KQJ 1094 2 AK 53 Q 6 3 ? 3 forcing K 2 A 65 8 AKQJ 532 3 ? 3 NT you have a running suit of your own.

AJ 54 3 A 1063 AJ 72 4 Partner opens 3 , vulnerable, and the next hand passes What do you respond? 873 95 Q 1092 A 654 You are West. Your side is non vulnerable, opponents are vulnerable. Partner opens 3. What do you respond? 5

End of lesson