Introduction
A preemptive opening hand contains a 7-card suit and 4-9 HCP. My rules are more conservative than many experts recommend, but they may help to avoid a big loss.
The purpose of preemptive bids is to interfere with opponents that are very likely to have good hands.
The weak 2 bid is restricted to a specific HCP range. At the top end of this range, you might have distribution points that qualify the hand as an opening hand. When you have an opening hand, based on points, but the weak 2 bid is not recommended, then you may bid at the 1-level.
A preemptive bid is an opening bid. If you are in an overcall situation and are forced to bid at the 3-level. it is not a preemptive bid but is an invitation.
Power of the Long Suit
The strength of a hand depends on the number of tricks it can take. A weak hand with few honors can gain a lot of strength from a long suit, when the long suit can win tricks. If the long suit has 2 or 3 top honors, then there is a good chance that most or all of cards in the suit held by the opposition can be pulled. By playing the top honors in the suit, the lower ranking cards in the suit would be promoted to winners.
Suppose you have a 7-card suit headed by A, K, Q. Leading the three top cards would pull all or most of the opposing cards in the suit. Most or all of the remaining 4 cards would be winners, yielding 6 or 7 total winners.
Player Positions
Player positions in Bridge are not related to North, South, East, or West, but are defined relative to the dealer. The dealer starts the bidding and is in the first position. The second position is the next bidder or the player to the dealer’s left. Third position is the third bidder, and fourth position is the last bidder before the dealer bids again, starting the second round of bidding.
Vulnerability
Vulnerability creates risk, and the amount of risk varies depending on which partnership is vulnerable.
If you are not vulnerable, but your opponents are vulnerable, then you have favorable vulnerability.
If you have the same vulnerability as your opponents, you have equal vulnerability.
If you are vulnerable, but your opponents is not vulnerable, then you have unfavorable vulnerability.
The Preemptive Opening
A preemptive bid at the 3-level promises a 7-card suit. A preemptive bid at the 4-level promises an 8-card suit. A preemptive bid at the 5-level promises a 9-card suit in ♣ or ♦. The long suit should have at least a Q, 10. The hand value should be 6-9 HCP.
When you make a preemptive bid, you expect it will probably fail, but you expect that the penalty of going down is smaller than the opponents’ gain by making their bid. A preemptive bid is risky. The next two rules are good for starters.
A preemptive bid is safer when you are not vulnerable, so avoid most preemptive bids when vulnerable.
A 4th position preemptive bid serves no purpose, unless you have a strong opening hand.
Vulnerability and Hand Strength
Vulnerability must be considered in the decision to bid.
With favorable vulnerability, the long suit should have at least 1 of the 3 top honors.
With equal vulnerability, the long suit should have at least 2 of the top 3 honors.
With unfavorable vulnerability, the long suit should have at least 3 of the top 4 honors.
Preemptive Openings in 1st or 2nd Position
A bidder in 1st or 2nd position opens before his or her partner has bid. Therefore a preemptive bid may also interfere with partner’s bid. The level of interference depends on the position.
A 1st position preemptive bid interferes with both of the opposition bidders, but a 2nd position preemptive bid interferes with only opponent. Therefore, a 1st position preemptive bid is riskier than a 2nd position preemptive bid.
A preemptive bid in 1st position should have 3 of 4 top honors in the long suit. A preemptive bid in 2nd position should have 2 of 3 top honors in the long suit.
Preemptive Openings in 3rd Position
If you are in a position to open, then your partner and RHO have passed. The 4th position opponent could have a big hand. 3rd position preemptive bids only require 1 of the 3 top honors in the long suit.
Preemptive Openings in 4th Position
If all players have passed to you in 4th position, then the conventional preemptive bid is useless, so the bidding rules change. In 4th position, a preemptive bid shows a preemptive suit and 11 – 15 points. Note: Most experts recommend passing with a preemptive hand, but you can show strength and length here. Be sure that your partner knows about this 4th position convention.
Position and Vulnerability
Both position and vulnerability must be considered before deciding if the long suit is strong enough. The following rules apply.
If applicable, apply the unfavorable vulnerability rule in any position except 4th.
If applicable, apply the equal vulnerability rule in third position.
Otherwise apply the position rule.
Analysis by the Responder
Any bid other than pass is either invitational or game forcing.
You must decide if there is a good possibility of a game. A No Trump or Major Suit game may be in order if you have 14-15 points. Another good possibility is 4 or 5 card support and a singleton or a void. If you choose to bid a new suit, you should have a very strong hand with 14-15 points or enough for a game if partner supports your suit.
Bids by Responder
A raise to game in partner’s suit shows support in partner’s suit and an opening hand with 14+ points, or it shows 4-5 card support with invitational points or solid distributional values like a singleton or doubleton. A new suit shows a 5-card suit with 14+ points in the hand. If partner bids in 4th position, the preemptive bid shows 11-15 points, You don’t need to support partner’s suit. If you have 8 or more points, either raise partner’s suit to game or bid 3 No Trump. A pass shows that a game is unlikely. |
Rebids by Opener
Generally, the opener follows the responders lead.
Pass when partner bids game in your suit. |
A Bidding Example
North starts the bidding.
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North has 9 HCP and 12 points. North has 7 ♥ and a point range that qualifies for a preemptive 3 ♥ bid. Based on points, this hand can be bid in any position.
The other three hands are possible South hands that need a response.
South1 has 15 HCP and excellent 3-card support. This hand is good enough for a 4 ♥ game bid.
South2 has 9 HCP, 12 points, and no support in partner’s suit. You are not strong enough mention a new suit, so pass.
South3 has 7 HCP and 3-card support in partner’s suit. You do not have 14 points, so pass.
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Review Questions
Some questions may have more than one correct answer.
North bids 3 ♥ using a preemptive bid.
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Use the North and South hands to answer the next 4 questions.
1. In what player position is a North bid 2 ♥
bid OK?
2. What is South1’s response?
3. What is South2’s response?
4. What is South3’s response?
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