Preemptive Overcalls

 

No special methods here, merely an opportunity to exhibit good bidding judgment.  As usual, when preempting, we are concerned about suit length and quality, vulnerability, and amount of defensive potential.

 

 

22nd November, 2006      Board 25      Dealer North       E-W Vul

 

 

 We offer this one as a cautionary tale!  It’s always so tempting to preempt at favorable vulnerability, but there are limits.  You can decide for yourself whether this one is over the limit, that’s part of developing one’s own bidding style.  We’d probably bid 3♣ here, but only at this vulnerability.  Are we sure that this is clearly the right bid in the circumstances?  Not at all!  And what happens on the actual hand if we do chime in with 3♣?  It will be -800 and a zero if the opponents decide to go for the jugular.

 

If your Partner suffers from indigestion or a heart ailment, we’d recommend 2♣ here … it’s safe and lead-directing and less likely to provoke a medical emergency.

 

 

14th June, 2006                Board 2      Dealer East      N-S Vul

 

 

We have a lively distribution, but have nothing worth saying in first seat, better to pass and see what happens.  But, after North opens in 4^th seat with a 1♣ bid, the gloves are off.  At this point in the proceedings action is required!  And all the more so as we are white versus red. It would be nice if East could show both of his suits here, but, using “standard” methods, he cannot … he can show the two lower unbid suits (with the Unusual 2NT), or the majors (with Michaels), but what he cannot do is show Diamonds and Spades. 

 

Given the unavailability of a two-suited bid, we rather like 3♦ here, that white versus red thing sometimes makes us go crazy … but, seriously, at this vulnerability, bidding a mere 2♦ would be quite lame.

 

 

1st November, 2006         Board 29      Dealer North       Both Vul

 

 

Anyone for 2♠ here?  Not a good bid in our opinion.  We’ve had a few hands this week where the issue has been “To preempt or not to preempt?”  And, as usual, we have to weigh up our offensive and defensive assets.  We have the approximate hand strength and suit length for a preempt but altogether too much defense.  The A♠ is a likely defensive trick, maybe even the K♠, and we probably also have a trump trick against 4♥.  As was the case on Board 28, we don’t want to surprise Partner with all this defense, and encourage him to take a phantom sacrifice.  So, a simple 1♠ is surely called for here.

 

 

February 7th, 2007           Board 21      Dealer North       N-S Vul

 

 

We have 18 HCP’s opposite a preempting Partner.  But, hard as it is to do so, we should just Pass.  3NT is most unlikely to make, Partner will need an entry if the Clubs and that is something of a long shot.  He won’t have the A♦ and good Clubs, that would be a 2♣ overcall … he might have the Q♠ … or perhaps the J♦ with the Ace on-side.  We wouldn’t bet on one of these possibilities, it’s a well-known fact of life that Partner rarely has the perfect hand.

 

Is it worth trying for 4♥?  Too dangerous, we think … if we bid 3♥, Partner will expect a much better suit and will likely raise us with a holding such as Jx.

 

 

12th July, 2006                  Board 18      Dealer East       N-S Vul

 

 

When West made his 4♠ preempt he was doing it white versus red, opposite a passed hand.  This means he has considerable latitude, and he might have a surprising amount of defense or fewer Spades than usual ... in these circumstances, he's got the green light to create some mayhem.  Therefore, East must be quite circumspect about taking another call.  If North bids 5♦ over 4♠, we'd say that East has an easy 5♠ call if he were not a passed hand.  As a passed hand, it is not so clear to bid 5♠, who knows what atrocity West has committed with that preempt?  East probably should bid 5♠ anyway, but he should not be surprised if it turns out badly ... maybe very badly!

 

 

18th July, 2007                  Board 22      Dealer East       E-W Vul

 

 

“Oh, my goodness!” thinks North when she sees her hand and notices the vulnerability.  What is 3♠ here?  We would say that it should probably be Michaels, and we would also say that it is most feeble.  The opponents are headed at least to game, and in all likelihood to slam, and 3♠ is not going to be much of an inconvenience to them.  Do we really want to defend 6♠?  Surely not!  Even if they decide that they don’t have a slam, we probably have a good save at the 5- or 6-level.

 

If not 3♠, then how about 5♠ or 5NT?  That’s more like it!  We prefer 5NT ourselves, but only if Partner will interpret this as any two-suiter rather than for the minors.  Both would be vastly preferable to a 3♠ call.

 

Now, suppose that the auction starts out differently:

            North   East     South   West   

                        1♠        Pass    5NT

            ??

West is trying for 7♠ with the Grand Slam Force.  What now?  Now, we would bid 6♠ or 6NT.  True, we cannot do anything if the opponents bid on to 7♠ or 7NT, but they may belong in 6♠ in which case we’d like to take a sacrifice at the 7-level.

 

 

19th September, 2007       Board 6      Dealer East       E-W Vul

 

 

This is obviously the opponents’ hand but at this vulnerability it is our solemn duty to create some mayhem with our lovely suit.  We’d say that 3♥ would be the “down the middle” course of action here, though (only because we are “White vs Red”) if we were feeling extra frisky we might try gambling with 4♥.  On the actual board, 3♥ creates problems but good opponents might still get to slam, whereas 4♥ would make their life impossible.

 

 

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