Preemptive Raises

 

In competitive auctions, it's common practice nowadays for jump raises to be preemptive.  If we want to show a good hand which has support for Partner, then we cue-bid.  Those are the presumed methods in the following examples.

        

13th December, 2006        Board 11      Dealer South       None Vul

 

 

A recurring theme in recent weeks has been hands where the decision is whether or not to preempt.  Here are West’s choices:

-         3♠:       Most tournament partnerships play this bid as preemptive (typically with 4 Spades) but we don’t think that West has a hand which is preemptive in nature … he has two potential defensive tricks, more than Partner will reasonably expect, and the danger is that Partner might take a phantom sacrifice as a result of our misleading bid.

-         4♠:       Also generally played as preemptive, usually with a 5^th Spade … this suffers from the same defect as 3♠, namely too much defense.

-         2♠:      The plan here would be to compete later to 3♠, if necessary (and, yes, it surely will be necessary, the opponents are unlikely to let us play in our 10-card fit at the 2-level)

-         3♣:      This would be our choice … it’s offensively about equivalent to a limit raise (the extra Spade compensates for the lack of HCP’s) … and we have the defensive values that Partner would reasonably expect for our bid.

 

 

22 November, 2006          Board 6      Dealer East       E-W Vul

 

 

With a weak hand and 4 trumps opposite Partner’s 5-card (at least) suit it’s customary to preempt here to 3♠.  But let’s look again!  We are White vs Red, which is always an excuse to be a little more extreme!  And our hand is quite perfect for preempting … a bit of shape, values in our suit, no unexpected defensive values.  Yes, let’s go ahead, no pusillanimous 3♠ for us, this hand calls for 4♠!

 

Bold action certainly works on this hand.  The opponents are cold for 6♥ but that 4♠ preempt makes their life so much more difficult!

 

 

29th August, 2007            Board 1      Dealer North       None Vul

 

 

We like our preempts to have good offensive potential and as little defense as possible.  This hand certainly qualifies and the usual bid when we have 4-card support and a preemptive hand is a jump to the 3-level.  But is that really enough here?  All our points are concentrated in Partner’s suit, and we have that lovely 6-4 shape.  Our own preference would be to kick it up a notch and bid 4♠, we think the hand is that good offensively and that bad defensively.

 

How does this work out in practice?  Rather well!  The 4♠ bid will make it that much harder for the opponents to reach their optimal spot of 5♣ or 5♦.  And if they overcome that hurdle, our 4♠ bid might encourage Partner to take a “five over five” sacrifice in 5♠.  If we bid just 3♠, Partner will no doubt sell out 5♣ or 5♦.

 

 

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