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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.
4th May, 2011 Both Vul
In this situation, with a weak hand and four-card Heart support, it’s usually appropriate to make a preemptive raise to 3♥. Does this hand qualify? Absolutely not, here’s why: - The hand is square (no ruffing values) - The hand has scattered defensive values … in fact, it turns out that, against a Spade contract, East has no fewer than three defensive tricks, and that’s way too much for a preempt. - The hand has soft values and won’t offer many tricks in a Heart contract. - E-W are vulnerable.
As it happens, 3♥ is down two tricks for the dreaded -200 which is about what it deserves. As for N-S, they can make 9 tricks in 3♠.
13th December, 2006 Board 11 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 5th 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 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 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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