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The Pre-emptor’s Partner.

Once you have opened the bidding with a pre-empt, you have usually said it all. However, for the pre-emptor’s partner, it can be difficult to decide what to bid, whether to bid or how high to bid, especially when it seems the opposition might be making a contract. Take this recent example:

 

It’s Teams, no-one is vulnerable and you have not much in the majors. What’s your pick?

On a normal day, you might be deciding to either jump in diamonds or show both minor suits. Yet, your partner has a seven-card spade suit, perhaps a couple of hearts (they would not/ should not/ might not..you choose!) have a 4-card major on the side.

So, it looks like the opponents have an awful lot of hearts between them. We could take a minor route, no route or raise the pre-empt.

Looking at our minor holding is:

Kris Wooles “4: The problem will be if I pass and it goes 4back to me. What do I do?  A direct 4 certainly jams the opponents but I’d prefer 4and will probably then bid 4 over 4. Who knows partner might have three diamonds and a 7330 shape or similar and we might make 5.”

Stephen Blackstock “4: There is no right answer here, I think, simply the action that works best at the table. 4 is the obvious move to try to pre-empt their big heart fit, but someone (likely East) has a good hand and will double. So, I expect they will find hearts whatever I do. And 4 is dangerous over a first seat NV pre-empt, if they chose to defend, we might concede 500/800. Diamonds may play a lot better for our side. So, let’s see what partner thinks of that strain. There is a risk that my bid may alert E/W to the possibility of A and a ruff in defence, but I can’t avoid that.”

4 does seem to make it easy for East to emerge with 4 but it does bring your partner, the pre-emptor, into the decision making. See, they can still play a part after their opening bid. Also, while 4 would not be my choice, I prefer it to no action:

Michael Ware “Pass: This is a hard hand!
I want to raise to 4 to prevent an easy 4 bid, but it could be very expensive.
I want to bid 4 to allow partner to bid 4 with a very good suit or raise to 5 over a 4 bid. But it is forcing and I don't like that.
I don't think game is making our way so maybe I should pass? Maybe the pre-empt has done its work already? Ok, Pass.

I like your arguments for bidding but not the conclusion. Agreeing, though, is

Bruce Anderson “Pass: where is the heart suit? 4 will almost certainly see either double or 5 from East with the result E/W are likely to be in a makeable contract, or we go down doubled when 5 was not a make.

(I am presuming partner has not bid 3 holding 4 hearts).

 An immediate 4 shows a single suited hand with strength I do not have. So, the plan is to bid 4NT showing both minors should our opponents bid 4. On a lucky day partner will have either 3 diamonds or 4 clubs. And if our opponents bid on to 5 perhaps they are overboard."

I would rather make my 7-card minor the trump suit unless partner had 4 clubs. Thus, I would rather make partner’s 7-card spade suit the trump suit and play him for a reasonable pre-empt. Hence, I agree with:

 Pam Livingston “4  On a good day it could make. It also has excellent pre-emptive value against your LHO bidding hearts.”

Julie Atkinson “4: Hate arguing with partner. I have a spade and not interested in "Guess a minor.”

Not just “a spade” but a nice spade.

Michael Cornell “4: My initial thoughts were to go quietly and pass but the strong probability then would be defending 4. This may not be cold but they are favourites to have 11 hearts and AK which would usually be enough.

So I am bidding 4 which may even be hard for them to X as they may not have diamond tolerance.(that is why I don’t bid 4as that makes a take- out double easier).”

 

Nigel Kearney “4: It could cost 800 if doubled but often they won't double or won't get 800, and 500 is ok. It's more likely they have a lot of hearts and are probably going to bid them regardless. So, I may as well make them do that at the five level. They may also misjudge the spade situation after my raise."

 

Peter Newell “4: it's close for me whether to pass or bid 4. It depends really on state of the match and whether I think the opponents have a tendency to bid to the 5 level too much.

 I don’t expect to make 4, probably 3 down maybe 2 as a heart lead looks quite likely. However, East probably has a lot of hearts and/or may have a hand that is unsuitable to double. So, I am keen to try 4 as it will give East a difficult decision on many hands.

As long as they are making 4, it Is worth the risk of pushing them to the 5/6 level.Occasionally of course 4 will go down eg if we have a diamond ruff and another couple of tricks somewhere. So, the majority of the time I’ll bid 4 in somewhat fear and trepidation and certainly hoping that partner isn’t the type to bid 5.

(Pre-emptors are supposed to stay quiet!)

The most likely scenario is they reach 5 which we may have a decent shot at beating."

 

Thus, varying views on what will happen to 4 from “maybe a make”to -800! Does this reflect on what they expect from partner’s first in hand not vulnerable pre-empt? In fact, the actual pre-empt was sound enough and the result was as some predicted…that the 5-level was too far for their opponents.

 

 

The diamond ruff was not needed to defeat 5. There should always be three tricks for the defence in 5 while most defences should see 4 also one down. You could argue that it was more likely to be two down on days when South’s three hearts were not headed by the queen.

result?

 

No right answer: there seldom is. I do feel, though, that some action is better than no action. It certainly was on the day. Strangely perhaps, at the table, East made the right decision of passing out 4 and collecting their + rather than - 50.

 

Tough Times on Jan’s Day

 

 

West leads 10 with East winning A at trick 1 and they switch to J. Over to you…

Richard Solomon

 

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