Thursday, January 26, 2017

Pre-emptive Bidding -- An Introduction

WARNING! The following post talks about Pre-emptive Bidding. Pre-empts are bids used by more experienced players. If you are a new player do NOT bother reading this post. When you have played a bit more and know a bit more you can learn how to use them. For now, do not bother.

A pre-emptive bid occurs when one player JUMPS in the bidding to bid a suit and their partner has not yet made a bid.

You can pre-empt when you open the bidding.

For example, opening the bidding with 3♠ is a pre-emptive bid. You have jumped in a suit.

Opening the bidding 1♠ is NOT a pre-empt. You did not jump.

You can make a pre-emptive overcall.

RHO You!
1♣ 2

2 is a pre-empt. The opponents opened the bidding and you jumped and bid a new suit.

RHO You!
1♠ 2

2 is a normal overcall. You did NOT jump in the bidding.

Partner You!
1 2♠

Unless otherwise agreed upon, 2♠ is something called a JUMP SHIFT. Partner opened the bidding. You do not pre-empt your Partner.

The purpose of a pre-emptive bid is to disrupt the opponents bidding. It shows a weak hand with a good quality, long suit. To make a pre-emptive bid you should have the following:
  • 5 to 10 HCP (or you can play 6 to 11 HCP or even 5 to 11)
  • At least 3 of the top 5 honors (A, K, Q, J, T) – non-vulnerable
  • At least 2 of the top 3 honors (A, K, Q) - vulnerable or non-vulnerable
  • No tolerance for any outside major suit (4+ cards) – your hand is too good
  • No outside 5 card minor – your hand is too good
  • At most 1 trick outside the suit

Some players are not as disciplined when they make a pre-emptive bid. Their suit is not as good. I recommend being very disciplined when you first start playing pre-emptive bids. After you are more experienced playing pre-empts you can "relax" the rules a bit as you see fit.

The level you pre-empt at shows the LENGTH in your suit.

Pre-empting at the 2 level shows a 6 card suit
Pre-empting at the 3 level shows a 7 card suit
Pre-empting at the 4 level shows a 8 card suit
and so on...

So with this hand:
♠AQJT65
82
93
♣973

Open the bidding 2♠. This is a pre-empt.

If your RHO opens the bidding with 1♣ (or 1 or even 1), you can now bid 2♠ which would be a pre-empt.

With this hand:
♠KQJT652
8
93
♣973

Open the bidding 3♠.

If your RHO opens the bidding with 1♣ (or 1 or even 1), bid 3♠ which is a pre-empt.

With that in mind, what will you open the bidding?

Hand 1

♠AQJT654
Q
93
♣973



Hand 2

♠AKJT85
962
2
♣Q64



Hand 3

♠KQJ875
9
AK74
♣K3



Hand 4

♠J86532
T4
T5
♣AQT



Hand 5

♠AKJT532
4
KQ
♣T85



Hand 6

♠T87542
Q87
K
♣KQ2



Hand 7

♠KQT9765
9
63
♣Q73



Hand 8

♠AK9432
74
T84
♣Q7



Hand 9

♠AK9653
J643

♣KQ2



Hand 10

♠T976432
KQ8
KQ
♣7



Hand 11

♠KQ8754
J6
9
♣KT95



Hand 12

♠KQ8764
83
A53
♣A4



Hand 13

♠AKQT86
97
9754
♣8



Hand 14

♠T98742
A
92
♣AQ94



Hand 15

♠AKT732
T4
863
♣75



Hand 16

♠KQT98653
T
85
♣K4



Hand 17

♠AKJ976
T83
53
♣96



Hand 18

♠AJT872

A875
♣AK9



Hand 19

♠AKT974
87
97
♣J32



Hand 20

♠J875432
4
K93
♣K6



Hand 21

♠AQ98743
J93
Q5
♣A



Hand 22

♠AKQT986
4
986
♣32



Hand 23

♠986432
J532
A65




Hand 24

♠KQT543
A65
84
♣85



Hand 25

♠KQT87652
95
7
♣T8



Hand 26

♠KQT9754
K5
97
♣76



Hand 27

♠AKT98732
J6
8
♣64



Hand 28

♠KQJT65
865
Q8
♣94



Hand 29

♠J986543
K4
Q8
♣A9



Hand 30

♠KJ8743
AQJ9
6
♣Q9



Hand 31

♠AKJT743
3
962
♣97



Hand 32

♠K98742
J
AT7432




Hand 33

♠AKQJ9862

93
♣A98



Hand 34

♠AQJ9742
853
3
♣63



Hand 35

♠KQJ98742
Q32
6
♣3



Hand 36

♠AKJT9743
3
52
♣32



Hand 37

♠AKJT5432
52
T3
♣5



Hand 38

♠AQ6432
T
J63
♣765



Hand 39

♠AJ9643
T3
QT
♣AKJ



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