Pre-emptive Bids -- A Summary

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.

This post summarizes all the following posts:
Pre-emptive Bidding -- An Introduction
Responding to a Weak 2
Weak 2 Bids -- Responding to 2NT
Pre-emptive Bidding -- Does Vulnerabilitity Matter?
Pre-emptive Bidding -- Upping the Pre-empt

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.
You can also make a pre-emptive overcall.

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...

What does Partner do?

They can just bid game.
Pass if they don't expect to make a game and have few trump.
Bid game in 3NT with the right hand.
Bid 2NT to ASK if the pre-empter has an outside feature. That is an Ace OR a King outside the trump suit.
With trump support but a weakish hand they can UP the PRE-EMPT. Bid to the LAW level.

The responses to 2NT from Partner are:
Partner rebids their suit if they do not have an Ace or King outside the suit and their suit is not headed by the AKQ.
If Partner has an outside Ace or King they bid 3 of the suit where they have the outside feature.
If Partner has a suit headed by the AKQ they bid 3NT.

Let's practice what you will bid if Partner opens the bidding 2♠. Partner is VULNERABLE so that means they have a GOOD SUIT. At least two of the top three honours (AKQ) and good spot cards. So it is your bid. What will you do? Pass? Bid 3♠? Bid 3NT? Bid 4♠? Ask Partner if they have an outside Ace or King with 2NT? You decide.

Hand 1

♠8543
♥T9
♦K82
♣KT64



Hand 2

♠QT74
♥AT32
♦7
♣A654



Hand 3

♠QJ65
♥AQ4
♦AQ3
♣A87



Hand 4

♠T94
♥KT7
♦T2
♣A9742



Hand 5

♠JT9
♥AJ76
♦J872
♣42



Hand 6

♠K743
♥82
♦A3
♣KT876



Hand 7

♠A976
♥A82
♦AQJT97
♣



Hand 8

♠953
♥AJ
♦AT9654
♣83



Hand 9

♠QT43
♥A6
♦3
♣KT8765



Hand 10

♠K87
♥A54
♦A54
♣A765



Hand 11

♠
♥KQ65
♦KQ765
♣KQ54



Hand 12

♠J97
♥3
♦AJ983
♣KJ94



Hand 13

♠A32
♥T9
♦K72
♣Q9765



Hand 14

♠KT9
♥A7632
♦642
♣J7



Hand 15

♠J6
♥AJT
♦AT96
♣KJ76



Hand 16

♠J653
♥J875
♦
♣AK753



Hand 17

♠KT72
♥A53
♦6
♣QJ852



Hand 18

♠742
♥KT98
♦98
♣K876



Hand 19

♠K543
♥AK7654
♦43
♣2



Hand 20

♠Q875
♥876
♦J9
♣JT76



Hand 21

♠AQ4
♥T873
♦8652
♣J4



Hand 22

♠AQ65
♥A732
♦T52
♣62



Hand 23

♠T43
♥KJ5
♦K87543
♣J



Hand 24

♠K876
♥7
♦AK6
♣KQ765



Hand 25

♠K86
♥J853
♦43
♣KQJ9



Hand 26

♠98
♥AQ4
♦AQ42
♣KT65



Hand 27

♠K765
♥J4
♦2
♣QJT832



Hand 28

♠QJ93
♥97
♦AK873
♣T2



Hand 29

♠Q94
♥5
♦KQT65
♣QJ74



Hand 30

♠Q
♥AK43
♦A754
♣AK32



Hand 31

♠A976
♥A
♦
♣AQJT9765



Hand 32

♠Q73
♥JT94
♦32
♣AQ96



Hand 33

♠8653
♥8
♦64
♣KQJ874



Hand 34

♠T83
♥87
♦8753
♣AKT5



Hand 35

♠J432
♥6532
♦84
♣AJ8



Hand 36

♠Q4
♥KQ652
♦Q54
♣Q43