Monday, February 19, 2007 10:18 PM

Hand Evaluation - Power of the Pre-empt

PITBULLS:

The power of the pre-empt is like being the house in Casino Blackjack. The customer must make the decision to gamble and ask for another card. The customer might break and the house did nothing to earn the money. When your side pre-empts , the opponents must make a decision to bid or double. Sometimes the pre-empt has done its dirty work so you do not need to do anything to earn your IMPS.

The purpose of a pre-empt is to pre-empt the opponents not partner. Responder leaping to game in partner’s or her own major is a pre-empt. Beginners lose sight of that fact & leap to game just to “show 5 trump”. If responder has a decent hand along with the 5 trump , choose a different bid. You have just pre-empted your side out of a slam , maybe a grand slam. Pre-empting to game with a good hand is a horrible bid as it also throws off forcing passes if the opponents bid again. Captaincy is also screwed up as the opening must make the decision in these auctions & she has no idea that you have concealed strength. Leaping to game with a good hand is single handed nonsense & taking partner out of the bidding.

The 5 level is for the opponents is very true when partner has pre-empted. They have made a guess so there is no reason for you to make a guess also. You have ♠AKxxx ♥Jx ♦x ♣KQxxx , you open 1♠ nv. Your vul opponents double & partner pre-empts to 4♠. They have a decision to make so they decide to bid 5♥. If partner has the right cards , 5♠ might be a nice sacrifice nv vrs vul. Why gamble though ? The opponents have already taken the risk by bidding at the 5 level . You may have them booked in your own hand with your quick tricks so let’s see how good their guessing was. You pass , partners 4♠ bid was ♠xxxxx ♥Qxx ♦Q109x ♣x and the opponents are lucky to go 3 down vul in 5♥ ( 1 spade , 1 heart , 1 diamond and 2 clubs ). Give partner leeway with nv pre-empts.

Bidding 5♠ undoes partner’s pre-empt as you are gambling that you have a non vul sacrifice. Let the pre-empt work for you. At our table we beat 4♠X +100 as we chose not to go to the 5 level in 5♥. If you bid 5♠ , you go for –300 , lose 7 IMPs instead of gaining 10 . A 17 IMP swing . Only one gamble per pre-empt & they gambled first so do not hit 17. Let’s see if they can get 21 at the 5 level.

Subash Gupta always warned his partners. When I pre-empt & you are a passed hand , you not allowed to bid no matter what your hand . His reasoning is that you should allow the pre-empt to do its dirty work. Partner knowing that you are a passed hand will take liberties. She will be very undisciplined either stronger or weaker than you expect. Just passing is the prudent strategy. ♠Jxxx ♥A10xx ♦Kxx ♣Qx , 3^rd seat partner opens 3♠ equal nv , they overcall 3NT. 4♠ may only go for –300 but maybe 3NT might go down . Also LHO has not yet had a chance to make a wrong decision. 3NT is a very ambiguous bid so let them guess. My partner doubled which was promptly redoubled so we ran to 4♠ which was doubled for –800. I had a horrible pre-empt this time but why place cards ? Let them do the guessing …