Thursday, September 26, 2002 7:45 AM

Hand Evaluation - Pre-empting ( Strategy )

PITBULLS:

The following is from Fred G on a particular aspect of Eric Kokishs coaching methods .

“ Each partnership received quizzes to fill out. One of these quizzes consisted of 40 hands that you might consider preempting on. Each player had to write down what bid he would make in first, second, and third position, and at each of the four vulnerabilities. That's 480 questions. After the quizzes were filled out, each set of partners got together and compared their answers. Eric never tried to alter our style as to what hands we preempted on. His emphasis was on each member of the partnership knowing what to expect when the other one preempts.”

On Thurs nite I played with a well known Polish player , I made an off colored pre-empt in 3 rd seat . The opponents bid their game & Piotr feeling that I would have a nice disciplined pre-empt sacrificed . It was not a success & we lost 11 IMPS . Afterwards when we were discussing the hand I asked Piotr don’t you play the “Subash rule” . Piotr said he never heard of it however it goes like this “Partners are not allowed ( barred ) to bid over a Subash pre-empt if they are a passed hand “ . Subash says that once partner is a passed hand , it is taking liberties time with pre-empts . He does not want partner to submarine his efforts.

O.K. I do not go that far . I do not think partnerships should have the leeway that an Osama or Maurice does ( vary a pre-empt depending on what they had for supper ) J but 3 rd & 4^th seat should have different rules & vulnerability should have different rules . Here are my thoughts . 1 st and 2^nd seat , my pre-empts are disciplined . In other words , I will not have an outside King or Ace ever . Partner can take that to the bank in judging the auctions . Equal or unfavourable vulnerability 1^st or second seat my suit will be appropriately disciplined . Not vul against vul my suit & hand could be a disaster also I may have an outside King . I would open 3♦ 1^st seat nv vrs vul with ♠x ♥Kxx ♦KJ10xxxx ♣xx but never on any other vulnerability.