Guide 2Z43 Main

Preemptive Bids

by Richard Pavlicek

Opening suit bids or jump suit overcalls from 3 to 5

When and How High To Preempt

Your hand should contain

7+ card suit or strong 6 card suit

no more than 10 HCP (usually 5-8 HCP)

no side 4 card major Q-x-x-x or better

Count your playing tricks

Estimate how many tricks you are likely to win if your long suit is trumps, then

Add how much you may overbid by

Vulnerable vs. nonvulnerable	add 2 tricks
Equal vulnerability	add 3 tricks
Nonvulnerable vs. vulnerable	add 4 tricks

If the final total is

8 tricks or less	pass
9+ tricks	bid for that many tricks

If partner has passed, these requirements are not strict.

Unless your hand qualifies for a weak two-bid.

But do not bid beyond the level of game in your suit.

Responses to a Preemptive Bid

Partner
3

(opp)
Pass

You
?

General guidelines

Add the tricks you can provide to the tricks partner showed (remember that he has overbid by 2, 3 or 4 tricks). Usually you will pass or raise partner’s suit (only 1 trump is needed). In rare cases you may bid an unbid suit with 6+ cards (forcing if below game) or 3 NT with 2+ cards in partner’s suit and stoppers in the other suits.

Only aces and kings are apt to provide tricks for partner.

Guide 2Z43 Main Top Preemptive Bids