HINTS ON AUCTION BRIDGE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 714, 13 July 1929, Page 11

HINTS ON AUCTION BRIDGE

The Pre-emptive Bid {lirj " Caliban” in the “Nation and Athenaeum” —Through the Courtesy of the Publisher 4 MOST bridge players are aware of the principle of pre-emptive (or shut-out) bidding; yet many seldom, or never, avail themselves or • it, while others do so far too often. It is a principle which should be utilised with discrimination, if tho best results are to be obtained from applying it. A simple illustration of a pre-emptive bid may first be givens

The score was Love-all. Z dealt and called Four Hearts, and alt passed. % made his contract and the game, winning all the tricks except two iu Diamonds and the King of Clubs —the equivalent of 32 plus 72 plus 125 = 229 points. But if Z had not ‘ 4 pre-empted,’ * i.e., if he had opened the bidding with One Heart, the subsequent bids would (presumably) have been as follows:—A, One Spade; Y, No Bid; B, Three Spades; Z, lour Hearts; A, Four Spades; Y, No Bid; B, No Bid; Z, Five Hearts. A would then have had the option of doubling (in which case AB score 100 less 72 = 28 points) or of passing the call up to B, who goes Five Spades, when AB make their contract, in all worth 45 plus 36 plus 125 = 206 points. Taking then th© average of 28 and 206, i.e., 117 points, as AB’s expectation, the failure to bid pre-emptively would have cost ZY" 229 plus 117 = 340 points. It should, from this, be fairly clear that the pre-emptive bid may have considerable value. It is difficult, or rather impossible, to formulate precise and simple rules in regard to bidding; but as working rules for pre-emptive bidding, I would suggest the following:— Rule I.—lf one can be reasonably sure of making game, given a particular trump suit, and if, at the same time, one has not a strong enough hand to be sure of defeating every alternative call, one should make a game-winning call straight away. Rule 2.—lf one can -be reasonably sure of making nine tricks in a major suit, and has not a s/trong enough hand to be sure of defeating a call in the other major suit, one should make a pre-emptive bid of Three. Rule 3.—lf one can be reasonably sure of making ten tricks in a minor suit, yet can neither support a No-Trump nor defend against a major suit, one should make a pre-emptive bid of Four. Rule 4.—lf one can be reasonably sure of making eight tricks in NoTrumps, but cannot defend successfully against both major suits, one should make a pre-emptive bid of Two. Examples: Rule 1. Holding Spades KQJIO 87 5 J Hearts None Diamonds A 6 Clubs KJ 10 Call Four Spades. Spades K 5 Hearts K 4 I Diamonds A K Q 10 Clubs A K Q J Call Three No-Trumps. Spades None Hearts A Q Diamonds QJIO9B 65 4 2 Clubs A K Call Five Diamond*. Rule 2: Holding Spades A K J 9 7 2 Hearts 3 Diamonds A 8 5 4 2 Clubs K Call Three Spades. Spades J 2 Hearts K Q J 10 5 4 Diamonds 9 8 Clubs K Q J Call Three Hearts. Rule 3: Holding Spades 10 Hearts 5 Diamonds A 2 Clubs K Q J 10 8 7 542 Call Four Clubs. Rule 4: Holding Spades K J Hearts A 2 Diamonds Q J 9 6 Clubs A K Q 7 2 Call Two No-Trumps. Note (1) —It is not, as a rule, worth trying to ‘ ‘pre-empt’ ’ in a minor suit with a call of less than four. To do so may w r ork out disadvantageously, by shutting out a better call from one’s partner. Note (2) —It is foolish to 11 pre-emptwhen one has a strong enough hand to defeat alternative calls; this is a very common error.

B called One No-Trump; Z, Two Spades; A, Two No-Trumps (!); Z doubled AB lost 400 points; whereas ZY, playing the hand in Spades, would only have made eight tricks. Yet a bystander forcibly expressed the opinion that Z’s opening bid should have been Three Spades. The point he overlooked was» that Z was strong enonugh to defeat any call made against him, and. therefore, did wisely to "wait upon events.