Polling You # 78, Preempts and Suit Quality, Losing Trick Count, Cover Cards

Preempts:  Weak 2 Bids, Suit Quality, Self-Sustaining Suits and more

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Greetings Bridge Friends,

Welcome back to Part 3 and 4 of our continuing preemptive bidding journey.  While at first look, making a preemptive bid and response looks deceptively simple.  Yes, right you are on both accounts!  In this episode we  delve deeper into Suit Quality, Self-Sustaining Suits, Losing Trick Count, Cover Cards and how to bid when its the opponents who made a pesky 2 or 3 level preemptive bid.

As we saw in the prior section, preemptive styles come in three forms:
aggressively hot preemptors willing to take more risks, conservatively mild preemptors requiring solid values and disciplined weak bidders bidding somewhere in between.  When it comes to considering honors in their long suit, aggressive types are likely to get by with 4 of the top 6 (including the 9 spot), conservative preemptors look for 2 of the top 3 honors and disciplined are probably okay preempting 3 of the top 5.  Since it is imperative to have solid partnership agreements as a prerequisite to finding the best contracts, it seems prudent to spend some time discussing partnership bidding styles in different situations.

Our aggressive preemptors tend not to worry as much about vulnerability compared to a conservative bidder.  Same when it comes to seat position – aggressive types are less concerned preempting with so-so values in the second seat while conservative types are sensitive to the fact the preempt has a 50-50 chance to challenge partner’s strong hand.  And our aggressive bidder is likely to be friskier when holding a long Spade suit, knowing the opponents have to overcall at the next higher bidding level to compete.
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———-

Greetings Bridge Friends,

Welcome back to Part 3 and 4 of our continuing preemptive bidding journey.  While at first look, making a preemptive bid and response looks deceptively simple.  Yes, right you are on both accounts!  In this episode we  delve deeper into Suit Quality, Self-Sustaining Suits, Losing Trick Count, Cover Cards and how to bid when its the opponents who made a pesky 2 or 3 level preemptive bid.

As we saw in the prior section, preemptive styles come in three forms:
aggressively hot preemptors willing to take more risks, conservatively mild preemptors requiring solid values and disciplined weak bidders bidding somewhere in between.  When it comes to considering honors in their long suit, aggressive types are likely to get by with 4 of the top 6 (including the 9 spot), conservative preemptors look for 2 of the top 3 honors and disciplined are probably okay preempting 3 of the top 5.  Since it is imperative to have solid partnership agreements as a prerequisite to finding the best contracts, it seems prudent to spend some time discussing partnership bidding styles in different situations.

Our aggressive preemptors tend not to worry as much about vulnerability compared to a conservative bidder.  Same when it comes to seat position – aggressive types are less concerned preempting with so-so values in the second seat while conservative types are sensitive to the fact the preempt has a 50-50 chance to challenge partner’s strong hand.  And our aggressive bidder is likely to be friskier when holding a long Spade suit, knowing the opponents have to overcall at the next higher bidding level to compete.
The following link is accessible to all visitors (Members see below):
Click here to view Teaser of Part 3 video commentary in standard resolution (800×450)

Click here to view Teaser of Part 3 video commentary in high resolution (1280×720)


The following link is accessible by those subscribing to BridgeHands  Free Membership (Premium and Ultra Members please proceed to the next section):

Click here to view Teaser of Part 4 video commentary in standard resolution (800×450)
Click here to view Teaser of Part 4 video commentary in high resolution (1280×720)
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The following links are accessible by those subscribing to BridgeHands Premium Membership:
Click here to view Part 3 video commentary in standard resolution (800×450)
Click here to view Part 3b video commentary in standard resolution (800×450)
Click here to view Part 3c video commentary in standard resolution (800×450)
Click here to view Part 3d video commentary in standard resolution (800×450)
Click here to view Part 4 video commentary in standard resolution (800×450)

Click here to view Part 4b video commentary in standard resolution (800×450)
Click here to view Part 4e video commentary in standard resolution (800×450)

The following links are accessible by those subscribing to BridgeHands ULTRA Membership:

Click here to view Part 3 video commentary in high resolution (1280×720)
Click here to view Part 3b video commentary in high resolution (1280×720)
Click here to view Part 3c video commentary in high resolution (1280×720)
Click here to view Part 3d video commentary in high resolution (1280×720)
Click here to view Part 4 video commentary in high resolution (1280×720)

Click here to view Part 4b video commentary in high resolution (1280×720)
Click here to view Part 4e video commentary in high resolution (1280×720)

When it comes to preempting with a 4 card side suit:

– conservative players are less likely to do so, or only in a minor suit
– disciplined players might do so with a worthless major suit, and
– aggressive players may consider preempting with a major suit including a useful honor.

How about preempting with a void?  It’s probably fine for the most aggressive players, less so for our conservative and disciplined bidders.  Regarding useful honors in a side suit, conservative players may tolerate one useful side suit honor, perhaps 2 mediocre side suit honors  for our disciplined preemptor, while our aggressive bidders might even preempt at the 3 level with an outside Ace (a bit heavy assuming good honors also in the preempt suit, otherwise quite undisciplined).

Of course, positive human environmental factors provide our aggressive bidders an implied level of immunity when preempting.  Factors include one’s skill level, memory and one’s ability to concentrate on a myriad of topics.  Sill level, memory and concentration, as well as one’s attitude, risk, and partnership trust all influence the boldness of our preemptive player.

Would you or partner consider preempting in the third seat with a 5 card major?
While third seat is the best for preempts, hopefully your shape will be 5-4-3-1 shape.
If so, use caution bidding in the fifth seat, responding to partner’s third seat bidding.

Friendly advice to consider: In fifth seat, only raise partner to 3 level with 4 trump
(more details below).

Fourth Seat – NO 2 Level Preempts!

In fourth seat, the bidder can always passout the auction.  So we bid with competitive values, including the Rule of 15 (adding our honors to the number of Spades).

Thus, opening of 2 Diamonds, 2 Hearts, or 2 Spades in fourth/passout seat shows:

–         A good 6-7 LTC hand

–         Good Semi Self-Sustaining Suit and 2 defensive tricks

With 8+ points or 2+ Cover Cards, responder makes forward-going bids exploring game.   Oh, by the way, when partner makes a fourth seat 2 level jump bid showing intermediate values and a nice suit with 2 defensive tricks, it’s harder for past hand opponents to make an obstructive overcall.

 

RONF: Raise=Only Non-Forcing (bid)

2H – 3H/4H = “To play,’ the only non-forcing bid by responder (except passed hand)

2H – 2S =           Forcing.  Feature asking with 5+ long, show support with 3+ in length

2H – 2N =          Forcing.  Feature asking.  With trump values, bids a side suit with Ace or King

2H – 2N;
3D                         Shows an Ace or King and suit quality in Hearts

2H – 2S;

3S                         Shows 3 card Spade support

2H – 2N;
3H                       No side suit help

2H – 2N;
3N                        Promises a solid Heart suit with 3 toppers:  A K Q x x x

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Happy Bridge Trails,

BridgeHands

 

 

Comments

  1. Churchill Al Temimi says:

    Hi,
    I am looking for the probabilty distribution of the number of losers in a hand…the LTC in probability form.
    Thank you and keep on doing a great job to eleviate our bridge level

    • BridgeHands says:
      Hi Churchill,
      .
      Unfortunately, without at least a semi self-sustaining suit we should not consider immediately counting LTC. So in most instances LTC is contingent on responder showing a suit fit. I suppose you might make a crude “guess-timate” based on the probability of HCP being dealt to a player, yet HCP and LTC do not necessarily have a 1-1 correspondence:
      .
      http://www.bridgehands.com/P/Probability_HCP.htm
      .
      One helpful rule of thumb is that after discovering a partnership fit, opener generally has a 7 LTC hand with a minimal 12-14 point hand and average 5-3-3-2 distribution. With a partnership fit and shapely minimal opener hand (singleton or two-suiter) or a medium 15-17 point hand, the opener often has a 6 LTC hand. However, with great working honors and a two-suited hand, occasionally a minimum hand will result in a 5 LTC hand and opener can rebid a major suit game after responders 2H/S signoff bid (i.e., 5 LTC – 2 Cover Cards = 3 total losers).
      .
      Hopefully this provides a starting point for you to further analyze the probability distribution correlation to LTC .
      .
      Happy Bridge trails,
      Michael

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