Thursday, September 26, 2002 7:45 AM
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 and made an off colored pre-empt in 3 rd seat . The opponents bid their game
and Piotr feeling that I would have a nice
disciplined pre-empt sacrificed . It was not a success and 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 ) but 3 rd & 4th
seat should have different rules and vulnerability should have different rules
. Here are my thoughts . 1 st and
2nd 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 1st or
second seat my suit will be appropriately disciplined . Not vul
against vul my suit and hand could
be a disaster and I may have an outside King . I would open 3♦ 1st
seat nv vrs vul with x Kxx KJ10xxx xx
but never on any other vulnerability.
3rd
seat , I agree with Subash , it is time to operate . I will have outside stuff
some times . Axx KJ10xxxx Qxx x I would open this 3 hearts
in 3rd and 4th and one heart in 1st and second
. Partner has to be aware of this style or there are going to be a lot of pseudo sacrifices flying around or
missed games for the other extreme. Partner has to be aware of this shift in discipline and
tread lightly as a passed hand . Totally being barred is extreme but lets say bids should not be based on partner having
a classic disciplined pre-empt . If the opponents ask to describe my 3rd
seat pre-empts , “variable” would
be a good answer .
Skilled
match point players use their knowledge of the ability of local players in
guiding their pre-emptive action. My partner pre-empted 2♠ vul against not vul
with Qxxxxx x QJxxx x against a
weak pair the other nite. Instead of going for his life for -700 the opponents
missed their baby slam their direction. I do not think my partner would have
tried this pre-empt against most other pairs.
Pre-emptive
4♥/♠ bids also
vary as to position and vulnerability . I will not have outside stuff in 1st and 2nd
seat either . 3rd seat and 4th seat if I can not envision
slam with a passed hand partner then I could leap to 4 with anything . Gambling 3NT’s are a part of your pre-empt
structure . Should they vary as to 3rd or 4th seat ? I was playing with Peter Jones on a
Thursday nite and vul against vul and I held the following hand . I opened 3NT
and the auction went all pass .
Peter laid down the following dummy Axxx
Jxxx void Qxxxx . I went down 6 vul for a 12 IMP loss . Peter
explained he did pull because “I could have anything for a 3rd seat
Gambling 3NT” . O.K. lets examine this . The
gambling 3NT is put in your pre-emptive structure for the sole purpose of
showing a runable suit for NT purposes . It has a negative inference that if
you do pre-empt 3♣/♦ you can not have a
solid suit . Should 3rd seat really matter ? Maybe a gambling 3NT
in 4th seat should have outside stuff as there is a
safety factor of opening the hand at the one level.
Weak
2’s . weak jump overcalls and weak jump shifts could all vary according to 3rd
seat of vulnerability . 3Rd seat weak 2’s are quite often just lead directors with a 5 card suit .
Understandings are also needed in these situations .
“Action doubles” come with the territory of
3rd & 4th seat pre-empts. If you tried one of your
“tactical” pre-empts of 4 or 3 of a major in 3rd seat and the
opponents crawl in , advise partner of that fact with an “action double” . This double means
partners is to take some action like converting for penalty or retreating to
your suit. This bid has paid big dividends for me in the past. I opened 4♥ in third
seat with x AKJ109x AQx xx and
they crawled in 4♠. Around to
me and I made an auction double and hit partner with 5 spades ! It was not
pretty for them.
Anyway
, Eric Kokish is right . Your understandings re pre-empts have to be worked out
and self discipline is required
once the agreements are in place.
I strongly
feel that pre-empts should not be used to “get partner” as
well as the opponents …