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In Search of the Perfect Pre-empt.

Does it exist? Am I dreaming? This is the story of my last week of pre-empts. I had found, or partner did, to be exact, that Heart-small Q8 to 7 was not the perfect suit. I opened 3Heart-small (there was a little more hcp on the side) and eventually partner bid 4Heart-small. We limited our side suit losers to 2 but unfortunately add that to three trump losers…and -100 was no great result. At least the vulnerability saved us.

So, onto pastures new and the best vulnerability for “the perfect pre-empt”, vulnerable against not, first to speak. “3Club-small” said partner and there was no action on my right. I could understand why as this was my hand:

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East Deals
E-W Vul

   

K Q J

A 4

A K Q 7 5

10 6 2

 

N

W

 

E

S

   

 

West

North

East

South

 

 

3 ♣

Pass

?

 

 

 

At any other vulnerability, I would not be so sure but this looked just great for Club-smallAK to 7 and any titbits partner could offer. There was certainly no space to use 4NT (with clubs as trumps, 5Club-small response is 0 or 3) as only the cruellest of partners would fail to have one key-card at this vulnerability.

So, a confident 6Club-small which became less confident when North produced the red card. A heart was led and partner reduced the losers to just 2 black aces:

East Deals
E-W Vul

A 9 6 3

Q 9 6

8 6 3

A 5 3

K Q J

A 4

A K Q 7 5

10 6 2

 

N

W

 

E

S

 

10 8 2

10 7 3

10

K Q J 9 7 4

 

7 5 4

K J 8 5 2

J 9 4 2

8

 

West

North

East

South

 

 

3 ♣

Pass

6 ♣

Dbl

All pass

 

Let the search continue though the next time partner opens this hand 3Club-small we will be using the redundant 4Diamond-small as Roman Key Card for clubs.

Words like “you might only have a 3-count” came in the post-mortem of this next board after my 1st in hand not-vul 3Heart-small was raised rather meekly to game:

North Deals
E-W Vul

9 4

K J 10 7 6 5 2

Q

Q 10 6

Q 8 6 5

8 3

J 10 6 4

J 8 3

 

N

W

 

E

S

 

A J 10 7

Q 9

9 8 7 5 3

7 4

 

K 3 2

A 4

A K 2

A K 9 5 2

 

West

North

East

South

 

3 

Pass

4 

All pass

 

 

 

The Spade-smallQ lead would make South feel a bit sick in slam (on a different day) but otherwise, 6Heart-small is a fair contract with both North’s spades disappearing quickly were a minor suit led and the Heart-smallQ not falling in 2-rounds. Too much talk about sub-minimum pre-empts!

So, have we given up hope of ever finding the perfect pre-empt? “Hope” came just a few boards later as my partner’s partner opened 4Spade-small and there was silence on their left and right:

     

West Deals
None Vul

 

N

W

 

E

S

   
 

J

A 7

A J 10 8 7 5 4

A K 8

What would you expect for a 2nd in hand not vul 4Spade-small pre-empt? 8 spades headed by …well, how about finding out?

West Deals
None Vul

A K Q 10 9 8 6 5

6

9 3

J 10

7 2

K 10 4 2

Q 6

Q 9 6 5 4

 

N

W

 

E

S

 

4 3

Q J 9 8 5 3

K 2

7 3 2

 

J

A 7

A J 10 8 7 5 4

A K 8

 

West

North

East

South

Pass

4 ♠

Pass

4 NT

Pass

5 ♠

Pass

6 ♠

All pass

 

 

 

The moral of this story is that if you cannot find “the perfect pre-empt” in your partner’s hand, then get it yourself! Yes, with opener showing Spade-smallAKQ by their 5Spade-small response, South could have bid 6NT especially as this was match-point Pairs. Yet, 6Spade-small making 12 tricks was still worth 77%. It seems most players never believe that “the perfect pre-empt” exists. I have just proven that it does!

Tomorrow once more is Friyay 2.png for our newer players.

Richard Solomon

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