BRIDGE NOTES.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20494, 12 March 1932, Page 7

BRIDGE NOTES.

* PRE-EMPTIVE BIDDING. (SFICIA'-I,! WBITTIN roft THB PBESS.) [By William Suacklb.] A pre-emptive bid will quite often shut out au excellent bid from an opponent who, by making an opening small bid, would have been able to go as high as four or five tricks, but without a chance of* an opening small tentative bid, he is quite unable to take the risk of overcalling a preemptive bid. Especially is this so where the i'our hands each hold two long suits, each reasonably strong, but insufficiently so to warrant a long initial call. Where one holds a really long and strong suit, with everything in the one suit, I do not advocate a pre-emptive bul at all, as if one goes up ono at a time, there are more than reasonable hopes of being doubled. liere I would warn the declarer of a long suit which has been doubled, to keep quiet, though he may be quite confident of obtaining his contract; in other words do not re-double. If he does so he has nullified his previous good bidding by disclosing real strength in the ono suit. _ The opposition can then, by switching in to their own bid, again take the initiative, especially if either of them is blank, or holds one card only in the long suit previously doubled. For example, holding either of the two following hands, I should bid four hearts, hut with tho third hand, 1 would bid one heart only in the initial instance. If one bid three hearts S. s on this hand, there H. AKQ x x would be great risk of D. xx a spade bid from opC. AQJ xx ponents—thus bid four. S. Ax x Though without H. QJlOxxxx top honours this D. KQ x . hand is strong C. with four. S. x H. AlvQxx xx x x Initial bid ot D. K Q one heart. C. x The third hand is certain to be worth 10 tricks, and can at any time be bid accordingly, therefore no useful purpose can be served by a pre-emptive bid of four, while by waiting there is at least a hope of being doubled. For instance, suppose on& of the opponents held tho remaining high cards thus: — fi. A Iv x x 11. x T). A >: x x C. A K x x He would be unable to resist a double of four hearts if the bid had gone up one at a time, while against an opening bid of four he might and probably would say nothing, as he would at once realise that the declarer held a very long string of hearts.