[han]

I'd bid 3H. We're white against red and partner has passed. These colors make preempting most attractive, and the fact that partner has passed means that we can bid on a wider range of hands. We are not preempting partner, it's their hand, and the fact that partner didn't bid makes it more likely that he is somewhat balanced and doesn't have heart shortness. Partner can also recognize the circumstances and knows that we won't necessarily have a text-book preempt here.

The arguments of ggwhiz and jdeegan are non-sensical. Of course good opponents bid better when they have two extra levels of bidding room. It's especially the good opponents that can use this bidding room. Yes, they may bid a slam after us bidding 3H, but there is no reason to think that they'll be right. They'll certainly be right more often if we give them the room to explore.

[ggwhiz]

 han, on 2011-August-27, 03:13, said:

The arguments of ggwhiz and jdeegan are non-sensical.

Fair enough that we disagree but there is a reason.

Anytime I bid 3♥ and lho has xxx in the suit, I've given him a serious upgrade and probably roadmapped the 1♣ bid as a serious suit. Anytime pard has ♣Qxx or 10xxx she will never score that trick but had a chance if I sit in the weeds. Line of play at 3nt etc. there is a downside.

Not enough offence for me to come out swinging but I don't object to those that prefer that style. Since my pard passed 1♣ I might have my fun with a 7th best ♥ lead and try to win the board on defence.

[SimonFa]

Thanks everyone, some interesting thoughts, including partnership cohesion, which is as valid a reason not to pre-empt as any other, which was the question I asked.

As it happens the full biding was:

(1C) = P = (1S)= P
(3C) = P = (6C) All pass

So a pre-empt may have been disruptive.

Perhaps I should have also said that these were Acol players so that initial 1C did promise 4Cs.


Simon

[MrAce]

 rogerclee, on 2011-August-26, 12:21, said:

Just bid according to your style, way too much energy is wasted on hands like this. It's either a 3H bid in your style or it isn't. This is not really an issue of judgment, just of staying within your system parameters. I'm sure that there is not a huge difference between the two styles.

I think exactly what is written above, but explained better than i would have