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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 Q8 to 7 was not the perfect suit. I opened 3 (there was a little more hcp on the side) and eventually partner bid 4. 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. “3” said partner and there was no action on my right. I could understand why as this was my hand:

 

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

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

 

Let the search continue though the next time partner opens this hand 3 we will be using the redundant 4 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 1^st in hand not-vul 3 was raised rather meekly to game:

 

The Q lead would make South feel a bit sick in slam (on a different day) but otherwise, 6 is a fair contract with both North’s spades disappearing quickly were a minor suit led and the Q 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 4 and there was silence on their left and right:

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

 

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 AKQ by their 5 response, South could have bid 6NT especially as this was match-point Pairs. Yet, 6 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 Fri for our newer players.

Richard Solomon

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