BRIDGE MASTERCLASS

♠ 10 4 ♥ KQ J 9 7 5 2 ♦ 75 ♣ 87

At Love All, second in hand, what would you bid after RHO passes?

In any position at the table, except fourth, your hand is worth a pre-emptive bid of 3 ♥ — a sevencard suit without a defensive trick outside. Styles of bidding vary between duplicate and rubber bridge, but this would be a sound pre-empt in either game. Add an ace or even a king to the hand and it would be too ‘strong’ to pre-empt if playing duplicate. But, because different tactics apply in the rubber bridge battlefield, such a restriction wouldn’t necessarily apply.

This high-level pre-empt is the most difficult bid for the opponents to contend with because you have deprived them of bidding space and, if they enter the auction, they risk finding your partner with a strong hand.