Preempt - Responses

Responses

Since the preempter has a weak hand, responder will pass most of the time. However, responder also has the following options:

  • Raise opener's suit: Usually done to further the preempt with 3-card support (or jump with even more support), making it even more difficult for the opponents to compete. However, a raise to game can also be made with a good hand without support for opener if responder expects to make the contract. Opener must pass after any raise by partner.
  • 3NT: To play. Responder expects to make 9 tricks either by running partner's suit or his own. If responder expects to run opener's suit, support is needed as opener may not have outside entries to his hand. Also, responder should have stoppers in all suits.
  • Bid a new suit below game: Forcing, with at least 5 cards in the suit bid. Responder raises with 3-card support and rebids his own suit without support.

Over a preemptive opening bid or overcall at the "two" level, many partnerships use the 2NT response to ask for more information about the preemptive hand. In the Standard American Yellow Card (SAYC) bidding system, the preemptive bidder responds by bidding another suit containing an ace or a king or, lacking such a suit, by rebidding the suit of the preempt at the "three" level. In either case, the responder can then place the final contract.

The Ogust convention provides a more informative set of responses to the 2NT inquiry.

  • 3♣ shows a "minimal" preempt (typically 6-7 HCP) and a "poor" suit.
  • 3♦ shows a "minimal" preempt and a "good" suit.
  • 3♥ shows a "strong" preempt (typically 8-10 HCP) and a "poor" suit.
  • 3♠ shows a "strong" preempt and a "good" suit.
  • 3NT shows that the preempt suit is "solid" (headed by AKQ).

The differentiation between "minimal" and "strong" preempts and between "poor" and "good" hands is a matter of partnership agreement, and typically depends upon the partnership's strictness in preemptive bidding. Partnerships that are very strict typically regard a suits with only two of the top three or three of the top four honors as "poor" while partnerships that preempt with poorer suits may regard such suits as "good." Hands that respond 3♦ or 3NT typically do not have outside entries, as their long suits contain nearly all of their high card points.

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