Vul:Both Dlr: North	10  3  A952  KJ87543
A73  K10974  7  AQ96		865  8652  J10863  10
	KQJ942  AQJ  KQ4  2

West	North	East	South
	3	Pass	3NT
All Pass

This layout was dealt by Andy Avery, who I’ve known since I was a teenager growing up in Westchester County, New York. Andy is one of the most likeable and talented people in the bridge world.

The Auction

What should North do with that exciting 7-4 hand? Pass or preempt? Some teachers say you need two of the top three honors. Others say three of the top five. Some tell you “No four-card side suit.” Others say that most of the points must be in the long suit. No, no, no, and no. There shouldn’t be such rules. Most important is vulnerability and position. When vulnerable, you want to be more conservative. In second position (when one opponent has already passed), you also want to be sound. In third seat, be aggressive.

As dealer, a preempt with the North hand shown is fine. Sure, I’d like my clubs to be a little better, but I do have seven of them with two honors. Having four diamonds on the side isn’t too relevant (I’d be a little more concerned if it were a major, where four of a major might be in play). North is vulnerable, but this hand has reasonable playing strength (contrast it to: xx xx Ax KJ87xxx). Opposite something mundane like: Qxxx Qxx Kxxx Qx, this hand rates to produce nine tricks. Lastly, when you aren’t sure, I suggest bidding as opposed to passing. Preempting makes life tough on your opponents, and in this case, it fairly accurately describes your hand.

South has a great hand, but partner’s 3 preempt isn’t exactly good news. Still, passing would be too much of a negative position. South could bid 3. A new suit when partner preempts is forcing. If South did bid 3, North would probably retreat to 4 and then South would either pass or repeat the spades. The other choice, which I prefer, is 3NT by South. Everything is well-stopped and there is a source of tricks in spades.

The 3NT response to a preempt is 100% “to play.” The preempter should never bid again.

The Play

West should from the best suit: hearts. Normally, we lead fourth-best, but with a sequence (even an interior sequence as here), we lead the top of the sequence. The “textbook” might consider a “sequence” to be three cards, so if West had K10982 or KJ1093, the correct lead would be the 10 from the former and the jack from the latter. However, we can extend the definition of sequence to include 2 ½ cards. For example, from KQ10x, QJ9x, J108x or 1097x, we lead the highest card, not fourth-best. By extension, from K1097x, we lead the 10—the top of the “interior sequence.” From KJ1087, we’d lead the jack, not the 8. That was a lot of instruction for something that doesn’t turn out to matter on the actual layout.

South wins the first trick and works on spades. With 5 spade tricks, the contract will make easily. In fact, this deal is just about the overtricks (important at matchpoint scoring). How should South play spades?

If entries to the South hand were a problem, South would start with the K. Declarer wouldn’t want a spade to dummy’s 10 to hold if unable to get back to hand enough times. Here, South has two diamond re-entries, so spades can be started with a low one from hand. If South were to lead a high spade and the suit split 5-1, declarer would lose a second spade trick. On the actual layout, a spade to the 10 holds. Declarer comes back to the K and plays a high spade. West wins the ace. Now what?

Did East watch partner’s signal at trick one? East should have discouraged in hearts. West should know that East has no heart honor and shouldn’t play another heart into South’s tenace. West has no diamonds left, so it has to be a black suit.

West might decide to take the A (everyone follows), but declarer would have the rest (as explained below). Even if West plays a spade without cashing the A, declarer can (and should) lead a club himself to set up a club trick while dummy still has the A as an entry. That gives declarer these 11 tricks: 5 spades, 2 hearts, 3 diamonds and a club for a satisfying +660. Had South ended up in four spades, he might take the same 11 tricks (with a ruffing finesse in hearts), but that would be only 650.

Lesson Points
1) Opening preempts are more art than science.
2) Generally, if the vulnerability and position are okay, and you think you might have a preempt, then go for it (don’t get bogged down by “rules”).
3) A new suit in response to a preempt is forcing one round.
4) From three in a row or almost three in a row (even if it is “interior”) lead the top of the ”sequence” instead of fourth-best.
5) When the opening lead is made and third-hand has no high cards, he should signal attitude (low is discouraging).
6) With a singleton 10 opposite KQJ9xx, leading high will cost a trick if the suit splits 5-1.