Deal 5	♠   ♥   ♦   ♣		WEST   NORTH   EAST   SOUTH  BID    You dealt this hand. Decide what you would bid, then click on BID above.
	♠ K Q J 9 8 7 5 2 ♥ 9 ♦ 5 2 ♣ 8 7

 

Deal 5	♠ 10 4 ♥ Q 8 6 ♦ A 9 6 3 ♣ J 6 4 2		WEST   NORTH   EAST   SOUTH 4♠ pass pass pass You dealt this hand. Decide what you would bid, then click on BID above. With 7 estimated winners and an 8-card suit you preempt 4♠. And you are not going to make it. In fact you are only going to make 8 tricks so you will go down 2. You may be wishing that you had opened just 3♠, rather than following the guidelines and opening at the 4-level. The problem with that thinking is that the lower your preempt, the less difficult it is for the opponent's to enter the bidding. If you had opened 3♠ West might have been able to make a Takeout Double and they could have found their ♥ fit. Just visualize their combined hands; they have 9 ♥s between them, they have no ♠ losers, no ♣ losers and just one ♦ loser. If they decide to finesse your partner for the ♥Q they can make slam. This is what preempting is all about.  Deal 6
	♠ K Q J 9 8 7 5 2 ♥ 9 ♦ 5 2 ♣ 8 7