The Real Deal by Larry Cohen
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BB The Real Deal by Larry Cohen too strong, you don’t make a pre - for fear that we belong in hearts. emptive bid, since partner expects No other ‘side’ issues bother me. I you to be weak when you preempt. don’t mind having an ace or a void Can you hold a side ace for a on the side, or a four-card minor. preempt? Absolutely. As long as the 4) With a six-card suit, I preempt at value of the hand is “less than an the two-level. With a seven-card opening one-bid,” it is in range for a suit, the preempt should be made at preempt. Here are my guidelines for the three-level. With an eight-card preemptive openings or overcalls: suit? You guessed it—the four level. 1) A decent suit of six cards or longer. 5) Different teachers will tell you ‘Decent’ means you have some ‘meat’ different things. If you try to listen Larry Cohen, a many-time National at the top of the suit. I would not to everyone’s rules, you will get champion, recently won the Silodor pre empt with J –8–7–5–4–3. I would confused. I’m quite comfortable and Open Pairs for a third time at the preempt with K –J–10 –8–7–6. I don’t confident about my 1) to 4) above, ACBL Spring North American recommend a strict requirement — but they are not set in stone. You Championships held in Houston. such as ‘2 of the top 3 honors.’ I do won’t get sued or kicked out of ACBL One of Larry’s favorite teaching recommend looking at vulnerability. if you stray from my guidelines. methods is to analyze random deals. Vulnerable, I try to be ‘decent-plus.’ THE AUCTION CONTINUES He feels that any time you deal So, back at the ranch, using the out a deck of cards, there are THE REAL DEAL Larry Cohen guidelines, what numerous lessons that can be NORTH should East do? If East were the learned. DEAL : 3 m Q 10 dealer, the correct opening bid is DLR : N n K 3n, so as overcaller, East should hen Audrey sends me VUL : NONE o 10 7 3 make the same 3 n preempt. a Real Deal to work p A K Q J 9 7 4 This causes trouble for South. on, the first thing I W WEST EAST Poor South was willing to bid do is “project the auction.” On m A 8 7 6 m 9 4 1m, but now is shut out. A bid at this deal the start is predictable. N n n the three level would promise North has no choice other than A 3 WE Q J 9 8 7 5 2 o S o at least 10 points, so South has to open 1 p. Surely, North is K J 9 8 2 A 6 5 to pass. way too strong to open with a p 10 2 p 3 preemptive bid of 3 p. Next, it SOUTH What about West? In general, I would be a huge error for East m K J 5 3 2 “Follow the LAW’ over preempts. to pass. If you get dealt a nice n 10 6 4 Under Bridge Articles on my seven-card suit and a side ace o Q 4 website (www.Larryco.com) is you should not “jump to pass” p 8 6 5 a column Audrey and I wrote (as I sarcastically like to put it). about this subject for BETTER Just because you have only 7 HCP, BRIDGE in January, 2000. With 2) Less than an opening bid in HCP. no interest in game, you should be doesn’t mean you are condemned to Is there a bottom range? Normally, silence. East should overcall in content at the three-level with only people think a preempt shows 5 –11, nine combined trumps. However, with hearts, the only question being but I would surely open 2 n with: “how many hearts?” West’s hand, you might have interest m 6 n K J 10 9 8 5 o 10 9 7 5 p 8 4. in game. PREEMPTING RECOMMENDATIONS Again, when vulnerable, my lower Once there is game interest, you East’s hand screams for a preempt. range is a bit more respectable than no longer use the “LAW of Total Any time you hold a decent suit when not vulnerable. Tricks.” If your partner opened 3 n, (and Q –J–9–8 at the top qualifies) 3) Side suits. I try not to preempt would you pass or raise to game? of six cards or longer, you should when I have a good four-card major This isn’t obvious. Some experts think “jump.” It is nice to be able to on the side. With, say would pass, while others would take away bidding space from your m K J 9 7 6 3 n A J 10 5 o 8 4 p 6 raise to 4 n. It could depend on your opponents. Of course, if the hand is I’d prefer not to preempt in spades, partner’s known style. BETTER 10 BRIDGE VOL . 14, N O. 1 SEPTEMBER /O CTOBER 2009 BB I used to play with Marty Bergen, SUMMARY who was a very aggressive preemptor. Any East-West pair that gets to 2009-2010 After a 3 n bid by Marty, I’d pass game will get a good score on this Bridge Cruises and hope not to go down too many! deal. The top score on this board Opposite a more sound preemptor would probably go to an East-West Featuring Larry Cohen —who always has extras —I’d raise pair that bids to 4 n and drops the n n Best-Selling Author and to 4 and have a chance to make it. singleton K to make a score of 26-Time National Champion Opposite a jump overcall, the same 480. It’s reasonable to assume that considerations apply. North holds the nK, since North In my catbird seat, looking at all opened the bidding. m n m n four hands, I will raise to 4 n. A ‘universal’ top score would go o p o p Actually, if I were a smart cat, I’d to an East-West pair that somehow raise all the way to 6 n! In slam, bid and made 6 n—but I would be declarer can play a heart to the ace suspicious of such a ‘double-dummy’ Holiday Trans-Canal Cruise n —dropping the K—and after result. Los Angeles to Ft Lauderdale drawing trumps, take five diamond o Aboard the luxury Seven Seas Mariner tricks when the Q appears from All balcony suites South. In fact, it takes a club lead to 16 Nights, Departs December 20, 2009 hold declarer to 12 tricks—on any NEW Lower Pricing starting at $6,695 other lead declarer can take all 13! To participate, bookings must be made through This kind of analysis is what we call Go Away Travel ‘double-dummy.’ With one dummy, 800-721-5927 • 954-349-2800 you can see 26 cards since you are holding 13 cards. With two dummies, Western Carribean Cruise you can see 39 cards. If you can see Round Trip from Ft Lauderdale 39 cards, you know what the missing Aboard the Holland America Westerdam 13 are, so you know the location of 7 Nights, Departs March 14, 2010 all 52. ‘Double-dummy’ would be a To participate, bookings must be made through nice way to play—you’d never make Bruce Travel & Cruise Center a wrong decision. 800-367-9980 • 954-456-2400 In real life —and the Real Deal — nobody would bid 6 n. They might Catherine and ‘Boo’ Transatlantic Bridge Cruise not even make 6 n, as it is possible Aboard the luxury Seven Seas Voyager to lead the nQ from the East hand Ft Lauderdale to Iceland Catherine C. Murdock shuffled and and take a finesse, losing to the 14 Nights, Departs May 12, 2010 singleton nK. dealt this issue’s Real Deal at the Wianno Club where she was taking Iceland to London Let’s get back to our auction. p part in the annual Bridge Festival. 10 Nights, Departs May 26, 2010 North opened 1 , East overcalled She’s known in the bridge world as 3n, South passed. Special back-to-back pricing! ‘Bundles’ and the State Department To participate, bookings must be made through WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH as ‘Bunny.’ Go Away Travel 1p 3n Pass “When I was working in the State 800-721-5927 • 954-349-2800 ? Department in Washington, I was If West raises to 4 n, everyone talking to the Chinese Ambassador. 2010 Sectionals at Sea will pass. If West passes over 3 n, it “Do you play bridge?” he asked. Win Silver Points! When I said I had when I was much is possible North will peep again. Aboard the Royal Caribbean p younger, he replied that I should take Maybe North would bid 4 , and Caribbean from New York quite possibly buy it there. North it up again. “The leaders in China 9 Nights, Departs April 29, 2010 would go down a few tricks, at 50 play as an exercise in memory and strategy,” he said. penalty points apiece, but that Mexico from Los Angeles My life in the Investment banking would be a huge triumph. Even if 8 Nights, Departs October 31, 2010 n world, and later as the diamond East-West languish in 3 making buyer for Tiffany, and then Deputy Caribbean from Miami five or six, the score is 200 or 230 Chief of Protocol for the United 8 Nights, Departs November 14, 2010 to East-West.