luke warm, on Jul 10 2004, 02:38 AM, said:
but my partner couldn't have that hand... he's already passed...
Yes, your pard with a 12-14 hcp hand, balanced, SHOULD pass in direct seat over a 3-level preempt.
Read better Lawrence's article about the "Rule of seven": in direct seat you bid assuming you find your pard with 7 "normal" hcp.
That means, usually that if you have a balanced hand you need a hand close to a reverse (not a minimum 12-14 opener hand, with a minimum opener you pass and wait for pard to balance), if have an unbalanced hand you need a 5.5 losers hand(you may stretch to 6 losers if you really like your hand) , more or less.
You can adjust the requirements but hat is important is that OVER A 3 LEVEL PREEMPT, IN DIRECT SEAT, A 13 COUNT PASS 99% OF THE TIMES.
the corollary to this is that if you hold a minimum opener and you pass, if your pard reopens you will bid game (in NT or in a suit).
Of course if you have the habit to play with bad partners that feel the urge to bid with 13 hcp over a preempt in direct seat only because they have a minimum opener, well... that does not apply
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One more thing: your reopening has no logic even if you believe your pard to have less than an opening hand, otherwise with a minimum opener he would have bid, which I believe is a terrible agreement.
But let's assume you have this poor agreement.
Then your pard has at most about 10 hcp. You have 6 hcp.
That means that the opponents have at least 24 hcp, in the best scenario.
Why do you think your RHO passed his pard preempt if the has the strongest hand at the table ?
If he is a good player, he passed with a strong hand because he has nowhere to go: he does not see a major suit game, 5 of a minor gets too high, and 3NT in misfit in clubs rates to score no clubs if the opponents duck the first trick.
These misfit auction are terrible: who plays the hand is in trouble.
If you stick your nose in, I will hear the sound of your RHO shouting "DOUBLE!!" from my hometown in Italy.
If your opps are bad players, then RHO has passed because he does not have the skill and judgment to reach game even if it is there.
Balancing from you will reopen the bidding and give them a chance to bid game (how many times does that happen with palookas?) or to be doubled : they 'd score maybe less than game but still better than just 3C making.
"Bridge is like dance: technique's important but what really matters is not to step on partner's feet !"
pass (3♣) pass (pass)
?