The Preempt Maester

Around our place Ray is known as the preempt maester or to put it another way “Ray knows preempts”.  I am usually too wimpy.  So when I think about what to do on a hand I think,”What would Ray do?”.  This hand came up a few days ago.

With everybody vulnerable in a team game, the auction had started with a pass from partner and 1◊ by  RHO.  I held":

I thought 1♥ is just not going to do it but what to preempt.  I could try 3♥ which might be enough opposite a passed partner.  I wasn’t going to be too unhappy if they introduced spades over me.  But I thought, nah Ray would bid 4♥ and so that is what I bid.  Ray happened to be walking by so I asked him what he thought.  “I would like to have the ♥10 but I think 4♥ is right, particularly with those spades.

This story had quite a happy ending.  4♥ was passed out and partner held the perfect bad hand

With the spade ace onside and hearts breaking it was a claimer while 5◊ there way is only one down.  In fact, the auction at the other table went this way:

I suppose that one could argue that West might bid 4♥ and then who knows but I like my auction a lot better.  Thanks Preempt Maester.