When and how to open with a pre-emptive bid?

A pre-emptive opening bid is a weak opening that is made at a high level (from 2♥ or 2♠) that aims at hindering the opponents in their quest for the best contract. Its maximum usefulness is achieved when you have a long suit that is rich in tricks and not much else on the side.

› The level at which you pre-empt is always a function of the number of cards you have in the long suit.
You need:

• Six cards to open at the two-level (only in diamonds or the majors, that’s the weak two).
• Seven cards at the three-level.
• Eight cards at the four-level.

These conditions are in accordance with the law of total tricks: for example, if you have seven cards in a suit, each of the other three players has an average of two cards in the suit. Your side therefore has nine trumps, which allows you to bid at the three-level without risk …