The "Premptive 3's" (or Weak 3's) are very aggressive opening bids of 3♣ , 3 ♦ , 3 ♥ and 3 ♠ . The opening 3-level greatly disrupts the opponents bidding - there is very little bidding space for the opponents to find a suit to bid. This 3-level opening is referred to as a defensive bid - it prevents the opposition from bidding. These are hands with less than 12 HCPs and exactly 7-cards in the named suit. Premptive 3's have been used in the Goren system for years, and have been included in SAYC. However, not all social players use them. It is best to clarify this with the partner before the bridge session begins.
The Preemptive 3 opening commits the partnership to taking 9 tricks. The opener should have at least 6 tricks in the hand. The opener hopes the responder will make up the difference by taking at least 3 tricks.
There are 5 requirements for a Pre-emptive 3 (Weak 3) opening bid:
1) Point Range: Less than 12 HCPs. There are two point ranges for this series of bids:
• Weak hand - 9 to 11 HCPs • Minumal hand - 5 to 8 HCPs - minimal hand - very risky - must have a very strong responder to be successful - strongly consider PASS in this point range
2) Suit Length: must have exactly 7-cards in the named suit, no more, no less.
3) Suit Strength:It is critical the suit have at least 5 HCPs (2 of the 3 top honors). Many players forget the honors in the named suit, and end up losing the contract.
4) Suit Selection: All 4 suits can be opened with this bid.
5) Tricks: The likelyhood for success is much better if the opener has at least 6 sure tricks.
When one player holds a 7-card suit, do not be surprised that at least one other player will also have a long suit (accompanied by short suits and voids). A key to success is to open the 3-level bid before the opposition has a chance to bid.
After the opener makes the Preemptive 3 opening bid, the responder is now the "Captain". The Captain has a better idea of the combined partnership point range and will direct the bidding accordingly.