We play 5 card majors, strong NT.
Hand 1:
South led the ♦A which immediately set up two diamond tricks, and I made 10 tricks, 41.3%. Several people did bid and make 4♠.
Partner thought I was too strong to preempt. I am one HCP over, but the offence/defence ratio looks very high, and if I open 1♠, I don't know what to do if the opponents get going in hearts and 3♥ comes round to me, so I decided to bid what I thought was going to be the most likely best place to play if it was our hand, and make life awkward for opponents if it was their hand. What do you think, should I have started with 1♠?
Hand 2:
NS easily made 11 tricks which was a good score for us (68.84%). My partner questioned why I didn't overcall 3♣. I explained that I didn't think the suit was good enough for a vulnerable three level overcall (despite the 15 count and four quick tricks), and it was too risky (e.g. partner raises, they double, one or two off, or we push them into a making game). She gives me these anecdotes about how one of her other partners (who is a gambler) would likely have overcalled and who frequently makes aggressive overcalls (e.g. 2♣ on a 7 count and ♣ATxxxx) which mostly work well. Do you think I was too conservative here? It happens we can make 4♣ thanks to a double fit and no wastage, but I don't know that when it is my turn to bid.
AL78 'Hand 1: My partner questioned my judgement on a couple of hands earlier this evening. We play 5 card majors, strong NT. South led the ♦A which immediately set up two diamond tricks, and I made 10 tricks, 41.3%. Several people did bid and make 4♠. Partner thought I was too strong to preempt. I am one HCP over, but the offence/defence ratio looks very high, and if I open 1♠, I don't know what to do if the opponents get going in hearts and 3♥ comes round to me, so I decided to bid what I thought was going to be the most likely best place to play if it was our hand, and make life awkward for opponents if it was their hand. What do you think, should I have started with 1♠?
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I rank
1. 3♠ = PRE. A bit to spare. But Terence Reese warned against pre-empts that are always "known to be weak" 4♠ requires misdefence and good guessing. Partner might have raised pre-emptively.
2. 4♠ = PRE. Pushy.
3. 1♠ = NAT. Reasonable with the Boss suit.