From: Verne L Smith

In mid February, there was a thread in rec.games.bridge re constructive bidding after a preempt. However, I deleted the articles before commenting. Thanks to Markus Buchhorn's, fine work with the "Bridge Newsgroups Archive", I was able to find them again. There was no universal agreement and usually not an integrated plan.

Here is a method my partners and I play. You open with a 3 level pre-empt in 1st or 2nd seat, partner bids a new suit at the 3 level. (Forcing, else what does partner do with 5-5 majors and about 23+ HCP?)

Partner's hand is unlimited; what information can you always give him about your hand? Opponents passing.

1. Do you have support for his suit? After your pre-empt and admit to support, he cannot count on better than 3 small.
2. Do you have a good suit? Lets define a good suit as one that will run if partner has a doubleton honor. That limits it to 7 to the AK, AQ, or KQ. The J would be a +. After 3 diamonds, pass, 3 spades, pass:

1. You have 3 card support and a good suit. You would seldom (probably never) have a good 7 card suit, 3 card support for a major, and an Ace to cue-bid, and may not have any outside honor. However, you will always have a short suit. You hold: S xxx H xx D AQJxxxx C x: Bid your short suit, 4 clubs. If partner has as little as 6 spades to the AKQ, the heart A, and Kx of diamonds - 6 spades is a fine contract in spite of only 23 HCP in the two hands!
2. You have 3 card support but a ragged suit (or no singleton if you preempted on a 6 card suit), just bid 4 spades. Partner will need a real fit if he needs to run your suit.
3. You do not have 3 card support or a good suit, bid 4 diamonds.
4. No fit but a good suit. Bid 3 NT which says "I have less than 3 card support for your suit; my suit will run if you have a doubleton honor; I may have absolutely no help in any other suit, . . . . . but, . . . this is our last chance to play in 3 NT if we belong there. Please pull it unless you have a fit and all suits stopped."