14 Terry’s preference rule

I want to make this matter easy for you, so I should start by pointing out that good players nowadays are using what could be called False Preference, This harks back to the dark ages when I was learning bridge, and when opener offered a second suit you chose whichever you had most of. That was because both opener’s suits could be 4-carders. But somewhere along time’s line it became a pretty strong rule that opening two suits must show 5:4 minimum. So now we may often choose the suit we have least of. That’s the “false” preference but there’s nothing false about the reasoning behind it.

I have spent many hours studying this problem and feel that it needs clarification. The point of responder’s choice is to get into the better of the suits for likely success. Here’s a common scenario: my partner bids 1H and then 2D following my 1S response. I have only 8 points so the future lies with my partner’s suits and I am duty bound to show preference. I have 2 hearts and 3 diamonds, so the old-fashioned real preference would go for diamonds. But that would land us in a 4-3 fit, and I strenuously avoid those like the plague.

Hearts it has to be, the falsely preferred suit. Why? Because a 5-2 fit is loads better than a 4-3. Even a 5-1 is better. (Not a lot, but some.)

I have studied and researched the actual statistical odds for each possible distribution of the missing trumps in every possible case, The opponents have 6 trumps between them in 4:3 and 5:2 fits. I earnestly hope that you know that an even number of trumps splits unevenly more often than evenly, so with the 4:3 we can expect one opponent to have as many as declarer. Once declarer is forced to trump in, the defenders now have trump control. But with 5:2 and even 5:1 declarer would still have as many as defenders. And there are other splits (5:1 against us for example) which would be catastrophic in 4:3 but with a little more hope in 5:2.

All right, here’s my rule: when showing preference between a 5 and a 4 suit:

Always go back to the first suit unless you’ve four of the second.

The point is that four of the second is an actual fit and so it should play quite well.

So passing the second suit guarantees your partner that you have four (or more). And you may have extra points, encouraging you to raise the second suit. You do not have to pass.

You may well be already playing something close to this rule, but what I want to emphasise is the word “always” in my rule. If you haven’t got four or more of the second then you don’t even have to think about it - go back to the first suit every time.