3. Intermediate. You can't preempt a preempt. A jump overcall of a preempt is intermediate. This is a perfect description for this hand (more accurate than starting with a double or with any other number of spades).
Partner shows a strong raise. With your great trump suit you cooperate. You control-bid 5 and partner puts you in 6. A heart is led. What do you play from dummy?
Choose One:
8
Q
A
Answer: 1 -
8.
Given East's opening bid, you expect the K to be wrong. That's one loser. Additionally, you have a club loser.
The only way to get rid of a loser is on dummy's diamonds.
You will need diamonds to be 3-2.
You will also need an entry to dummy's good diamonds after you have drawn trump and established the diamond suit.
That dictates the correct play to trick one.
If you play the A, you will never get back to dummy.
If you play the Q, it will lose to East and he will simply knock out your A at trick 2.
But, if you play the 8, East will win and have no answer. If he continues hearts, it gives you an extra heart winner on which to later throw a club. If he does anything else, the A remains in dummy as an entry.
This is the full deal:
East wins the 8 with the 9, and you then have the rest of the tricks (setting up the diamonds for a club discard and using the A to get there).