It Works - - at Every Level of Bridge Competition. The difficulty of bidding accurately over a preemptive bid suggests you should use this weapon on your opponents whenever you can.
The Preemptive Rule. The weaker you are, the more you should bid.
If you feel uneasy at this suggestion, ask yourself if you are expecting to make the bid ? If so, you have missed the point of preempting -- you must expect to go down 300 to 1400 points on the hand. Doesn't it figure that the less you have, the more your opponents have? Of course. So, you are only taking away their bidding space - - they won't let you do that without a fight, so don't worry about being doubled for a large number.
If you expect to make something, just overcall with your suit - don't preempt.
Matchpoint Logic. Minus 1400 beats minus 1430 (the points for a vulnerable small slam in Hearts or Spades by your opponents). The scorekeeper doesn't care how points are made -- he simply awards matchpoints to the highest score.Minus 1400 could win you all 12 matchpoints for that hand.
Don't be shy. It's only a game, and your opponents will surely do it to you when they have the right cards.