We understand that some bidders may not have the availability to bid during the auction period, so the opportunity to place a pre-auction bid is a possibility. The only difference between this and a bid during the auction, is that the bid is not visible until the auction opens.
If a pre-auction bid is made for more than the opening bid amount, it will be automatically bid as high as the reserve price, but not beyond, once the auction opens. After that point, it will continue to automatically outbid other bids throughout the auction. The maximum bid is always kept confidential (even from us).