THE ACES ON BRIDGE
Dear Mr. wolff:
At matchpoint pairs I am often tempted to open one no- trump and bid again in competition when I have a five-carder. What are the pros and cons of this approach?
come Again, cedar rapids, Iowa
AnswEr: In a sense the no- trump opener passes captaincy to his partner after he opens, but there are so many variations of strength and shape that you should never feel restrained about acting again -- especially by reopening with a takeout double after intervention, when you have a small doubleton in their suit. I do normally compete again by bidding a decent five-card suit when I can get it in. Even if the opponents can catch me, they don’t always know that.
Dear Mr. wolff:
When my partner opened two clubs, I had almost an opening bid. I held ♠ A-4, ♥ K-7-5-2, ♦ Q-9-8-5-3, ♣ K-10 and responded two no-trump to keep the bidding lower than it would have been after a three-diamond response. After the deal, my partner suggested that I might have lied with a two-diamond response, to hear what he had to say. What do you think?
-- string Theory, staten Island, n.Y.
AnswEr: I can see where your partner was coming from. The problem hands in response to a two-club opening come when you don’t know whether to go to slam. Here you know you will end in slam, so you don’t have to show your values yet. Turn
the heart king into a small one and I can see why you might bid two no-trump to get your values across.
Dear Mr. wolff:
My partner opened three clubs, the next hand doubled, and I bid three hearts with four small clubs and four hearts to the ace-queen, thinking I wanted a heart lead. When the next hand jumped to four spades, my partner bid five hearts with jack-third of hearts and we played six clubs doubled -- down one trick too many! Was he naive to trust me here?
-- Fool Me once, salinas, calif.
AnswEr: He was right to bid on, but wrong to bid five hearts. In this auction, which in my book definitely promises club tolerance, he can bid
five clubs with a partial club fit and four no-trump with a real heart fit, letting you pick the strain.
Dear Mr. wolff: You are in third chair with ♠ Q-9-3-2, ♥ A-4, ♦ 7-6-5-2, ♣ Q-5-3. Your partner opens one heart, and the next hand doubles. What would you do -- straining at the Leash,
Panama city, Fla.
AnswEr: This hand is too good to pass and back in. I’d prefer a straightforward call of one no-trump, burying the spades on the grounds that we may not want to find a fit even if we have one. This call shows the upper range for the action in a noncompetitive sequence, say a good seven to 10 points, and it leaves partner well placed for bidding on if necessary.