Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

ACES ON BRIDGE

- BOBBY WOLFF If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, email him at bobbywolff@mindspring.com

DEAR MR. WOLFF: You recently ran a bidding problem where responder had replied one spade to one diamond with ace-fourth of spades, and had heard his partner raise him. You suggested offering a choice of games in case partner had only three spades; but with just three spades here, wouldn’t opener rebid at no-trump, expecting the fit to come to light after a New Minor Forcing-type sequence?

— Ray of Sunshine, Pueblo, Colo.

DEAR READER: My style isn’t necessaril­y U.S. mainstream standard when it comes to opener raising with three trumps. For example, a 3-2-5-3 or 3-3-5-2 pattern with a small doubleton looks like a raise of one spade to two spades to me whenever your trumps are better than Q-10-x. Three moderate trumps plus a ruffing value equals a raise. DEAR MR. WOLFF: Holding ; J-2, k A-7-6, l A-Q-8-3, ' K-9-4-2, would you open one diamond or one club? After a one-spade overcall and a negative double from your partner, what would you do? My partner told me that opening one diamond and rebidding two clubs guarantees at least nine cards in the minors. Is this true — and if so, why?

— Pokemon, Richmond, Va.

DEAR READER: I like to open good suits if I can, so I would open one diamond. Then I would rebid two clubs just as you did. If there had been no opposition bidding and my partner had responded in a major, I would bid one no-trump without much of a qualm.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: It seems that modern experts have changed the requiremen­ts for opening no-trump bids, especially the two no-trump opening bid showing 20-22. How do you personally deal with all the balanced ranges with a strong hand? My reasoning is that with most of the high cards in one hand, the hand won’t play as well as when the high cards are split between the two hands. So I’d prefer to downgrade my 20-HCP hands. — Frere Jacques,

Newark, Calif. DEAR READER: Working backward, I don’t want to drive to game with fewer than 25 points. That means with 2024 (in other words, a 5-point range), we go through a direct or indirect two no-trump call. Working back one more step, I think that means 22 goes up or down as you see fit, and the ranges are really 20 to a weak 22, a strong 22 to 24, and a strong 24 to 26 for opening two no-trump, opening two clubs and then rebidding no-trump, and jumping in no-trump, respective­ly.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: Holding ; A-J-7-3-2, k 9, l Q-J-7-4, ' Q-10-4, would you overcall two spades over one no-trump in balancing seat? Would the vulnerabil­ity matter, and would you be affected by whether you were a passed hand? — Baby Back Ribs, Kingston, Ontario DEARREADER: There is much to be said for being able to show a two-suited hand here. Either way, though, you must come in to show spades. Yes, it might end in disaster, but that should not stop you from competing over one no-trump at the slightest opportunit­y, especially when you know partner is sure to find the wrong lead if you don’t help him.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: What advice would you give me as a newbie to duplicate bridge in terms of counting the hand? Should I try on every hand, or just when I think it important?

— Learning Curve,

Huntsville, Ala. DEAR READER: As declarer, always count trumps. (Add up yours and dummy’s to tell you how many the opponents have, then just focus on that number.) As defender, work out from the auction how many points you expect declarer to have (or if you can’t do that, try to make the calculatio­n for your partner’s hand). For side suits, start small; focus on the one suit you regard as critical and work your way up from there.

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