ACES ON BRIDGE

DEAR MR. WOLFF: In one of your recent bidding problems,

South opens one heart in third position and then hears a two-diamond response from partner. What sort of hand would be worth a two-level response even though North had not opened two diamonds? — Jacque Spratte, Macon, Ga. DEAR READER: This may be about side-suit tricks or suit quality. A two-diamond call by a passed hand might be based on a 6-4 hand with diamonds and another suit (not partner’s suit), or 6-3-3-1 with shortness in partner’s suit, poor diamonds and honors in the unbid suits. Alternatively, partner could have a good five-card suit with a maximum, maybe king-queen-10-fifth with some honors outside.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: I recently found myself in the embarrassing spot of having misbid my hand earlier in the auction. Partner then asked me for key-cards, and I was tempted to show one fewer than I had. Is that a good way to rectify the situation? — Schoolboy Error,

New Smyrna, Fla.

DEAR READER: No, I think that might only compound the error. Usually, when you are off two keycards, the lie might cause partner to suspect you have three key-cards instead of zero, or four instead one. Accept your previous error and bid sensibly from then on. Who knows — you may end up in a good spot, or a lucky one!

DEAR MR. WOLFF: What would you bid over your right-hand opponent’s two-spade preempt, holding ; Q-4, k K-10-5, l A-7-6-5-3, ' A-K-10, at love all?

— Multi Madness,

Trenton, N.J. DEAR READER: Bidding two no-trump with this holding seems too dangerous to me. I would double and realize that in so doing, I may miss three no-trump. This hand is sufficiently playable in all other suits that this seems like the best option.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: What would you rebid with this hand: ; A-K-2, k 9-84, l A-10-8, ' Q-9-5-2? I opened the bidding with one club. I heard one heart to my left and a negative double from partner, showing exactly four spades. — Rabid Rebid, Staten Island, N.Y.

DEAR READER: I would bid one spade. This usually shows either a minimum hand with four spades or an unbalanced hand with three spades. However, I cannot think of anything better here. One no-trump would get the hand-type across, but while I am all for rebidding no-trump without a stopper when I have no other option, one spade is a sound alternative here.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: I had a horrid rebid problem in a match lately. I held ; 7, k A-K-8-3, l A-Q-J, ' 10-76-5-4 and opened one club. Then I heard the inevitable one-spade response from partner. What would you do now?

— Dirty Suit, Tupelo, Miss. DEAR READER: I would rebid one no-trump. I cannot bear to repeat such a lousy club suit, and a reverse into two diamonds would show more than this. It is not the end of the world if partner bids two spades. He will probably have six of them, and my top cards in the red suits will help cover his losers. Opening one heart would circumvent this problem, but that is not considered kosher nowadays.