ACES ON BRIDGE
DEAR MR. WOLFF: I was stuck for a bid here. I had: ♠ J-10, ♥ A-Q-J, ♦ J-10-9-4-2, ♣ Q-9-8 at love all. My partner opened one club, and the next hand overcalled two spades, weak. What would you do here?
— Hesitant, Tucson, Ariz. DEAR READER: I would make a negative double. This
tends to show four hearts, but ace-queenjack tripleton is good enough, and I can hardly stay silent with this much in the way of high cards. I’d call this action the least lie.
DEAR MR. WOLFF: My partner was publicly accused of unethical behavior at the bridge table recently. He does not know how to handle it. What do you think he should do?
— Private Matter,
Portland, Ore. DEAR READER: It was highly inappropriate for your opponent to make such comments in public. These matters should be raised in private, or better yet, reported discreetly to the governing body in charge of the competition. If I were in your partner’s shoes, I would inform the director of the poor behavior. It is vital that we stamp out this type of conduct. Bridge is supposed to be a social game.
DEAR MR. WOLFF: What honor-leads would you recommend against no-trump contracts?
— Top of a Sequence,
Selma, Ala. DEAR READER: There are two schools of thought, the simplest being that the ace and queen ask for attitude, the king for unblock of an honor or count. That is fine by me. The other is that the ace asks specifically for unblock of the queen, and the queen asks for unblock of the jack. In this method, the king is from A-K or K-Q without a touching or near-touching card and gets attitude. As long as you agree, it really does not matter which way you go.
DEAR MR. WOLFF: You hold ♠ K-10-2, ♥ A-K9-6-2, ♦ J-7, ♣ Q-3-2 and open one heart in second chair. The next hand overcalls two diamonds, partner cue-bids three diamonds to show a good raise, and your right-hand opponent doubles. What now?
— Minimum Opener,
New Smyrna, Fla. DEAR READER: I would bid three hearts, my weakest action here. If I had some game interest, I could redouble or pass since three diamonds had forced us to three hearts. The doubleton diamond does not bode well for offense, nor does the balanced shape. In all such auctions, it makes sense to say that when forced to a specific level, whether trying for game or slam, reversion to the trump suit is weakest.
DEAR MR. WOLFF: When following with worthless small cards in third seat as a defender, should I be giving count or attitude? — Contextual,
Dayton, Ohio DEAR READER: I think you should give attitude when dummy has played a high card and partner does not know whether you have a high card. Signal count if you cannot be holding up, or if you cannot beat a jack or lower that has been played from dummy. If you hold insignificant small cards and cannot contribute anything to win the trick, this should also be a count position. Bear in mind that declarer can draw inferences from your cards, though!