Aces on Bridge
Dear Mr. Wolff:
How would you interpret the phrase “standard carding”?
— Contextual, Casper, Wyoming
Answer: Carding refers to both leads and signals for me, so I would think that means top of a sequence, fourth-and-second leads, high to encourage or show an even number. But reverse signals are prevalent in many countries, as are third-and-fifth leads. Also note that second-andfourth in Polish methods is completely different. In short, it's best to ask!
Dear Mr. Wolff: Do you usually prioritize raising partner's suit with threecard support over rebidding your own six-bagger? Say you open one diamond, and partner responds one heart. When would you raise to two hearts with six diamonds and three hearts?
— Each to His Own, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Answer: It depends entirely on the suit quality. I'd normally rebid my suit — especially hearts — if I had two of the top four cards and strong intermediates, and I would tend to avoid raising hearts with three small cards. However, raising is the more positive move, in that it is more likely to get partner to bid on. Keep that in mind when deciding which route to take.
I held ♠ 10-9-8, ♥ 9-7-6-2, ♦ 10-2, ♣ Q-J-9-8 and saw my partner open two clubs. I responded two diamonds, and he rebid three clubs. Should I have looked for a heart fit now or simply raised clubs?
— Big Fit, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Dear Mr. Wolff:
Answer: If I had a conventional tool available to ask for four-card majors (many play three diamonds as temporizing here), I might use that, but hearts may play no better than clubs here. So, I would simply raise to five clubs. Four clubs is commonly used to show more slam interest than I have, but you should make sure your partner agrees!
Dear Mr. Wolff: With ♠ A-K10-9-8-5, ♥ A-Q, ♦ 8-4, ♣ 9-8-2, vulnerable against not, I heard my partner open one heart, and I responded one spade. The next player came in with two diamonds, and my partner raised to two spades. I bid four spades, only to hear my left-hand opponent come again with five diamonds, passed back to me. I doubled, and we collected only 100, scant consolation as we could have made a slam! Should I have done something different?
— Double Fit, Little Rock, Arkansas
Answer: The strong sixcard trump holding and fillers in partner's suit argue for offense. If you can survive three rounds of the minors, you are strongly favored to make the rest, and partner is likely to control one of the minors, given his forcing pass. I would have bid five spades.
Dear Mr. Wolff: Do you open two no-trump only with distributions with which you would also open one notrump, or can it be off-shape?
— Little Space, Cartersville, Georgia
Answer: With 20-22 points and an unbalanced hand, start with one of a suit. Partner will strain to respond in the modern style. You cannot afford to do this with stronger hands, but I have seen so many times when pairs opened two no-trump with an off-shape hand and walked into a disaster (missing slam, going down in three no-trump ... or both!) that I hate doing this. A 5-4hand, especially one with a five-card major, rarely looks like a two-no-trump opener to me.