ACES ON BRIDGE

DEAR MR. WOLFF: I have a question about the unobstructed sequence of Stayman followed by three of a minor over a two-diamond response. My partner and I play this as showing a strong five-card minor with slam potential opposite the no-trump. An expert at our club has been taught that it should be weak and to play. What would you recommend the above sequence be used for?

— Watcher in the Night, San Antonio DEAR READER: You are right, and the expert is wrong, in my opinion. With a weak hand and 4-5 pattern, don’t use Stayman, but pass one no-trump. With a weak hand and 4-6 pattern, simply transfer to the minor. Remember, the perfect is the enemy of the good.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: These days there seem to be unlimited versions of Blackwood. Do you believe my partnership should learn any modifications, such as Key-card, Exclusion … or even something else?

— Enquiring Mind,

Honolulu DEAR READER: Whether you play regular or Key-card Blackwood is up to you. I admit that as the world has moved toward Key-card, my objections to it have lessened somewhat. As to Exclusion: The idea is that an unusual jump when trumps have been set — normally at the five-level or at the four-level above the partnership suit — asks for key-cards. It shows a void in the jump-suit, hence responder ignores that ace in that suit. Be prepared for at least one disaster if you decide to play it.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: Holding ♠ K-J-9-3, ♥7, ♦ A-J-8-7-5-2, ♣ J-3, would you open with a weak-two bid, or at the one-level? Or would you prefer to pass, and back in later?

— Open Question,

Riverside, Calif. DEAR READER: I’d never pass this hand; I like to open hands with good suits. However, I try to avoid a weak-two with a decent four-card major on the side if I can. I accept that these two pieces of advice may occasionally conflict, as here. Generally, I’d open one diamond, except perhaps in second seat vulnerable, where my idea of a weak-two closely resembles a hand of this sort. The playing strength of the hand equates to most opening bids.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: Recently, I saw a deal where you remarked that the odds of a suit splitting 3-3 were about 1 in 3. Since there are six different lengths each opponent could have, why isn’t the chance closer to 1 in 6?

— Counting by Numbers, Naples, Fla. DEAR READER: Not all breaks are equally likely. The closest to a general rule I can give you is: An even number of cards will split evenly about one time in three, those odds going down as more cards are involved. (The most likely break when missing an even number is one away from even — be it 3-1, 4-2, or 5-3). When missing an odd number of cards, the odds are 2 in 3 that they split as close to evenly as possible. This percentage declines gradually as the total number of missing cards increases.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: What is the cut-off point for the suit quality of an overcall? Holding ♠ Q-7-3,

♥ A-2, ♦ Q-10-9-6-4, ♣ A-103, would you overcall one diamond over one club? How about a call of two diamonds over one heart?

— Rumblefish, Bremerton, Wash. DEAR READER: A one-level overcall in a hand this strong is just fine. You should almost never overcall at the two-level on a suit that weak. (Give me the club queen as well, and I might feel compelled to bid.) But I’d like a six-card suit or a better five-card suit before I make a two-level overcall. Here, I would double one heart rather than overcall, since this shape is close enough to the classic three-suiter short in hearts. If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, email him at bobbywolff@mindspring.com