ACES ON BRIDGE

DEAR MR. WOLFF: I don’t play bridge, but I enjoy reading the quotes you use. I would love to read them as a collection. How do you accumulate them, and do you have a favorite? — Rueful Rick,

Trenton, N.J. DEAR READER: This is actually the most fun element of my work. I use dictionaries of quotations and the internet to prompt me for ideas, starting out with a keyword or concept. There are very few quotes that stay with me, but one by Matthew Arnold that I have never been able to forget is as follows: “We do not what we ought, / What we ought not, we do / And lean upon the thought / That Chance will bring us through.”

DEAR MR. WOLFF: I assume you would use Stayman in response to an opening no-trump with ♠ J-9-4-2,

♥ A-Q-3-2, ♦ Q-5-3, ♣ K-10. If the next hand overcalled in a major, would you try to play for penalty at equal vulnerability, or would you head to game? If the latter, would you look to play the other major or settle for notrump? — Jack-O-Lantern,

Dallas DEAR READER: I’m sure I’d use Stayman in an uncontested auction, but I might double an overcall of two of a major for takeout, then bid three no-trump even if my partner showed a major. That way, I’m suggesting four in partner’s major and a stopper for notrump. Then my partner can decide whether he wants to play the suit or no-trump.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: As fourth player to speak, what is the best treatment for low-level doubles in competition where no side has identified a fit? For instance, imagine partner overcalls one heart over one diamond, and the next hand bids either two clubs or one no-trump, and you now double. What does that mean? — Mercy Rule, Charlottesville, Va. DEAR READER: Both sequences fit under the convention called Snapdragon. In both cases, when three suits have been mentioned around the table, a double shows that the fourth player has five-plus cards or four very good cards in the fourth suit, along with values and tolerance for partner. Where RHO rebids one no-trump, the best treatment (in theory) is to play the double as both unbid suits. But that does require specific agreement.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: How do you evaluate the following hand, after hearing two hearts to your right, four hearts to your left and a double from partner? You have: ♠ A-10, ♥ J-3, ♦ K-J-7-32, ♣ Q-9-5-3 and are playing pairs, with nobody vulnerable.

— On the Cusp, Union City, Tenn. DEAR READER: Were the majors switched, I might pass and lead a spade, but as it is, I’m inclined to assume I should remove partner’s takeout double, and the obvious call is four no-trump. That suggests both minors and lets partner pick where he wants to settle.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: Do you play RONF (Raise Only Non-Force) in response to a weak two-bid? If so, what do you play jumps to be, and are new suits forcing for one round or forcing to game?

— Calling Cards, Willoughby, Ohio DEAR READER: If you play a new suit as forcing, then it makes reasonably good sense to play jumps to the three-level as invitational (good strong suits in hands with a minimum opening bid strength). If you bid a new suit then rebid it, that would therefore be forcing, as would the call of a second suit. But reversion to partner’s suit or a rebid of two no-trump would be non-forcing.