ACES ON BRIDGE

DEAR MR. WOLFF:

I picked up ♠ J-9-2, ♥ J-108-7, ♦ J-5-3, ♣ A-10-8 and heard my partner open one diamond in third seat. The next player overcalled two clubs, and I wasn’t sure whether to make a negative double, raise diamonds or pass. What do you think?

— Rumble Fish, Newport News, Va. DEAR READER: This is not a terrible example of an off-shape double, but you should reflect on the fact that partner did open in third chair, so there is always some question of whether he has a full opener. If you pass two clubs and your partner sells out as well, you probably have no great fit. If partner is short in clubs, he will reopen with a double or suit bid.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: When is it prudent or acceptable to pass your partner’s one-club or one-diamond opening bid? Does the form of scoring matter for this decision?

— Vacuum Cleaner, Hot Springs Village DEAR READER: With balanced subminimum hands vulnerable, there is little merit in responding. With six HCP or more, you always respond; so it is the 4-6 HCP hands with a major and no fit where you would tend to respond to a minor. Similarly, you might pass a major-suit opener, since you already have found a playable spot. Non-vulnerable, the upsides of bidding include the tactical (stealing the hand or having them miss a game), finding a better fit or reaching game, or reducing your minus score.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: I have a theoretical problem when holding 5-6 pattern with a longer minor. Holding, for example, ♠ Q-6,

♥ A-J-9-5-3, ♦ —-, ♣ K-Q9-8-3-2, should I include distribution points to make this hand strong enough for a reverse, or should I take a pragmatic approach by opening one heart and then repeating the clubs if necessary?

— Going for Broke, Victoria, British Columbia

DEAR READER: Reverses do not specifically guarantee a great hand; extra shape may allow you to upgrade certain hands. With a touching two-suiter and 5-6 shape with a minimum opening, I would tend to open the higher suit. When the six-carder is good and the five-carder bad, and the suits are non-touching, that may be too much of a distortion. Here, I might start with one club — who’s to say partner won’t start by bidding diamonds?

DEAR MR. WOLFF: My question is about how much stock to put in shape as opposed to high cards when considering inviting game as responder. I recently picked up ♠ Q-10-4-2, ♥ J8-5-2, ♦ —-, ♣ A-Q-10-3-2 and responded one heart to my partner’s one-diamond opening. When he raised to two hearts, should I have bid on or passed?

— Reach for the Skies,

Juneau, Alaska DEAR READER: Vulnerable at teams, I would feel obliged to try for game. At pairs, my void in partner’s suit would be a negative in the context of only holding four trumps, as opposed to five or more. For the record, switch the hearts and clubs, and this hand is at least worth a try for game.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: I am about to start working with a group of students who will begin bridge, and some of them have not played cards before. Do you think I should mention transfers in the beginning or introduce them later on? What about weak two-bids, or strong twos?

— Tortoise Shell, Sacramento, Calif. DEAR READER: The most important concept is to understand what a trick is and what trumps are. Get them playing the cards before they learn to bid, and begin with Knock-out Whist if necessary. Weak twos are best, I think; they are just as “natural” as the strong variety. As for transfers, they can wait a while.