ACES ON BRIDGE

DEAR MR. WOLFF: My partner and I play Bergen raises. Would you still use Bergen facing a thirdor fourth-hand opener, or would you prefer to play Drury?

— SuperMac, Doylestown, Pa. DEAR READER: My natural dislike of Bergen is nothing compared to my hatred of the idea of playing it by a passed hand. Drury is fine, though not in competition, please, and I prefer to use fit-jumps by passed hands whether in competition or not. A jump raise by a passed hand should therefore be mixed values — four trumps and a singleton or five trumps with weaker values than a Drury hand.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: Playing pairs with both sides vulnerable, I held in fourth seat: Q-9-4-2, K-76, 9-7, A-10-6-4. I heard three clubs opened on my left and a double from partner. Would you pass, bid three no-trump or bid some number of spades?

— So Many Choices,

Eau Claire, Wis. DEAR READER: I do not have a sensible answer for you here! I suspect game our way has no better than a 50 percent chance, and that we will defeat three clubs more often than not. Given the vulnerability, I would pass and cross my fingers. Give me the club eight instead of the four, and I’m a little happier with that call. If I were to bid game, I’d have a sneaking admiration for a call of three no-trump.

DEAR MR. WOLFF:

I am having trouble distinguishing between responsive and penalty doubles facing a takeout double from my partner and a call on my right. What is the definition of a responsive double? How does it work if the opponents open one of a suit (doubled by my partner), and my RHO bids a new suit?

— Whacked Out,

Princeton, N.J. DEAR READER: No matter what level the opponents open at, a responsive double — which is for takeout, suggesting a relatively balanced hand — only applies to the double of an agreed suit. A responsive double suggests a balanced hand with both unbid majors if they bid and raise a minor — though you may have just spades and a good hand. A double of a bid and raised heart suit tends to deny spades — you would bid them if you had them. Double of a new suit by RHO is penalty.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: Is there a defined rule about how to penalize slow play at the club? If a director takes away a board, what is the fair way to handle such deals when only one side wants to play that board at the end of the game?

— Patient Grizelda, Fredericksburg, Va. DEAR READER: Most clubs hate to assign penalties to players for any reason. I’d expect an average for both sides for an unplayed deal, unless one side was blameless for the delay and is willing to play the deal, while the other side is not. In that case, the non-offenders might get average-plus. Continued slow play should be punished by an average minus on an unplayed deal; but I wouldn’t hold my breath for that to happen.

DEAR MR. WOLFF:

I have read your recent strictures on overcalling with weak five-card suits at the two-level. A related question is whether to come in when a passed hand or between bidding opponents. How much should this be about bidding for the lead? Would you come in with two clubs after hearing one diamond to your right and one spade to your left with J-8-2, 3-2, Q-5-3, A-Q-10-9-4?

— Extenuating Circumstances, Palm Springs, Calif. DEAR READER: You are right that I’m strongly opposed to bidding at the two-level with a poor suit. So it may appear illogical that I would act when non-vulnerable as a passed hand, and maybe even when vulnerable with the hand you quote. Getting “Center Hand Opponent” off to the correct lead and coming in cheaply seem like reasonable ideas, especially when your partner is unlikely to take you too seriously.