ACES ON BRIDGE

DEAR MR. WOLFF: As declarer, when trying to locate the trump queen, might you expect to find that card in the hand on lead, simply because one sometimes leads a trump from a series of small cards, but very rarely away from the queen? — Finding the Lady,

Bellevue, Wash. DEAR READER: This makes sense if there are no other clues available, but the argument doesn’t always apply; you’d never get a trump lead from someone who has an ace-king in a side-suit, for example, regardless of his trump values. Conversely, if he has led away from a vulnerable honor, you could certainly speculate on whether his trump holding might be even less attractive.

DEAR MR. WOLFF:

I was on lead against four spades, holding 10-7-3, J10-3-2, 8-5-3-2, A-4. My left-hand opponent had opened and rebid clubs, and my right-hand opponent had bid spades, then diamonds. Would you lead a club and look for ruffs, or would you lead the unbid suit — in which case, would you lead high or low?

— Rumble Fish, Texarkana, Texas DEAR READER: The club ace does not appeal to me, though a singleton club ace would be an entirely different matter. Here, if you do lead hearts, you should lead the jack. Against notrump, you sometimes lead fourth-highest, but the most likely downside of a heart honor lead is that it might set up a slow discard for declarer. Against suits, that is a far less significant concern, from my perspective.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: In first seat, playing a teams game, I held A-K-3, AQ-J-10-2, A-J-7-4, 3. I opened one heart and jumped to three diamonds over my partner’s one-notrump response. When she raised to four diamonds, should I have cue-bid four spades or simply reraised to game? It turns out that all partner’s values were in clubs with a doubleton heart, so three no-trump would have made, but five diamonds went down on a bad break. — Pressed Suit, Brooklyn, N.Y. DEAR READER: My first thought is that giving false preference to three hearts with only a doubleton is clearly right here. As opener, you would now bid three spades and pass the three no-trump rebid, wouldn’t you? After your jump shift, you will be aware that when partner has three hearts, they will always revert to the suit game.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: A few weeks ago, my husband and I saw a hand in your column where North, with 10 points and four hearts, heard his partner open one heart and the next hand double. What was the full message intended in his two-no-trump response, as opposed to a raise to three hearts, which would have been my choice?

— Lost the Thread,

Elmira, N.J. DEAR READER: After the double of a major-suit opening (and also, in some partnerships, after a minor-suit opener) many play a jump raise as pre-emptive. It would be all about shape and trump support and not about high cards. In this style, where a redouble shows values but denies fit, you can subvert a call of two no-trump to be the limit raise or better. This convention is known as Jordan (or Truscott).

DEAR MR. WOLFF: I was dealt J-7-4, A-K-9-4,

5-3, A-J-10-4 and heard my right-hand opponent open one diamond. I doubled, and when left-hand opponent raised to three diamonds, my partner doubled. I took that as responsive, suggesting both majors. I bid three hearts, and my partner converted to three spades. What does this sequence show, and was I right to pass?

— Smoking Jacket,

Doylestown, Pa. DEAR READER: I’m not sure I know precisely, but I’d expect invitational values, perhaps with spades and clubs. With fewer values or a hand oriented solely to spades, surely he would have bid the suit directly. I think the hand will play better in an eight- or nine-card fit in clubs, so I would bid four clubs now. If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, email him at bobbywolff@mindspring.com