ACES ON BRIDGE

DEAR MR. WOLFF: At a recent duplicate, everyone was amused to find one side with all 40 points, especially when we saw that some pairs had managed to linger in small slams, even ones that were not in no-trump!

— Chuckle Vision, Grand Junction, Colo. DEAR READER: This serves as a reminder that any making grand slam in a duplicate game is bound to be worth a good score. My advice is that one should normally find the best strain. Do not worry about playing no-trump just for the extra 10 points.

DEAR MR. WOLFF:

I recently faced this tricky bidding problem: ♠ A-J-2, ♥ A-5, ♦ K-Q-J-5-3, ♣ A-6-2. At game all, my right-hand opponent opened four clubs in third seat. What would you do?

— Put to It, Columbia, S.C. DEAR READER: If I could, I would take a shot at four no-trump, natural, hoping the diamonds come in. I would not try this without a source of tricks and a number of quick winners. The alternatives of pass and double have flaws — pass is likely to lose IMPs when we can make something, and double could get us to the wrong spot.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: I read your column online at Bridge Blogging and enjoy it a lot. Which would you say are the best international teams right now?

— In the News,

London DEAR READER: The USA teams are always in contention. Poland, Italy and the Netherlands are always highly challenging opponents, and Scandinavia usually makes a good showing. In the women’s game, China, France, Poland and the U.S. can be relied on to make it to the finish.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: I have overheard some of the more prominent players at my club discussing pre-balancing bids. What do they mean?

— Lord Protector, Woodland Hills, Calif. DEAR READER: Balancing involves keeping the auction alive in the pass-out seat. Sometimes it is the partner of the balancer who has either the strength or shape needed to take an action, so the onus is on him to bid (typically when the opponents bid and raise a major). The next hand may lack the values for a classic takeout double, but if he is short in the opponent’s suit, he can hardly expect his partner to act with length in that suit. So, he may have to act even when light.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: We missed a game after my overcautious response to partner’s pre-empt on this hand: ♠ A-K-7-4, ♥ 6, ♦ A-Q-10-6, ♣ A-9-8-2. Partner opened three hearts as dealer at favorable vulnerability, and I let it go. He had seven good hearts missing the ace, and the diamond king was well-placed, so we scored 11 tricks. Was that so bad?

— Cautious Carl,

Albany Ga. DEAR READER: When partner pre-empts, you should be ready to raise him with quick tricks. He is likely to have shortness in the side-suits, so slow cards such as kings and queens are not guaranteed to be of great value, while aces will cover his losers. This hand, with four and a half tricks, is worth a raise to game (but to four hearts rather than three no-trump — you will never reach partner’s long hearts).