ACES ON BRIDGE

DEAR MR. WOLFF:

I did not know what to do with this collection: ♠ A-8-76-3-2, ♥ 9-8, ♦ —-, ♣ Q-7-65-3, in second seat at favorable vulnerability. What do you think? — Two-suited, Honolulu, Hawaii

DEAR READER: I would open a weak two spades. The spades are too weak for a preemptive three-spade call; after all, the hand could play much better in clubs. If the middle spades were better — perhaps queen-jack-10-sixth — I would open three spades to try to get my playing strength across. It goes against the grain to pass with so much shape. DEAR MR. WOLFF: Is there a way to find out whether partner has threeor four-card support after he raises my one-heart or one-spade response to two?

— Asking Bid, White Plains, N.Y. DEAR READER: A natural and invitational twono-trump bid is irrelevant once you have found a fit, so you can use that call as a forcing inquiry. This helps you to reach the right game and is especially relevant if you often raise with a semi-balanced or unbalanced hand with three cards in responder’s major. For responses to the relay, see Spiral 2 NT (fourseasonsbridge.com). DEAR MR. WOLFF: How far would you go to contest the part-score? How little might you have for a balancing action after an opponent transfers to hearts following their partner’s one-no-trump opening and then passes, for example?

— Tempered Aggression, Duluth, Minn.

DEAR READER: You need less to act in the protective position than in a live auction, but you must not take it too far. On the above auction, the opponents may have only a seven-card fit. A shapely hand might act with limited values when the opponents have established a fit, but you need a bit more when they might not have an eight-card fit.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: Should I alert a natural notrump overcall when the range may be unexpected? For example, my partner and I play a balancing overcall of one no-trump over a major as 11-16 points.

— Over the Top, Cartersville, Ga. DEAR READER: You do not need to alert any natural no-trump bids. It is up to the opponents to ask about the range. However, you should announce opening no-trump ranges in some places, such as England. Online you can alert anything (within reason) without any downside, I believe. DEAR MR. WOLFF: I picked up ♠ 4-2, ♥ K-6, ♦ A-8-5, ♣ A-Q-9-7-6-2 and heard my left-hand opponent open four hearts. When my partner doubled for takeout, I bid five clubs and we missed a slam. My counterpart tried six clubs in the other room. Should I have done the same?

— Put to It, Saint John’s, Newfoundland DEAR READER: Five clubs might be the percentage action. When the opponents have preempted, I do not strive to bid marginal slams. The money is usually in deciding whether to declare or defend. Here, you have no guarantee that partner will cover your losers; moreover, the heart king could easily be wastepaper. With the club jack in addition, I might bid slam.