Contract Bridge

Your right- hand opponent, the dealer, opens with Three Hearts, neither side vulnerable. What action (if any) would you take with each of the following five hands?

1. ♠ AJ7 ♥ 10 ♦ KQJ984

♣ AK6

2. ♠ A9 ♥ KQ74 ♦ KJ

♣ AK987

3. ♠♥ 8 J63 ♦ AJ4

♣ AQ8542

4. ♠ AKJ10762 ♥♦ 3 AJ6

♣ K7

5. ♠ AK854 ♥ — ♦ AQJ3

♣ KQ95

***

1. Double. Your hand is a little too good for an overcall of four diamonds. True, partner would read four diamonds as indicating a strong hand, but he wouldn’t expect quite this much. Substitute the deuce of clubs for the king and you’d have an average four- diamond bid.

The double is primarily for takeout. It indicates considerable all- around strength and asks partner to bid his best (usually longest) suit. Partner will occasionally pass, converting your intended takeout double to a penalty double when he thinks that’s his best option. If partner responds with three spades or four clubs, you plan to bid four diamonds next, thereby identifying a hand too strong for an immediate four- diamond overcall.

2. Three notrump. This means what it says — that you want to play at game in notrump. You’re not asking partner to name a suit, and he should do so only when he has good reason to think that a suit contract would be better. It would be dangerous to double, because there’s no chance partner would pass, and his suit response might take you past three notrump.

3. Pass. There’s little to be gained and possibly much to be lost by bidding at this point. To overcall with four clubs would be courting disaster, since your left- hand opponent might have a strong hand and good clubs. If partner can’t compete after you pass, there’s probably not much of a future for your side.

4. Four spades. When you are confronted with a pre- emptive bid, whatever you do often carries some element of risk. Here, partner needs very little for you to make a game in spades, so you should bid it. Of course, the next player might be able to double you successfully, but this risk is more than offset by the possibility of missing game if you bid only three spades.

5. Four hearts. This is the kind of hand you should have to make an immediate cuebid in the opponent’s suit. You should assume that game is likely in whatever suit partner names. Furthermore, a slam is not out of the question.

Of course, since partner is forced to bid and might have a very poor hand, you should pass any minimum response. The important thing is to tell him that you have a huge hand and are willing to contract for game at the four- or five- level.