Aces on Bridge
DEAR MR. WOLFF: Holding SPADES K-7-5-2, HEARTS K-2, DIAMONDS Q-10-7-4-3, CLUBS A-K, would you open one-no-trump or one club? What are the rules for treating 5-4 hands as balanced? — Stumbling Stan
ANSWER: I feel strongly that you should try to avoid opening one no-trump with 5-4 pattern and a five-card major, if you can. With five of a minor and four spades, and either 15 or 17 points, I normally up-value or downvalue my hand out of a one no-trump opener and open the minor, so I would happily open one diamond here. With the other patterns, I always try to upgrade 17-counts out of the notrump opener, but if my values are in the doubletons, you might twist my arm into a no-trump opening bid.
DEAR MR. WOLFF: Would you overcall, double or pass in third seat with SPADES A-J, HEARTS J-9-4-3-2, DIAMONDS Q-7-4, CLUBS Q-6-4, after hearing one club to your right? If you would pass, how much more would you need before acting? — All Gall
ANSWER: This is not a oneheart overcall by any sane person’s valuation. (That doesn’t mean everyone will pass, of course.) To overcall, you want to have a decent hand or a suit you want led. If we make the diamond queen the heart queen with the same shape, you might yield to temptation.
DEAR MR. WOLFF: You recently ran a deal where one of your opponents had shown a long diamond suit and commented that “the chances of finding either major suit breaking 3-3 seemed slim.” Isn’t there more than a 50 percent chance that one or both suits will break for you? — Indian Ink
ANSWER: In abstract, this would be so, but on the actual hand where I was writing, your LHO had preempted to the three-level in clubs and had shown at least two cards in diamonds, possibly more. Now the chance that he had three cards in either of the two critical suits becomes far lower. But to go back to the original question: In abstract, were the long suit not indicated, you would indeed expect a 3-3 break in one of two suits nearly 60 percent of the time.
DEAR MR. WOLFF: In first position, with no one vulnerable, my RHO opened one club, and when I passed, the auction ground to a stop. I held SPADES 7-2, HEARTS K-Q-10-6, DIAMONDS A-8, CLUBS A-10-6-5-4. Should I have overcalled with one heart? My partner had a 3-3-4-3 11-count, and we could make three no-trump, though defeating one club by three tricks scored well enough for us. — Mona Lisa
ANSWER: I would have acted with a one-heart overcall, even if this promises five. My length in my opponents’ suit is not entirely a negative here, and if I don’t bid now, I may never be able to persuade my partner that I have a decent hand. I might overcall one heart over one diamond also, and I suppose I might double one spade — though without too much enthusiasm.