Aces on Bridge
DEAR MR. WOLFF: My partner tells me that it is consistent with Standard American to use the short club or short diamond opening bid in hopes of finding a fit in a major suit. What should the minimum holding be to make such a bid? And what should my minimum support (and high cards) be to respond, assuming no intervening bid?
— Get Shorty
ANSWER: Playing standard, with 3-3 in the minors, I open one club unless in third seat with really good diamonds. With 4-4, I open the better minor, more for the lead than for any other reason. As responder, assume partner always has four diamonds and rates to have four clubs for the opening bid. Assume that you can raise with four trumps (whether or not you are in a competitive auction) if nothing else seems appropriate.
DEAR MR. WOLFF: I have a lot of trouble understanding and remembering the rule of 11; could you explain it to me — in words of one syllable? — Gobstopper
ANSWER: When your partner leads a fourth-highest card, count up how many higher cards in that suit are unaccounted for. (For example, on the lead of a five, the six through ace represent the nine missing cards.) Since your partner’s hand holds three of them (she led her fourth-highest, so she has three bigger), the remaining (9 - 3 = 6) six higher cards are held by you, dummy and declarer. Subtract dummy’s and your own to know how many declarer has. A shortcut is to subtract the card led from 11: 11 minus five equals six.
DEAR MR. WOLFF: Holding SPADES 6, HEARTS J-9-7-2, DIAMONDS 10-8, CLUBS K-Q-10-7-5-4, when would you open three clubs, and when would the vulnerability or scoring persuade you to pass? Would you ever make a jump overcall here? — Lumpfish
ANSWER: I might open three clubs nonvulnerable in first chair, despite the weak four-card major on the side. Beef up that major to include a top honor, and I’d leave well enough alone and pass. In third seat, opening three clubs looks reasonable at any vulnerability, as does a jump overcall; mixing up your partnership preempting style is a perfectly reasonable policy. Many do it and don’t admit it.
DEAR MR. WOLFF: When should opener rebid a fivecard suit after a one-level response, as opposed to bidding one no-trump? What about over a two-level response? — Bucket List
ANSWER: In my book, the answer to the second question is: Whenever no other attractive option presents itself. Unless the suit is headed by two top honors, I generally will strive not to do it, though. After a onelevel response, I’d prefer not to rebid a five-card suit, but to raise partner with three trumps or rebid one notrump if possible. But often a shape like 2-4-5-2 or 2-42-5 presents problems after you open your minor and hear a one-spade response, I admit.