Aces on Bridge

Dear Mr. Wolff: Recently in Audrey Grant’s “Better Bridge,” your left-hand opponent opened four diamonds, passed around to you. With ♠ Q-J-8-7-5,

♥ A-9-5, ♦ A-4-2, ♣ A-3, you commented: “Four spades. Much more dangerous to pass and to let the opponents out for down only one. In auctions like this, aces are worth five highcard points each, so I must bid my 18 points.” Do you stand by this?

— Robert the Bruce, Great Falls, Montana

Answer: I must admit to using a bit of dramatic license. Jacks and queens in the trump suit are good, as they build extra tricks from your own aces and kings. However, if you stick to the 4-3-2-1 point count, you will not go far wrong.

Dear Mr. Wolff: As an intermediate player, what would you suggest I play in bidding over an opponent’s oneno-trump opener? I have different partners who have suggested both Cappelletti and DONT.

— Anna Banana, Grand Forks, North Dakota

Answer: First, decide if you should give up the penalty double of a strong notrump. If you want to keep that double, Cappelletti is reasonable, but using two diamonds for the majors is less efficient than using two clubs (where a response of two diamonds gets partner to pick his better major). DONT loses the penalty double but gets more or different two-suiters in. Modernists choose between Meckwell and Multi-Landy (also known as Woolsey). For a summary, see clairebridge.com/en/defensesagainst-1nt.

Dear Mr. Wolff: We had an awkward situation in a teams game recently. One of our opponents opened one no-trump mistakenly, but before he could ask for an undo, the next hand had bid two clubs to show both majors. What would you do in this scenario?

— Legal Eagle, Charleston, South Carolina

Answer: In a private teams match, as long as everyone agrees, I would just scrap the board and play another instead. There is no reason to get the complex rules involved for a simple misclick.

Dear Mr. Wolff: How would you defend against a oneclub opening that could be as few as two?

— Short Club, Casper, Wyoming

Answer: Assuming the opening is only a doubleton in precisely 4-4-3-2 pattern, I would treat it as natural, such that two clubs still shows both majors. You may choose to overcall one no-trump without a stopper in clubs, however. Some like to play two clubs as natural and two diamonds as the majors. Take your pick — though the latter is more likely to be forgotten!

Dear Mr. Wolff: How would you value this hand: ♠ J-75-4, ♥ Q-10-6, ♦ 6-5-2,

♣ A-K-10, in response to a one-spade opening?

— Limit Raise, Houston, Texas

Answer: There is a case for taking the low road with two spades, but you would miss a game too often for my taste. There are many positives in this hand: fourcard support, combining honors, good intermediates, and strength outside the trump suit when you have a nine-card fit. Three spades is the value bid, inviting game.