Aces on Bridge

Dear Mr. Wolff: You pick up: ♠ K-Q-J-9-8, ♥ A-Q-10-64-3, ♦ K-5, ♣ -— and open one heart. Partner raises to two hearts. What now?

— Slam Potential, Galveston, Texas

Answer: Facing two of the spade ace, heart king or diamond ace will make six hearts very playable. I would start with a splinter bid of four clubs, showing shortness there. I am interested in going past game only if partner has perfectly fitting cards, so I would bid four hearts over four diamonds, expecting partner to bid on if he has the desired hand. If partner cue-bids four spades, I will come again with five clubs, emphasizing the void.

Dear Mr. Wolff: We lost a swing when I did not invite game on this hand: ♠ A-109-8-5, ♥ J-9-2, ♦ 8-3, ♣ Q-5-2. Non-vulnerable, partner bid one no-trump over my left-hand opponent's one-club opening. He then completed my transfer to spades. Should I have bid on?

— Marginal Decision, Duluth, Minnesota

Answer: The good spade spots might sway me to bid, especially since partner is more likely to be in the 16-18range than 15-17. Still, the unsupported roundedsuit honors do not appeal, nor does the 5-3-3-2 shape, so I could go either way. I think game is probably no better than 50% unless partner breaks the transfer to spades.

Dear Mr. Wolff:

I play four-suit transfers over one no-trump with my regular partner, but we have yet to agree on a meaning for a three-diamond response. What would you recommend?

— Extra Bid, Great Falls, Montana

Answer: You could play that call as game-forcing with both minors, at least 5-5. If you play a response of two no-trump and three clubs as transfers to the minors, with a new suit indicating shortage thereafter, then three diamonds might sensibly be played as long diamonds with a club singleton.

Dear Mr. Wolff: Is Roman Key-Card Blackwood always four no-trump, or are there other bids that can also be key-card asks?

— Tool Box, Troy, New York

Answer: There are methods whereby other four-level bids can be Blackwood, to allow for all the responses while still retaining the option of playing in game, but they might more trouble than they are worth. If you insist, you can see more at: users.cs.fiu.edu/

Dear Mr. Wolff: The other day, I saw someone open the bidding with five spades. They claimed it showed a strong hand, but their partner thought it was preemptive. Who is right?

— Trump Ask, Mitchell, South Dakota

Answer: This used to ask partner to raise one level for each of the top two trumps he held. It is wildly uncommon, as opener must be solid apart from the ace and king of his long suit, and there are other ways of discovering such things in modern methods. However, I find that a preemptive five-of-amajor opening is superfluous, and 10tricks might easily be the limit of the hand. I would therefore retain the old-fashioned meaning. Of course, a five-of-a-minor opening must be preemptive because it is the lowest game bid in those strains.