THE ACES ON BRIDGE
Dear Mr. Wolff:
I see the use of the term “cue-bid” in your columns, but frequently the player making the call has no control in the opponent’s suit at all! Has the meaning of the term suffered from inflation the same way my pension has?
cue-bids’ Arrows, olympia, wash.
ANSWER: In slam- going auctions, cue-bids still show controls in the suits bid -though nowadays they may show first- or second-round control. In contested auctions, the ubiquity of weak jump raises forces players to cue-bid as an indication of high cards, unlinked to values in the opponents’ suit bid. Equally, when you are in a game-force, such cue-bids -- especially if they are below three no-trump ---
often ask rather than tell. That is the easiest way to reach notrump when it is correct.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
My partner and I have been discussing the purpose of a discarding system. Should we be using our signals or discards as instructions or should we be describing what is in our hand and letting partner take it from there?
-- Descriptive or Prescriptive?, santa Monica, Calif.
ANSWER: I’m strongly of the opinion that the best methods of discarding are informative, not issuing commands. Frequently, though, discards involve telling partner which suits not to play. And if you do send a strong signal to play a suit, it is generally because you know what is right. Count and suit-preference signals tend to
be more discreet messages, advisory, not prescriptive.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
Recently we had a disaster where I reopened over an opening of one heart with a double, and my LHO reraised himself to two hearts. When my partner doubled, he meant it as penalty, but I thought he was asking me to bid a suit. Can you recommend a treatment for us in future and provide a rationale for why one method is better than the other?
-- shoeless Joe, Edmonton, Alberta
ANSWER: I’m glad you are not apportioning blame here, since both treatments make sense. On balance I think you will have the responsive double more often, and the key is that when you DO have the trump stack, you may still catch the opponents when the balancing hand has enough for a second takeout double.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
When you are playing pairs, what is the right way to treat eight-counts or nine-counts facing a strong no-trump? Do you invite on all eight-counts, and do you drive to game with all nines?
-- Hope springs, Laredo, Texas
ANSWER: Balanced eightcounts without two majors should probably be passed, unless the intermediates are very good. Similarly, do not drive a nine-count to game unless there is a source of tricks. Going plus at pairs is vital, and Stayman gives the opponents a lot of information to work with -- so be chary of betraying too much without a good reason.