BRIDGE MASTERCLASS

WHAT action would you take now?

I CAN only recall this arising twice in my bridge lifetime — and twice i couldn’t be sure what counter-measures my partner and i were using! There are gadgets for dealing with the problem of non-vulnerable opponents’ bidding like this.

4nT is Blackwood asking about your ace-holding. You would normally have bid 5 ♥ , but now the oppo has taken that position, you need another means of response.

The original method is to use the opponent’s bid as the base to show your aces on the same step principle as over 4nT. Pass would show none, next suit up one and, in this case, you bid 6 ♣ to show the two.

The popular method is to use DOPI (Double=0, Pass=1) and bid next suit up with two — here 5 ♠ . Or DOPE (Double with an Odd number and Pass with Even), so here you’d pass and let partner work out whether you have 0 or 2!

One advantage of the old method is that you were left with the double to take penalties. if playing in tournaments, this is yet another thing you need to agree with partner.