ACES ON BRIDGE
DEAR MR. WOLFF: My partner’s hand was ♠ Q-8, ♡ J-7-6-5-4-2, ♢ K-4, ♣ A-K-6, and mine was ♠ A-K-10-76-4, ♡ —-, ♢ A-10-2, ♣ Q-85-2. My partner opened one heart and rebid two hearts over my one-spade response. I jumped to three no-trump. What do you think of each of our second bids?
— Allen Wolman, Lorain, Ohio
ANSWER: The auction I might imagine would start the same way, but after two hearts, I would bid three clubs, if only to set up a forcing auction. Opener would bid three spades, allowing responder either to raise to four spades, or to find an optimistic cue-bid — which would lead to the excellent six-spade contract.
DEAR MR. WOLFF:
How would you bid this hand: ♠ A-10-8-7-2, ♡ Q, ♢ J-10-8-7-6-4, ♣ K, at game all, after your left-hand opponent opens one club and your right-hand opponent responds one heart? — Cue-bid Country,
Dover, Del. ANSWER: I would bid two no-trump, showing the other suits in my methods. It could easily be our deal, and by showing both my suits in one go, I may stimulate interest from partner. It could be a double-fit deal, in which case it is vital that partner learn of both suits now, so he can bid four spades over four hearts, perhaps. Two clubs over one heart by me is best played as natural. DEAR MR. WOLFF:
My partner wants to take up a signaling method known as “obvious shift,” but I do not know what he is talking about. Please enlighten me! — Clear as Clouds, Walnut Creek, Calif.
ANSWER: At trick one, instead of simply signaling attitude toward the suit led, an obvious shift partnership would tend to “encourage” to prevent their partner from switching to the suit that appears obvious on the sight of dummy. Thus, your signal relates equally to your holding in the suit led and a second suit. My problem here is defining what qualifies as an “obvious shift” suit. Common sense, plus your regular array of signals, suffice for the average mortal. DEAR MR. WOLFF:
You pick up ♠ 2, ♡ A-8, ♢ A-Q-10-9-6-4, ♣ Q-J-7-2, vulnerable against not. You hear your left-hand opponent open a weak two spades, and righthand opponent raises to four spades. Would you bid? — Guessing Game, Worcester, Mass.
ANSWER: I would go quietly and pass. I have a fair amount of defense against four spades, and bidding would be a gamble. My righthand opponent could have a good hand for his leap to game. That my partner could not bid over two spades reduces the chances that we have a making spot, and I am not looking for a sacrifice at these colors. DEAR MR. WOLFF:
BridgeBaseOnline has implemented the use of cameras into their software, so players can now see each other. What do you make of this?
— Technological Advancement, Spokane, Wash.
DEAR READER: There are plenty of online bridge platforms that offer visual and audio services, so while it is always good to add a social element to online play — and perhaps to deter would-be cheaters — there should still be an option to play without a camera. To each their own, I say.