ACES ON BRIDGE

DEAR MR. WOLFF:

How would you handle this monster: ♠ A-K, ♥ —-, ♦ A-K-8-7-6-5-4, ♣ A-K-10-3, at favorable vulnerability, when your left-hand opponent’s weak two-heart opening has been passed around to you?

— Freak Deal, Little Rock, Ark.

DEAR READER: A six-diamond call has a lot going for it. If you double, partner is likely to pass, and even though you have quick tricks, you would not be delighted. Even 500 or 800 out of two hearts doubled is not much consolation for a lost 920. If you do choose to double, and if partner takes the double out to two spades, you should jump to four diamonds, forcing.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: Should I be calling the director every time an opponent pulls the wrong card?

— Rules Are Rules, Cartersville, Ga.

DEAR READER: I think this is something for the director to sort out. The rules should not be taken into your own hands. If you did, the rule-abiders would gain an unfair advantage whenever this happens. This might seem unduly harsh, especially if it really is the result of mechanical error, but some would say it is part of the game. Of course, do as you like when playing socially.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: Say you bid Stayman in response to a one-no-trump opening and then introduce a minor suit at your next turn. What kind of hand does that show?

— No Fit, Kansas City, Mo.

DEAR READER: You would raise if opener bid your major, so this shows four cards in an unbid major and at least five in the minor. It is forcing to game, but you would not bother bidding it without either extra values (enough to keep a slam in the picture) or real extra shape. With a minimum game-force and 5-4-2-2 distribution, or 5-4-3-1 with a singleton honor, just bid three no-trump. Incidentally, two-way Stayman might help out here

— though few use that gadget anymore.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: I recently picked up ♠ 10-6-5, ♥ 10, ♦ K-J, ♣ K-Q-9-8-7-4-2, vulnerable against not. Partner opened one diamond in second chair, and the next hand overcalled one heart. I bid two clubs, and the next thing I knew, my left-hand opponent’s four-heart bid came back to me. What would you do?

— No Guarantees, Selma, Ala.

DEAR READER: I would pass. Partner could have doubled if he had extra values or shape, and he might have bid on with extra shape. I would not like to play five clubs facing a weak no-trump, and we might beat four hearts facing that. Passing is our best chance to go plus.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: How strong a hand does the cue-bid show in this auction: one heart from your partner, three diamonds on your right, four diamonds from you?

— Value Raise, Dover, Del.

DEAR READER: There is no space below game for partner to cue-bid, so four diamonds should show a sound high-card raise to at least the game level. Without any slam potential, you may have to raise to four hearts, which is not ideal. After your cue-bid, partner might be left guessing which hand type you have, should you compete to five diamonds, but this may still be the best you can do in order to have sensible auctions to slam.