Aces on Bridge
Dear Mr. Wolff: Recently I opened one no-trump with a 17-point 4-4-4-1 hand including a singleton spade ace. We arrived at a normal, making, final contract of three no-trump, but my opponents subsequently criticized my opening bid. How else should I handle these problem hands?
— Deceptive Bidder, Grand Forks, N.D.
Answer: The worst problems come from 4-4-4-1 shapes with a singleton major honor and 5-4 patterns with a five-card minor but not four spades. You can downgrade a 15-count with a singleton honor to 12-14, while a 17-count can be upgraded via a reverse or by rebidding two no-trump. A 16-count offers a tricky rebid problem that may be best handled by opening one no-trump.
Dear Mr. Wolff: As dealer, what do you open with 1214 points and no five-card suit? My sister-in-law opens her best minor, while I tend to open one club, forcing. What would you do?
— Prepared Club, Charlottesville, Va.
Answer: I open my longer minor, one club with 3-3, or my better minor with 4-4. I do not play one club as forcing. If one diamond guarantees four, one club is only a doubleton in a 4=4=3=2 shape. You can open one club on any balanced hand, but even then it would not be forcing. (Here, balanced hands with diamond length must be opened one club — a theoretically attractive but potentially complex idea.)
Dear Mr. Wolff: Many years ago, I attended my first national convention. One afternoon, when I could find no one to play with me, you graciously allowed me to kibitz. You have been my bridge hero ever since, and I wonder if you still have your lucky Mickey Mouse socks. — American Idol,
Trenton, N.J.
Answer: I believe the Mickey Mouse socks acquired a hole too large to continue with. As for their luck, as with all talismans, if you believe in them, they tend to work!
Dear Mr. Wolff: I have heard you mention a convention called Lebensohl. Please enlighten me as to what it means.
— Transfer Advances, Twin Falls, Idaho
Answer: When the opponents overcall your partner’s no-trump, new suits are non-forcing at the two-level and gameforcing at the three-level. Two no-trump puppets to three clubs to sign off in a suit you could not bid at the two-level. You can distinguish between hands with or without a stopper in the opponent’s suit by whether you go via two no-trump. See bridgebum.com/lebensohl_after_1nt.php.
Dear Mr. Wolff: I had ♠ 9-8, ♥ K-J, ♦ A-7-6-4-3,
♣ Q-7-4-2 with no one vulnerable. My right-hand opponent doubled partner’s one-spade opener, and I redoubled, after which my left-hand opponent bid two hearts and partner rebid his spades. What now?
— Saying One’s Piece,
Dover, Del.
Answer: Your redouble set up a forcing auction, and your partner showed a shapely minimum by acting in front of you. You have no desire to bid on opposite that. If the spade eight were the jack, you might raise. For the record, if partner had any extras, he could pass, then bid spades. In general, making a forcing pass and then acting shows more in the way of high cards than a direct call.