ACES ON BRIDGE

DEAR MR. WOLFF: My partner and I can’t agree about the handling of big hands. We just had two twoclub auctions in the same session that went awry. I am looking for help with our approach to second-round responses. We currently use a control-showing response, where a call of two diamonds shows one or fewer kings, two hearts shows an ace or two kings, and two spades shows an ace, a king or three kings. — Great Scott, Tucson, Ariz.

DEAR READER: After the two-diamond response you can use the Kokish scheme of responses — see bit.ly/1O3pUNI. All other calls are natural, except that opener’s direct jump to three of a major should be long diamonds and four cards in the bid major. I like responder being able to use a next-suit negative if opener bids two spades or three clubs on his second turn.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: Holding ♠ A-J-2, ♥ K-6-4, ♦ Q-10-9-3-2, ♣ J-4, is there any merit to opening this hand in any seat at pairs? How important is the vulnerability issue here?

— First Blow, Greenville, S.C.

DEAR READER: Non-vulnerable at pairs, I would consider opening this hand, but only because of the diamond spots. Vulnerable, I think I’d pass — there are too many bad things that can happen. At least when you bid diamonds, partner knows you actually have the suit you have bid. If I did open, I would plan to raise a major-suit response rather than rebid one no-trump.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: Yesterday in our duplicate group, my hand was ; 7, k A-9-7-6-5, l K-J, ‘ A-K-J-10-8. I opened one club and heard my partner respond four spades. I passed, thinking her bid was a “closeout” bid. Was I wrong, and what would you have done? My partner actually had a strong hand, and slam was in the cards. — Don Draper, St. Louis

DEAR READER: Your opening bid should definitely, unequivocally and without exception be the major on a 5-5 two-suiter. Suit quality is truly not relevant. I know some people treat 5-5 in the black suits as a one-club opener. Not me, unless I had an honorless spade suit and 150 honors in clubs, when I’d feel someone was sending me a message. Equally, your partner’s call was flat-out wrong; new suits are forcing. Don’t pre-empt your side for no reason.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: In duplicate with both sides vulnerable, my LHO opened two diamonds, weak, passed around to me. I held ♠ K-Q6-4, ♥ K-9, l ♦ Q-5, ♣ Q-96-4-2 and chose to bid two no-trump, but afterward my partner told me that this shows a strong no-trump and that I should have doubled. — Torn in Two, Milwaukee

DEAR READER: Bidding either black suit suggests a better holding, and doubling with only two hearts is very risky. Meanwhile, a call in no-trump does suggest a better hand — though I admit it might work. I prefer to pass; this works if your best available result is to concede two diamonds, or if you can set two diamonds but can’t make a game. These are two likely options.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: In duplicate with only our side vulnerable, I held ♠ 9-4, ♥ Q-9-7-4-3, ♦ J-7-5, ♣ Q-9-2. My LHO opened one club, my partner doubled, and my RHO bid one spade. I passed, and my LHO raised to three spades, ending the auction. Four hearts our way would have made; should I have bid at my first turn with this hand? — Chicken Little, Naples, Fla.

DEAR READER: Bidding two hearts is probably right at your first turn. You have a five-card suit and a few values, and partner has promised at least heart tolerance. Don’t let your opponents push you around. Your partner might hope for a little more for a two-heart call, but he will not expect the World’s Fair.