Aces on Bridge

Dear Mr. Wolff:

You open one club at game all, holding ♠ J-10-6-2, ♥ A-K, ♦ Q-10, ♣ A-10-8-6-5 and hear a weak two-diamond overcall on your left. Partner issues a negative double, and your right-hand opponent raises to three diamonds. Do you compete to three spades?

— Limited Space, Holland, Michigan

Answer: I would bid three spades, knowing that if partner does not have four spades, he must surely have four clubs and will correct to four clubs. I would like to have a bit more strength or shape for my three-spade call, but I was not dealt it and am too old to wait for the perfect hand to come along.

Dear Mr. Wolff: We recently had a disaster in the bidding. I held ♠ Q-10-7-5, ♥ A-Q-10, ♦ J-7-3, ♣ A-K-5 at favorable vulnerability. My right-hand opponent opened one spade, I overcalled one no-trump, my left-hand opponent raised to two spades, and the hand on my right bid three diamonds! Lefty retreated to three spades, and I doubled ... minus 530. Should I have gone quietly?

— Trigger Finger, Doylestown, Pennsylvania

Answer: I think you had already shown what you had. Even though you could often expect to take five or six tricks against three spades, your right-hand opponent had heard you overcall one no-trump, yet he still made a try for game, vulnerable against not. Had that player stuck his neck out without finding a fit, there would be more of a case for bringing down the ax.

Dear Mr. Wolff: Should we lead our normal spot card in a suit our side has bid and supported, or is some other method superior?

— Good Attitude, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Answer: Since you normally have at least three cards when supporting partner’s suit, focus on showing your strength in the clearest way possible, by leading your highest spot-card without an honor in the suit, or a low card with an honor. Incidentally, third-and-low leads may help clarify the count more precisely than fourthhighest leads.

Dear Mr. Wolff: I would like to enter the board-a-match event advertised at my club, but I have no idea how to approach that form of the game. Can you help me?

— For the Throat, Casper, Wyomimg

Answer: Board-a-match (BAM) is exactly as it sounds. Every board is compared directly with the other table in your teams match. If you win the board, you win 1 point, whereas you get only half a point if you draw, and none if you lose. It is essentially super-matchpoints, but with teammates to shout at you if you do badly.

Dear Mr. Wolff: What do you think of the Unusual two-no-trump overcall? I suppose there might be a more useful meaning for the bid, but nothing springs to mind.

— It’s Not Unusual, Willoughby, Ohio

Answer: The two-no-trump overcall to show both minors often does more harm than good if you do not have decent suits, by giving the opponents a fielder’s choice. They can either double you and collect a number on a misfit deal, or they can declare and play double-dummy. However, by now the call is so ingrained in us that finding another meaning for the call is nearly impossible.