Aces on Bridge

Dear Mr. Wolff:

At game all, you pick up ♠ 8-7-6-2, ♥ A-Q-7-5-3, ♦ 10-9-4-3, ♣ -— and pass. Your righthand opponent opens one club in fourth seat. Do you act?

— Tactical Move, Wichita Falls, Texas

Answer: I would overcall one heart for the lead, to help partner. He will not take me too seriously, as we are both passed hands, but if he does raise, my extra shape should keep me out of trouble. This might also persuade the opponents to eschew a making three no-trump, or to play a suit, where the bad club split could prove fatal.

Dear Mr. Wolff: I did not know what to do here. I had ♠ ---, ♥ 9-5, ♦ K-10-8-76-2, ♣ A-9-8-6-3. Vulnerable against not, I heard my left-hand opponent open one spade, raised to two spades. I bid three diamonds, prompting partner to try three no-trump on a balanced 11-count with jack-low in diamonds. We went several down. Where did we go wrong?

— Over-competing,

Tupelo, Mississippi

Answer: It is unlikely you will go for a number in diamonds, but partner may take you seriously. He seems to have values and defense against spades, so you may not need to take aggressive action. It seems right to bid when the opponents have a fit, but when you know their suit is breaking badly, you may want to take the low road. Note that two no-trump should be a twosuiter here, not natural, so it might work better.

Dear Mr. Wolff: Do you play any specific defense against a strong two-no-trump opening?

— Multi Landy, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Answer: In theory (though it never comes up), I use the same defense as I do against a one-no-trump opening. Double, however, is a two-suited hand rather than general values. The same applies to a natural three-no-trump opening. A double of a gambling three no-trump should be for penalties, with minor suits being takeout of the other minor.

Dear Mr. Wolff: I recently caught wind of a discussion regarding playing ethics. Say your team is well behind in the late stages of a knockout match, and you agree that your pair will be “swinging,” taking anti-percentage actions to try to claw back the deficit. Should you announce this to your opponents?

— Monkey Bars, Augusta, Georgia

Answer: It depends on where you are playing. In ACBL-land, the expectation is that you tell your opponents, and you can then take advantage of the knowledge that partner may not have his bid. After all, the opponents are aware of your change in system, so there is no unfair advantage in your action.

Dear Mr. Wolff: How unusual does an agreement have to be for it to require an announcement before the round? If you play transfers in unusual positions, what is best practice for alerting?

— Active Ethics, Little Rock, Arkansas

Answer: When you are playing something out of the ordinary, such as transfer preempts, mention it to the opponents, giving them a chance to prepare a defense. There is often little time to scan your opponents’ system card, so it is better for everyone if you inform your opponents beforehand. The playing field should be level.