NW Democrat-Gazette

ACES ON BRIDGE

BOBBY WOLFF If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, email him at [email protected]

Dear Mr. Wolff: When cue-bidding with a minor-suit agreed, is there a way to limit one’s hand?

— Not Serious, Duluth, Minn. Dear Reader: When a major has been agreed in a game-forcing auction, most pairs play three no-trump as artificial, showing a minimum hand in context. Three no-trump is nearly always natural when a minor is agreed, since the no-trump game is so much more desirable than five of a minor. However, a four-level bid of the agreed minor is not needed as a sign-off in this context. Thus, that can be used as the “non-serious” bid.

Dear Mr. Wolff: You hold ♠ 4, ♥ A-K-10-3, ♦ 5, ♣ A-K-9-7-5-4-2 at game all and open one club. Your left-hand opponent overcalls one spade, and partner raises to two clubs. The next hand bids two no-trump, showing a good raise, and when you bid five clubs, your right-hand opponent reopens with five diamonds. What now?

— Big Fit, San Antonio, Texas Dear Reader: Six clubs could make or be a worthwhile sacrifice. However, my extra shape suggests that I can cover more than one base by calling five hearts now. This will put my partner onto the best lead against a spade contract. It could easily be that none of our club winners stand up, after all. Having bid five hearts, I intend to leave the final decision to my partner.

Dear Mr. Wolff: After two passes, my partner opens one heart. The next three calls are: pass - pass - double. My partner then bids one spade. Please describe the hand I should expect in terms of distribution and points.

— What About Bob?

Albany, Ga. Dear Reader: I would expect 4-5 in the majors and close to reversing values or better. Your partner should not be running from a possible penalty pass at this stage. The fact that he is in third seat should not lead you to imagine that he does not have what he has promised. If he has psyched, it will be on his head, not yours.

Dear Mr. Wolff: How would you advance after an opponent interferes over partner’s Jacoby two-notrump response? Say the auction starts one heart, followed by two no-trump, and your right-hand opponent overcalls three spades.

– Forcing Auction,

Dodge City, Kan. Dear Reader: Some pairs play a double here as shortness. Others have it relating to your right-hand opponent’s suit in some other way. I personally prefer double to be penalty and new suits to be control-showing. The cue-bid denotes a void, three notrump shows shortness in your right-hand opponent’s suit, and pass means “I have nothing to say” with four of the major weakest.

Dear Mr. Wolff: I have seen that some good pairs do not treat nine-eightseven as a sequence on opening lead. They table either the eight or the seven, depending on their overall agreements. Is this best?

— Top of a Sequence,

Pottsville, Pa. Dear Reader: I tend to lead the nine from those sequences, but I can see the appeal of keeping the nine as a shortness lead. Note that I would tend to lead low from 10-nine-fourth without another spot card, regardless of my methods. Leading the 10 too often crashes an honor in partner’s hand. The same could be said of jack-10-fourth, but to a lesser extent.

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2023-03-26T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-03-26T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://edition.nwaonline.com/article/282913799743891

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