Bridge

Dear Mr. Wolff: I held ♠ K-5, ♥ 7-2, ♦ 8-5, ♣ K-Q-10-8-7-4-2. When my partner opened one diamond, I could not respond two clubs, which we play as 10-plus HCP, though not game forcing. So I responded one no-trump and played there, facing a 12-count with the doubleton Q-J of spades. We went down one, while we could have made three clubs. How should I have bid. – Losing Battles, Bellingham

Answer: If your partnership style is not to respond two clubs with a hand this light (I would bid two clubs, by the way), then you have to bid one no-trump and play there. On a bad day, your opponents might make three or four spades, so this may not be a tragedy.

Dear Mr. Wolff: My partner and I play Ogust responses to weak twos. We have not yet agreed on what holding outside the trump suit is needed for the weak-two opener to treat his hand as maximum, or indeed what the minimum requirement is for a “good” suit. Can you help us, please? – Light in Ogust, Orlando, Fla.

Answer: What constitutes a good suit and a good hand depends a little on the vulnerability. To show a good suit, you should have decent play for one loser facing a doubleton (a minimum of six to the K-Q). Any time you have a good suit and a side ace or king or two queens, that must represent a maximum. I’d probably treat almost any hand with a bad suit but 8-10 points as maximum in high cards, since the hand does have a redeeming feature or two.

Dear Mr. Wolff: What is the range for a jump overcall in the balancing seat? What about when you are in the sandwich seat and the opponents open and respond, either in a new suit or with a raise of opener’s suit? – Hopping Mad, Danville, Ill.

Answer: If the opponents pass an opening bid around to you, a jump would show opening values with a good six-card suit. Similarly, if they bid and raise a suit, a jump by you at the three-level should be strong, not weak. However, if they respond in a new suit, I’d advocate using weak jump overcalls. But the upper range for this action could easily be close to an opening bid.

Dear Mr. Wolff: With a new partner I held ♠ J-7-2, ♥ K-10-4-2, ♦ Q-5-3, ♣ A-8-3. My LHO opened one diamond, and my RHO responded one no-trump. When this came back to my partner, he doubled. What should this show? – Blind Trust, Augusta, Ga.

Answer: You have to distinguish the impossible from the unlikely here. Partner’s double should show a penalty double of diamonds with an opening bid. But your own hand is too strong for this to be possible, unless your LHO has psyched. So your partner has a weak takeout of diamonds, and you should run to two hearts.