Bridge
Dear Mr. Wolff: Please settle a question for my bridge club. When one of my opponents opens a suit and I cue-bid that suit, is it forcing to game on our side? I was taught this early in my learning days, but cannot find it in my bridge books to prove it to “doubting” friends. Thanks for your help. – Power Ranger, Wilmington, N.C.
Answer: The regular way to play this cue-bid used to be as a game force. These days a much more popular treatment is to play the cue-bid as a major-oriented two-suiter with, say, 8-13 points. A cue-bid of a minor shows both majors, of a major shows the other major and an unspecified minor. This treatment is called Michaels, named after its inventor, Mike Michaels, who died 40 years ago or so.
Dear Mr. Wolff: I was dealt this unexciting collection: •10-8-3, •10-7-5-2, •6-4, •K-Q-5-3. When partner opens one club and the next hand bids one diamond, how do you rate passing, bidding one heart, and raising clubs? – Light Brigade, Seneca, S.C.
Answer: Without the intervention I might raise clubs, but would probably bid one heart. With the overcall, bidding hearts would overstate my values, misrepresent my hand, and not get in the opponents’ way at all. The club raise limits my hand, takes up opponents’ space, and shows where I live – perfect!
Dear Mr. Wolff: What are minor penalty cards? How do you distinguish them from major penalty cards, and what are the penalties associated with them? – Glass Slipper, Salt Lake City, Utah
Answer: A minor penalty card is a single card below honor rank that has been exposed inadvertently during the bidding or play, and the associated penalties are very light. If that happens to you, you may not play any nonhonor card of the same suit before you play the penalty card. Otherwise, there are essentially no penalties.
Dear Mr. Wolff: You hold •A-J-8-6-3, •A-Q-7-6-5, •9-7-2, •–-. How would you respond to a strong no-trump? – Slamming and Jamming, Casper, Wyo.
Answer: If you play Smolen (whereby Stayman followed by a jump in one of the majors shows 5-4 with both majors), then transfer to spades and bid three hearts to show 5-5. If you use Stayman and find a fit, you could jump to four clubs to show a slam try with shortage in clubs.
Alternatively, some people play direct jumps to three hearts or three spades to show both majors (invitational and forcing respectively), in which case a three-spade call would be fine here.
Dear Mr. Wolff: What is DOPI? I’ve also heard people say they play ROPI and DEPO. Are these real conventions, or are my friends putting me on? – Doubting Thomasina, Galveston, Texas
Answer: When the opposition intervenes over Blackwood, but below five of your trump suit, a popular riposte is to play DOPI or ROPI (double or redouble shows no aces, pass shows one, and the next step two, etc). If the intervention is higher than your trump suit, using double to show an even number of aces and pass to show an odd number works slightly better, though there is always room for confusion here!