Bridge

Dear Mr. Wolff: My partner told me, “Never lead away from a king.” What do you think of that advice? – Taking Dictation, Kansas City, Mo.

Answer: Never ever listen to anyone who gives you any piece of advice starting with “Don’t lead X.” One exception: underleading ACES against suits is very dangerous – but never say never! The simplest advice is to lead what feels right and what the opponents have told you is best.

Dear Mr. Wolff: I held ♠ A-Q-3, ♥ K-10-9-2, ♦ K-4-2, ♣ K-10-3. Would you overcall one diamond with a double or with a call of one no-trump? And does the vulnerability or the form of scoring matter? – Ready for Action, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Answer: I’m not a fan of making a one-no-trump overcall with a single stopper when I have a sensible practical alternative. Here doubling would be fine if vulnerable or if facing a passed partner.

Conversely, I would probably overcall one club, one heart, or one spade with one no-trump rather than doubling since I do have better stops in those suits.

Dear Mr. Wolff: I thought it was illegal to do what you described in a recent Aces column. You reported that East threw the spade seven upside down to indicate dislike of the suit. What do you mean by an upside-down signal? I guess I haven’t been keeping up with the rules, but isn’t this type of overt signal illegal? – Simple Simon, Augusta, Ga.

Answer: The upside-down element of the signal comes not from the way you play your card – face up or face down. It means reversing the standard carding signals. Most people in the United States play high cards to encourage or, occasionally, to show an even number. With upside-down signals, low cards encourage and high cards discourage. Partnerships can use whatever system they like, but they must disclose it and mark it on their convention cards.

Dear Mr. Wolff: Holding ♠ 7, ♥ A-Q-9-5-2, ♦ Q-7, ♣ K-10-4-3-2, I assume you would open one heart in first chair and not pass. If you do open, you hear a weak jump overcall of two spades on your left, passed back to you. What now? – Flibbertigibbet, Selma, Ala.

Answer: I think you have to stick your neck out and double for takeout. You surely can’t pass. Unless your RHO has been hiding a strong hand, your partner figures to have a decent holding and therefore a penalty double of spades. (He could not double at his first turn, because that would have been negative.) If you are right, it will be expensive for the opponents; if wrong, expensive for you!

Dear Mr. Wolff: I’ve heard the term “restricted choice” when declarer’s trump suit is missing the queen and jack and one opponent plays one of these cards the first time trumps are led. Please explain the meaning of restricted choice. – Brainteaser, Monterey, Calif.

Answer: Here’s the math (trust me, it works): Say you hold five cards to the ace in hand, four to the K-10 in dummy. After you lead out the ace, you can finesse on the next round if RHO plays an honor, or you can play for the drop. A doubleton Q-J is slightly more likely than a bare queen. But with Q-J the defender has a choice of cards; with the bare queen, no choice. The chance that a defender began with a singleton honor is nearly twice the chance that he began with Q-J, so play him for a singleton honor.