Aces

Dear Mr. Wolff: Recently one of my partners asked me if I played Snapdragon doubles. I had never heard of this, and I wonder if you could explain the call and tell me whether it is recommended. – Flower Power, Jackson, Tenn.

Answer: Snapdragon (also known as competitive or fourth-suit doubles) occurs when the partner of an overcaller doubles a low-level bid at his first turn to speak. The call shows values and at least tolerance for partner, with moderate length in the unbid suit(s) and is a very sound idea.

Dear Mr. Wolff: Holding ♠K-Q-7-3, ♥Q, ♦A-J-7-5-3, ♣J-7-4, I heard my left-hand opponent open four hearts. My partner doubled, suggesting takeout, and I had absolutely no idea what to do. Is there any obvious call? – Dichotomy, Seneca, S.C.

Answer: There is clearly no stand-out call. One option is to go low by simply bidding four spades. You have a lot in hand but might find, facing a 4-1-4-4 pattern, that you had a club and heart to lose wherever you played.

Alternatively, a five-heart cuebid might get you to the right slam. I’ll opt for pessimism today – for no particular reason.

Dear Mr. Wolff: Is it my imagination, or are Chicago and rubber bridge players held to lower standards of ethics than duplicate players? I’m unhappy when I see my rubber colleagues misusing tempo breaks, which would not be allowed at duplicate. – Honest Toiler, Staten Island, N.Y.

Answer: The laws of rubber bridge are interpreted more flexibly than those of duplicate. When a player’s partner breaks tempo and clearly has something to think about, one tends not to be able to enforce the laws as easily when playing for money.

The infraction has to be crystal clear before anyone would be able to get an action reversed. It may be that masterpoints are worth more than money!

Dear Mr. Wolff: Which do you recommend – negative doubles or penalty doubles – when your partner opens one no-trump and the next hand overcalls with a natural bid (or bids a suit to show that suit plus another suit)? – Running Interference, Kansas City, Mo.

Answer: I’m strongly in favor of playing negative doubles when a suit has been bid naturally. You get so many more doubles when you are short in the bid suit and could not otherwise get into the auction.

Plus, so long as partner is awake, he can reopen with a takeout double on the appropriate hands, so you do not miss your penalty doubles either.

Dear Mr. Wolff: With ♠K-2, ♥A-3, ♦A-7-6-4-3, ♣Q-10-7-4, I heard my LHO open one diamond and my RHO respond one heart. When my LHO raised to two hearts, the auction came back to me.

I chose to double and then passed my partner’s response of two spades, leaving him in a miserable 4-2 fit. Was I wrong to bid? – Minority View, Detroit

Answer: I too would have reopened with your hand, but I would have bid two no-trump for the minors, implying longer diamonds since, with long clubs, I might have bid at my first turn. I can’t guarantee this would have worked any better than your choice, though.