Dear Mr. Wolff: I recently had this hand: ? K-J-10-7-5-3, ? A-Q-10, ? A-Q-J, ? 3. I opened one spade, intending to jump to three spades at my next turn. However, the next hand overcalled two clubs, and partner doubled. Should the plan change?

— Free Bid, Galveston, Texas

Answer: Partner’s negative double shows some values with length in hearts; the minimum for this action tends to be more than the minimum for a one-no-trump response. So, I am willing to force this hand to game because of its good intermediates and heart fillers. This eliminates a call of three spades. We could easily belong in hearts or no-trump, which excludes a leap to four spades. A cue bid of three clubs keeps all avenues open.

Dear Mr. Wolff: As dealer, would you open three diamonds with ? J-5-4, ? Q-5-3, ? K-J-8-6-5-4-3, ? ---, everyone vulnerable?

— Color Blind, Danville, Ill.

Answer: I might open a weak two diamonds if available in first or second seat. The suit is not good enough for a three-level opening when vulnerable, not to mention that the hand is suitable for play in either major. I would hate to pass, though, since if I do and partner enters the auction, I will never be able to describe my assets accurately.

Dear Mr. Wolff: Is it ever acceptable to criticize your teammates for their bad results or offer your opinion without being asked?

— Poor Form, Cartersville, Ga.

Answer: This is a good way to lose or aggravate teammates, and it will hardly instill them with confidence, even if they stick around. It is in your best interest not to ask them about their bad results, and to be understanding and sympathetic if you can. However, if they ask your opinion, by all means offer your best attempt at constructive criticism.

Dear Mr. Wolff: A lot of Precision Club pairs seem to use a two-diamond opening to show a three-suited hand with 11 to 15 high-card points and short diamonds. What is the best way to defend against this?

— Bad Breaks, Waterbury, Conn.

Answer: The important thing to be aware of is that all the suits are likely to split unfavorably if you declare the hand, so your overcalls should be on the cautious side but still natural. The simplest use of a double is to show a strong hand; you hardly want it to be for takeout when the opener also has the other three suits! Since opener has five clubs at least as often as four, you can use a call of three clubs as a good overcall in diamonds, better than a three-diamond call.

Dear Mr. Wolff: Which card would you tend to lead from jack-10-fourth?

— Powerful Pip, Duluth, Minn.

Answer: This depends on how strong the intermediates are. I would lead the jack from jack-10-eight-small or jack-10-seven-small regardless of the contract, but against no-trump a small one is typically better if I have no supporting spot cards. I always tend to lead the jack against a suit contract, with the early rounds of each suit being more important than the late ones. Note that you should lead top from jack-10-small in a side suit, even if that is not necessarily the case in trumps.

Contact Bobby Wolff at bobbywolff@indspring.com