Dear Mr. Rigal: You hold ? 4, ? A-10-9-3, ? Q-6-5-3-2, ? K-8-7 and see partner open one heart. Your right-hand opponent doubles. What would you bid with only your opponents vulnerable?

Answer: This hand is worth a shot at game since you cannot properly discover how the hands are fitting. Even facing a dead minimum, your chances of making game may depend on the murky topic of whether partner’s spade holding fits yours. If you are going to drive to game, the question is whether you should do something descriptive along the way. Maybe a three-spade splinter bid, or a call of two no-trump to show a good raise. I would just bid four hearts, though. This might force my left-hand opponent to guess at a high level, and I do not think a slam is in the cards anyway. If the enemy does make another bid, I will attempt to bring down the ax by doubling.

Dear Mr. Rigal: Is one stopper in the opponents’ suit enough to bid no-trump? Say the auction starts with one heart on your right, you bid two clubs and partner cue-bids two hearts to show a good raise. What would you bid with ? K-Q-4, ? Q-9-6, ? 4, ? A-K-10-9-7-6?

Answer: One stopper is often enough if you have sufficient outside tricks. This particular hand is good enough to insist on game, but which game? Queen-third is certainly a sufficient stopper for three no-trump when only your right-hand opponent has bid the suit, but you still need nine tricks to make three no-trump once the heart queen has been knocked out. Therefore, I would bid three hearts, asking for a stopper. It might also be advantageous for partner to declare with the lead coming around to him, from the strong hand.

Dear Mr. Rigal: We play Texas transfers facing a no-trump opening, but should these apply after interference as well?

Answer: While you can keep these four-level transfers after a simple overcall by the opposition (but not usually a jump overcall), you must have agreed beforehand. There are not many alternative uses for the bid, so it makes sense to keep the system on.

Dear Mr. Rigal: Can dummy ever call the director?

— Le Mort, Kenosha, Wisconsin

Answer: The dummy should make no contribution of any kind during the play, but once play has finished, that barrier is lifted, and they can summon the director if necessary. There is one exception to that rule, though (as I discovered once, the hard way). If it is agreed that there has been an infraction at the table during play, such as a revoke, dummy should call the director if no one else has done so.

Dear Mr. Rigal: How do you define a double of an opening bid of five of a minor?

Answer: I play these doubles as penalty, but not in the traditional sense since it is not really possible to have a surfeit of trump tricks on this auction. Rather, it shows a good hand with no better bid. Advancer will often pass, but they can bid with a two-suiter or a six-card suit of their own if they think they can make it (not as a sacrifice).

Contact Barry Rigal, email him at barryrigal@hotmail.com