Dear Mr. Rigal: Is it ever acceptable to leave the table after a bad result?

— Cooldown, Great Falls, Mont.

Answer: To each their own. Some players are able to shake it off without uttering a word. Others have to vent their frustrations, either at their partner, at the world or in private. As long as you do not take too long to return, I see nothing wrong with excusing yourself from the table, especially at the end of the round, if this prevents you from publicly criticizing your partner.

Dear Mr. Rigal: Say you play a three-heart response to one spade as natural and invitational. What should a jump to three hearts mean after your partner opens one spade, you respond one no-trump and he rebids two clubs?

— Unnecessary Jump, Union City, Tenn.

Answer: You would have jumped to three hearts directly with invitational values, and you could bid two hearts over two clubs with a weak hand. This jump could therefore (by agreement) show a good hand with hearts and clubs: a fit jump. Using the call as a splinter would almost never come up in practice.

Dear Mr. Rigal: How far would you go to compete the part-score? Say you hold ? J-6-4, ? Q-7-2, ? J-9-7-5-4-2, ? 3 and hear one spade on your left, double from partner and two spades on your right. Would you bid?

— Winning Tactics, Twin Falls, Idaho

Answer: I would bid three diamonds, yes. It does not pay to let the opponents play an eight-card fit at the two-level, and I suspect we have a big fit in diamonds. Partner should not take me too seriously here, knowing I will compete aggressively in this position. Contrast this with an auction where the opponents had not shown a fit, say one spade — double — two hearts. Now three diamonds should maybe show a bit more.

Dear Mr. Rigal: I have been told that responding four spades to partner’s four-heart opening should be a cue bid. Is that right?

— It’s Not Unusual, Kenosha, Wis.

Answer: I think four spades is to play. Especially non-vulnerable, modern players do not always have the classical solid or semisolid suit for their four-level preempts. If responder is dealt a load of spades, he should be able to suggest an alternative contract. I would, however, treat a five-level response as a cue bid.

Dear Mr. Rigal: I am looking for advice on a deal I saw recently. Say you pick up ? K-Q-J-8-5-3, ? A-K-Q, ? 4, ? J-7-2, with everyone vulnerable, and you open one spade. The next player overcalls three no-trump, passed back to you. What now?

— Big Bid, Sioux Falls, S.D.

Answer: My left-hand opponent surely has a solid minor and the spade ace. He expects to run nine tricks, and I suspect he may do just that even on a heart lead. I could double to try to scare him into running, but that will not work so well if everyone passes. A bold four spades seems best. If my partner has a semblance of spade support and secondary values in clubs, this should be a good sacrifice — and it might even make! When in doubt, take the action with the biggest reasonable upside.

Contact Bobby Wolff at bobbywolffindspring.com.