Dear Mr. Wolff: Would you open this hand: ? Q-J-6-4-2, ? Q-J-7, ? A-9-8-4-3, ? ---, first-in with everyone vulnerable?

— Two-suiter, Albuquerque, N.M.

Answer: I would not argue with a pass, but I am sure I would open one spade with such shape. Give me the spade 10, and I would even feel good about it. As a side issue, when your major suit is hearts, the argument for opening is even stronger. It is hard to shut spades out but not so difficult to shut the hearts out if you pass initially.

Dear Mr. Wolff: Should one ever give suit preference with honor cards?

— Noble Purpose, Columbia, S.C.

Answer: Most suit preference signals are made with spot-cards, but if the position is completely known and it cannot cost a trick, honor cards can be used. For example, if partner leads to your ace-king, playing the ace before the king, i.e., reversing the normal order of play, shows preference for the higher of the other side suits (unless it can be ace-king doubleton). You can also use honors to signal when smoking out a high card that partner will ruff. You might consider assigning a signal to the lead of the jack versus the queen there (play the jack as high and queen as low, or vice versa).

Dear Mr. Wolff: What do you rebid with a minimum 4=3=1=5 shape after you have opened one club and partner responds one heart?

— Culture Club, Great Falls, Mont.

Answer: Some pairs raise to two hearts. Some prefer to show their four-card spade suit first in case partner is 4-4 in the majors with a weak hand. If partner bids one no-trump over that, they can remove to two hearts with a 14-count, say, but would have to pass with less than that. This may not be ideal; if you do raise hearts directly, it is a clever idea to use a continuation of two spades by responder as guaranteeing four spades, so the fit can be rediscovered.

Dear Mr. Wolff: Should one change the way one plays against top players, given that you are likely to lose if playing down the line?

— Hold Firm, Portland, Ore.

Answer: No. Play your game and simply do your best without being intimidated. If anything, see this as a challenge and allow yourself to play up to the occasion. Anyone can make mistakes, especially if you put them under pressure and offer them plenty of losing options.

Dear Mr. Wolff: Is it reasonable to make an anti-system opening in third chair with a shorter but stronger suit? Say you hold ? 10-4-3-2, ? Q-10, ? Q-J-8-3, ? A-K-8, with only the opponents vulnerable, and the bidding starts with two passes to you. Might you venture one club instead of one diamond?

— For the Lead, Little Rock, Ark.

Answer: When I have enough for a normal opening, I make the system bid. This is because I do not plan to pass my partner’s response. I might consider opening one club for the lead here if my diamonds were jack-fourth, planning to pass a one-heart response. But as it is, I bid a pedestrian one diamond and will rebid over a one-heart response.

Contact Bobby Wolff at bobbywolffindspring.com