Dear Mr. Rigal: Would you bid over partner’s strong no-trump opening with ? K-9-4-3, ? K-8, ? 9-6-5-3, ? Q-8-6, vulnerable?

Answer: I tend to invite game with mundane 8-counts (especially when I have at least one four-card major), but I pass when non-vulnerable. I see this hand as a mediocre 8, so yes, I would invite partner to game via Stayman.

Dear Mr. Rigal: Last night, I was in second seat. My right-hand opponent opened one heart. I held ? 2, ? K-Q-J-10-5-3, ? A-K-8-3, ? 9-4. I thought that if I doubled, my partner would believe it was a takeout double and likely bid one spade. So, I bid two diamonds. As it turned out, we bid and made four diamonds. However, my partner was extremely critical of my bid, saying I should have doubled. How might you bid this hand, and are there any suggestions relating to a situation like this?

Answer: Never, ever double when long in the opponents’ opening suit unless you plan to rebid no-trump (showing more than a strong no-trump overcall). If you double one heart and then bid two hearts over partner’s one-spade advance, have you shown hearts? No! Doubling and then cue-bidding, or doubling again if the opponents compete further, instead shows a strong hand, asking partner to further describe their hand. Cue-bidding two hearts over one heart is not natural, nor is a call of three hearts, so you have to take your medicine and pass initially. On a good day, the opponents might settle in no-trump, unaware of the bad breaks, which you can then double for a heart lead!

Dear Mr. Rigal: Can you recommend an improvement on natural methods when dealing with a weak jump overcall of partner’s one-club opening?

Answer: Some sophisticated partnerships play transfers here, where two no-trump shows clubs, three clubs diamonds, and so on. The strength of these transfers depends on whether you can also bid the suit at the two-level, which is non-forcing. If so, the three-level transfer is invitational or better. If not, the transfer is either weak or game-forcing.

Dear Mr. Rigal: Would you advance partner’s second-chair, non-vulnerable, weak two-spade call with ? K-2, ? A-K-7-4-2, ? K-Q-9-6-4, ? 8?

Answer: I think this is worth an invitation to game, so I would start with two no-trump, asking. If my partner bids three spades to show a minimum, I will pass, but I will bid game over anything else. Partner should not be joking around in second seat, knowing he is only pre-empting one opponent at the price of one partner. Give partner ace-queen-jack-sixth in spades, and four spades is decent.

Dear Mr. Rigal: What are the revoke rules these days?

Answer: The two-trick penalty still exists. The current law says that if a defender won the trick he revoked on, their side is docked two tricks. If they did not win it, the penalty is only one trick. There are other factors to consider, but this is the long and short of it.

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