Dear Mr. Rigal: What is the best way to play a trump suit of K-J-10-5-4-2 facing a singleton?

Answer: All else being equal, I will play up to the king. If that loses, I will continue with the jack. If the king wins, I will continue with a low one, thus gaining a trick against A-x onside or Q-x offside. The alternative of finessing the jack (and then continuing from the top) picks up the same 3-3 splits but only gains against one 4-2 layout, namely Q-x onside.

Dear Mr. Rigal: Say your one-no-trump opening is doubled and partner passes. How likely are you to run?

Answer: I would normally bid if I had a five-card suit of my own, or maybe with two good four-card suits. (I could redouble with that.) Otherwise, I would await the sight of dummy. Partner could have run ahead of me if he had his own suit. I would certainly take into account whether my right-hand opponent had shown signs of discomfort before passing, and the question of whether I had quick tricks in my long suit might also affect the issue.

Dear Mr. Rigal: What is the best way for a partnership to test out new methods?

Answer: Some bridge websites provide good tools for this, particularly BridgeBaseOnline. You can create a private table and get the software to deal hands to a certain specification (such as one hand being 15-17 balanced) for you to bid on. You could also meet up in person and deal out some hands, but that probably won’t be as efficient.

Dear Mr. Rigal: You hold ? 4, ? Q-J-10-8-3, ? Q-10-7-6-2, ? K-5 and transfer to hearts over partner’s strong no-trump. What next, after he completes the transfer?

Answer: You could force to game and show both suits, or invite by bidding two no-trump now (in which case you will be unhappy to hear partner pass, even though that could easily be right). A third option involves the road less traveled. Incidentally, my choice would have been to make a Texas transfer to hearts at the four-level. Hearts could easily be right, even facing a doubleton. My long diamonds might act as surrogate trumps here.

Dear Mr. Rigal: I opened one diamond with ? A-K-4, ? 8-7-5-2, ? A-J-10-9, ? 7-2 and raised partner’s one-heart response to two. He went to three, and I passed, missing a good game opposite his five solid hearts. Should I have done more?

Answer: You had a minimum in high cards for your opening, but your cards were all working — hard values and a source of tricks in diamonds, thanks to the supporting spot cards. The doubleton in clubs could also be useful as a ruffing value. What’s more, based on his bidding, partner probably had five hearts (you could have had three, and he might have made a different call with only four), in which case holding nothing in trumps might not be a terrible thing — the more trumps you have, the fewer honors you need. Note that some play partner’s three-heart call as noninvitational. Make sure you and your partner agree!

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