Dear Mr. Rigal: This happened to us: Dealer had eight solid clubs, five to the jack in diamonds and two voids! How would you handle that? Would it be any different if the clubs were spades instead?

Answer: Thirteen cards in two suits will come about once every five years, I guess? With no majors, I’d be more inclined to preempt than if I had one or both majors. Opening two clubs with the intent of bidding and rebidding clubs might frighten the opponents, but it is, alas, illegal. Passing and waiting developments (never fear — there will be some) might be a devious plan. Opening five clubs and not selling out could also work. (However, if partner doubles the opponents, I might just trust him.) In other words, guess well!

Dear Mr. Rigal: What are Rusinow leads, and do you recommend them?

Answer: Rusinow refers to a convention of honor leads where you lead the second-highest of a sequence, so the queen from K-Q, the nine from K-10-9 and so on. It may make things difficult for partner if you have chosen to lead the top of a doubleton, but it has its advantages. I do play them in some partnerships, and I believe it fits well with leading the king from A-K.

Dear Mr. Rigal: Are top players allowed to compete in local competitions?

Answer: The entry for some events is restricted by master points, providing beginners and intermediates with a comfortable game while letting the experts compete among themselves, but other events are open to all. Even professionals must be allowed to play in a relaxed game now and then!

Dear Mr. Rigal: When everyone is bidding, should a new suit be forcing or not? Take the auction one spade - two hearts - two spades - three diamonds around the table.

Answer: In general, it’s important to be able to introduce a good long suit into a contested auction even with limited strength, to put partner onto the right lead, find a good sacrifice or simply compete the part-score, so I think these bids should normally be nonforcing. Your example is definitely nonforcing for me. That doesn’t mean partner cannot bid again, but with shortness in your suit and moderate values, he will tend to pass. With extras, you can double and then bid a new suit.

Dear Mr. Rigal: What would you bid with ? Q-5-4, ? 7-3, ? A-J-10-6-2, ? Q-4-2 after partner has opened two clubs? Say you bid two diamonds and partner says two no-trump. What then?

Answer: I would bid two diamonds — the diamonds aren’t right for a space-consuming call of three diamonds, and responding two no-trump might needlessly wrong-side the contract. When partner shows a strong balanced hand, I am willing to go for a slam on the basis of my source of tricks in diamonds. Depending on partnership methods, I could try six no-trump, or show diamonds and then jump to five no-trump to offer a choice of slam.

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