Dear Mr. Rigal: With what call should I open the bidding with ? A-7, ? K-J-8-4, ? A-K-J-10-6, ? A-8, vulnerable against not in third seat?

Answer: I would open one diamond, intending to reverse into hearts next. We could belong in a diamond slam, and I am not exactly desperate to declare no-trump from my side with ace-doubleton in two suits. If I can survive the first round of bidding, I will be in much better shape than I would be after a two-no-trump opening. That call is arguably the most self-preempting call in bridge.

Dear Mr. Rigal: How many spades would you expect partner to have for the following auction: one spade from you, two hearts from partner, three diamonds from you, three spades from partner?

— No Room, Pueblo, Colorado

Answer: I think partner could have three spades for this bid, but he may be forced to make the call on honor-doubleton. After all, you could still have a six-card spade suit, or even a good five-carder where it is right to play the 5-2 fit. He has no way of asking for a stopper in the fourth suit, so three spades could just be temporizing. He can remove a subsequent three no-trump if he has real support.

Dear Mr. Rigal: Holding ? 3, ? A-10-9-6-4-2, ? A-Q-5-4, ? 10-5 you hear your partner bid three hearts over your left-hand opponent’s three clubs, and the next player jumps to four spades. You try six hearts, but your left-hand opponent pushes on to six spades, which you double. What would you lead?

— Safety First, Little Rock, Arkansas

Answer: I would lead the ace that is more likely to be standing up, which is surely in diamonds. The opponents have a source of tricks in clubs, so I am not concerned about giving away a trick — more that we need to cash out. It could be that we have two tricks to take in diamonds but that a heart is not standing up, whereas the reverse cannot be true, given how big a heart fit we have.

Dear Mr. Rigal: Would you act with ? Q-2, ? A-10-7-6, ? K-J-6-2, ? A-5-3, no one vulnerable, after your left-hand opponent has opened two spades and his partner has raised to three?

— Shapeless, Huntington, West Virginia

Answer: I would pass. Double is, in effect, forcing your side to the four-level, and you have no reason to think you can make 10 tricks. You could beat three spades, though, especially with your defensive spade holding. Your partner’s initial pass means that unless he has real shape, you have not missed much.

Dear Mr. Rigal: Would you advise keeping a personal scoresheet for pairs events?

— Good Idea, Union City, Tennessee

Answer: While not technically necessary (you have no one to score up with in a physical sense), it cannot hurt to keep a scorecard in order to check your results against the official records at the end of the session. It may be too late to have them changed if you wait longer. Be sure to keep the results on your scorecard hidden during play, though, lest an unscrupulous opponent take advantage by examining your scores on boards they have yet to play.

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