Q. 1—Sitting South and dealing, with no one vulnerable, you hold:

♠ A 10

♥ K Q 2

♦ Q 5 4 2

♣ Q 9 8 7

The bidding has proceeded as follows:

South   West   North   East

1♦        Pass    1 ♠       2 ♣

?

What would you bid?

A. — Whatever you do, don’t bid 2NT! That would show 18-19 points and invite partner’s raise to 3NT with anything more than minimal values. Pass and see what North has to say.

Q. 2 — Sitting South, with East dealing and North-South vulnerable, you hold:

♠ 9 8 7

♥ A 5

♦ K Q 7 5 3

♣ Q 6 5

East opens 1♠. What do you bid?

A.— Resist the temptation to bid 2♦ . When you’re overcalling at the two level vulnerable, you should hold an opening-bid hand. You never would have opened 1♦ with 11 points and those three losing spades.

That’s not all. The most important feature of a two-level overcall is suit quality. Add the length of the suit to the number of its honors. The result should equal or better than the level you’re bidding at. Every bid level consists of six plus the number of the bid. For instance, a two-bid is 6+2=8. In this case, your diamond suit consists of five cards and two honors equaling seven. That’s one level short for a 2♦ bid, even if you weren’t vulnerable.

Q. 3 — Sitting South and dealing, with East-West vulnerable, you hold:

♠ Q 4

♥4

♦ 10 9 6

♣ A 7 6 5 4 3 2

What do you bid?

A.— If you said pass, you’re getting the idea. Your club suit doesn’t meet the length + honors guideline. And when you pre-empt, especially in the first or second seat, you should have a reasonable chance of making within two or three tricks of your contract. Even with favorable vulnerability, this hand isn’t worth pre-empting. A more appropriate hand for a 3 ♣ bid would be:

♠ Q 4

♥4

♦ 10 9 6

♣ K Q J 10 6 5 4

Q. 4 — Sitting South, with East dealing and no one vulnerable, you hold:

♠ K J 10 5

♥ K 9 8

♦ 5 4

♣ 10 9 8 7

The bidding proceeded as follows:

East     South     West     North

1♠       Pass        1NT     Pass

2♥      All Pass

What would you lead?

A. — West has taken a preference on 2♥ over 2 ♠ . That means West is short in spades and expects East to ruff them on the board. To shorten West’s trumps, lead hearts. If you’re successful, you will win a spade trick or two.