Two interesting bidding decisions arose at the American Bridge Association game August 18 at the Tisbury Council on Aging.

Question one: Sitting East with North dealing and no one vulnerable on board one, you hold:

♠ A 10 8 5

♥ 9 7

♦ 8 7 3

♣ J 6 5 2

The bidding has proceeded as follows:

North     East    South     West

Pass       Pass    1♣          Pass

Pass       ?

What do you bid?

Answer: Players are urged not to sell out to a low-level contract in duplicate bridge, and I can understand West’s annoyance when East passed.

That said, the auction had taken a strange turn. West probably had a sub-opening hand when she didn’t overcall. Yet North passed twice. Where were all the points?

East decided that North had some honors hidden to explain passing again. Better not to let North-South continue the auction. The hands:

                         NORTH

                         ♠ K 7 4

                         ♥ K Q 4 2

                         ♦ Q 6 5 2

                         ♣ Q 9

WEST                                      EAST

♠ Q J 9                                    ♠ A 10 8 5

♥ J 10 8 3                                ♥ 9 7

♦ A J 4                                    ♦ 8 7 3

♣ 8 7 4                                     ♣ J 6 5 2

                        SOUTH

                        ♠ 6 3 2

                        ♥ A 6 5

                        ♦ K 10 9

                        ♣ A K 10 3

So I give West points on bridge philosophy and East points on bridge intuition.

Question two: Sitting North on Board 16, with West dealing and East-West vulnerable, you hold:

♠ K Q J 10 9

♥ A 4

♦ A K Q 9

♣ 9 3

West passes. What do you bid?

Answer: Many players would open 1 ♠ and rebid 3 ♦ to show a third-bracket hand of 19-21 high-card points. But do you really want to risk your opening bid being passed out? Bridge writer and teacher Marty Bergen says that with a strong hand that has four quick tricks and no more than four losers, openers should bid 2 ♣ .