At a duplicate last week, I experienced one of the oddest deals I have ever seen. Each hand had a suit of at least seven cards, facing a void in that suit. I think the odds against it must be pretty huge.

—  Wacky Splits, Tupelo, Miss.

ANSWER: You are right; this particular mesh of a long suit facing a void is unusual. But if you play enough hands, you never know what you will see! (Recently my LHO opened two hearts and bought a 12-count with no hearts. On the next deal my RHO made a four-heart call over one spade and bought a 12-count with no hearts. She should have been expecting it. To complete the symmetry both contracts went one down when they should have made!)

Dear Mr. Wolff:

I held ♠ K-J-2, ♥ Q-9, ♦ J-9-3-2, ♣ A-10-3-2 and passed initially. When my partner opened one club, how would you rate the choice of an inverted raise as opposed to a jump to two no-trump? And if you do bid two clubs to show a limit raise or better, would you raise partner’s two-no-trump continuation to game?

—  Passing Fancy, Staten Island, N.Y.

ANSWER: Yes, if I made the inverted raise, I would expect partner to pass some of the time that game was going to be hopeless, so the two-no-trump call sounds constructive, and I would bid game. I actually prefer the direct jump to two no-trump, but if I had major-suit holdings that suggest it might be better for me to declare the hand, I’d like the inverted raise to be less balanced than this.

Dear Mr. Wolff:

Under what the circumstances should I lead an unsupported ace against a slam in a suit contract, or indeed at no-trump?

—  Wild Thing, Houston, Texas

Dear Mr. Wolff:

Recently I held ♠ Q-9-2, ♥ A-2, ♦ K-Q-7-4 ♣ J-6-3-2. My RHO opened one heart. I did not double, because I only had three spades, but when my LHO bid a forcing no-trump and my RHO bid two hearts, I decided to balance with a double. An 800 penalty later I was told forcefully by my partner that it was cheaper to act on the first round. What do you think?

—  The Late Bird, Bremerton, Wash.

ANSWER: Two things apply here. Yes, bidding on the first round is better (a double suggests short hearts, not a guarantee of length in the other major). And if you pass initially, you cannot back into a live auction — technically, you were not balancing, because your LHO might still have been about to invite game.

Dear Mr. Wolff:

Holding ♠ A-Q-7-4, ♥ 3, ♦ 7-2, ♣ K-Q-10-7-4-3, I responded one spade to my partner’s one-diamond opening bid. Over her two–diamond rebid, I tried three clubs, and passed her bid of three no-trump. She thinks I should have bid two clubs and then three clubs, never showing my spades. Do you think I should have reversed by bidding two clubs and then three spades?)

—  First Responder, Kenosha, Wis.

ANSWER: If you think this hand is worth a force to game (and we both do, don’t we?), it is a pretty good principle ALWAYS to respond in your longest suit — especially where, as here, you have a two-card disparity. Bid clubs, then spades, the latter delivering a four-card suit most, if not all, of the time. The spade call does not say anything about extras, beyond your initial statement of game-forcing values.