My parents taught me bridge many years ago using the Goren Point Count system, where extra points are given for voids, doubletons, and singletons. I continue to play rubber bridge socially with friends and at some point I was told that one can't count both the high-card value and the shortage value if the honor in unprotected. Is this true?

The Long and the Short of It, San Ramon, Calif.

I suggest you don’t add points for shortness in suits where there are honors. While I do advocate adding points for shortness when you have found a fit, I think one should be very careful about it — and only do it when in doubt. Treat a singleton king as worth LESS than face value.

Just recently I picked up a remarkably good hand: ♠ A-Q-J-7-3-2, ♥ 9, ♦ K-Q-J, ♣ K-Q-4. My left-hand opponent opened four hearts nonvulnerable. My partner doubled — card-showing. Can you suggest what the various possibilities might be now? Would four no-trump be Blackwood here? If not, what would it be? I actually jumped to six spades and lost just the heart ace.

Shooting Star, Little Rock, Ark.

Your bidding was just perfect. If feeling ambitious, I would have looked for a grand slam one of two ways: cue-bid, then bid six spades, or bid four no-trump — implicitly minors — then follow up with a bid of six spades). Over a double of four of a major, a bid of four no-trump is a two-suiter, implicitly the minors, not Blackwood.

We play both Jacoby and Texas transfers. How should we continue when the transfer bid is doubled?

Doubled and Vulnerable, Janesville, Wis.

Over a Jacoby transfer (which is not game-forcing), use the pass as showing only a doubleton trump in support for partner. That lets him redouble to get back into the transfer sequences, or bid a new suit to suggest a two-suiter with invitational values and the desire to compete further. Over the Texas transfer, in itself game-forcing, complete the transfer if you want to be declarer on the lead of the doubled suit, or pass it around to partner with a vulnerable holding.

Recently, you advised against using MUD from three cards when on lead. Please explain what your reasoning is. I do sometimes use MUD when I do not have a sequence, and a trump lead might give declarer a free finesse.

Ask Alice, Raleigh, N. C.

Leading from three small is not an offense; my point was more about the card you should select. The problem with leading the middle card is that it often causes partner a problem in reading your length and strength. He may find out by the second round of the suit — but often by then it may be too late. I tend to lead low unless I've shown three-plus cards in that suit, when I can lead high and hopefully eliminate the ambiguity.

I had sympathy with one of my opponents, who did very much the wrong thing holding ♠ K-7, ♥ Q-4-2, ♦ A-Q-10-5-3, ♣ J-10-4. He overcalled two diamonds over one heart with nobody vulnerable, and when this was doubled on his left, he passed of course. I sat it out with five decent diamonds and 11 points. Down a remarkable 800! Was this bid so bad?

Trapped, Bristol, Va.

For years I've been preaching against overcalling at the two-level with suits like this, especially with weak length in the opponents' suit. It won't always backfire, but it makes the overcaller's partner's life impossible if a player will bid both with this hand and the same hand where the heart two is the diamond king. Don't overcall at the two-level unless you have a six-carder, or a good hand with a very good five-carder. The same hand with the diamond king instead of the three is just fine.