Could you please comment on the term “masterminding”? I’m assuming that this is a bad thing.

Florida Sunfish, Naples, Fla.

The term is used when the non-captain of the hand overrules his partner without a good reason. Typically, it arises when you make a limit raise or preempt, or even open or rebid at no-trump, but then bid again. Sometimes your partner will make a call that allows you to act again in such auctions, but more commonly when you define your range, you transfer the final decision to your partner.

A week ago in an unopposed auction opener had a strong hand with four hearts and a stiff diamond, so he opened one club and jumped to four diamonds over a one heart response. I always thought that a splinter in this case would be a jump to three diamonds, since a call of two diamonds would be a reverse and therefore forcing. Equally, if four diamonds is the splinter, then what would a three diamond bid mean?

Jump to it, Wilmington, N.C.

Your question opens a can of worms. Yes you should not play three diamonds as natural, but even in sophisticated partnership a jump to three diamonds may remain undefined. Some play it as a splinter that is only forcing as far as three of the major – as good a use as any. So four diamonds guarantees more values.

Can you give me your opinion as to what I should be considering on opening lead if my RHO opens either with a preempt or with a one-level call, and it is passed out? I’m assuming you don’t have an obvious sequence or shortage to lead.

Point of Attack, Dodge City, Kan.

There are two separate questions here. After a preempt is passed out, dummy rates to be strong, and partner rates not to have too much in the unbid major(s). There is little to choose between leading from honor-third or honor-fifth, for example. After a one-level opening is passed out, dummy rates to be weak, declarer strong. So now leading from a king is less attractive than from a queen or jack, everything else being equal. Side suit shortage such as a doubleton will be attractive unless looking at natural trump tricks.

Last week I passed in second seat holding: ♠ Q-4, ♥ A-Q-10-3-2, ♦ 8-4-3-2, ♣ K-3. Do you agree? When my partner opened one diamond in third seat, and the next hand overcalled one spade, I seemed to have an embarrassment of choices. What would you recommend?

Catching up, Wheaton, Ill.

Your initial pass was fine (move the spade queen into the diamonds and I might act). Now your first choice might be to bid two hearts, expecting to come again even at the four level. The problem is that if the opponents preempt in spades you may have to guess what to do, when you haven’t shown diamond support. Perhaps a fit jump to three hearts (promising four diamonds) might be worth the risk. I won’t let the opponents play undoubled if they compete to three or four spades.

Will you please explain the correct procedure to follow with announcements as opposed to alerts – are the latter now out of date? If not, what are the sequences where you are supposed to speak?

Talk Soup, Waterbury, Conn.

The majority of alertable calls below the level of three no-trump still do indeed require an alert, not an announcement. With a forcing or semi-forcing no-trump response, a transfer response to one no-trump or an opening no-trump, the partner of the bidder should announce what the call means, rather than simply alerting. The idea is simply to save time; but failing to follow the precise requirements won’t cause a problem. Failure to alert a conventional call promptly may cause far more inconvenience though.