Outside Ace to Preempt?  
Q Must one have an outside Ace with a 7 card suit and less than 10 count to open 3 in a suit?
A Unless you have a solid suit an outside ace or a king is advised, expecially if vulnerable. You don't want to go down too many. But if the opponents never double you, bid whatever you can get away with. Remember, the less you have, the more they have. Preempts drive them nuts.

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Doubling  
Q The bidding goes 1D,  1S.  In third seat do I Double to show Spades stopped?
A As long as both partners know what is going on this is ok. The standards for casual play in this situation is that:

A) Double is for "takeout" meaning you have Clubs and Hearts and want partner to pick their best one. A "negative double".

B) Double means you expect to set 1S. This is a "penalty double". Not as common at such a low level. How often can you set 1S? We recommend you play negative doubles as listed above.

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Finesse or Drop?  
Q I was in a spade contract with four trump cards out against me, missing the queen. I played a round of trump and collected two. I led another round of trump. Should I finesse or play for the drop of her majesty?
A With no other clues from the bidding, opening lead, and play so far; you should play for the drop. If there were 5 out originally then you should play for a finesse on the second round instead. Many times there is a subtle clue during bid and play that will guide you to the correct line.

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