Bridge: April 7, 2023

Unlucky Louie attracts adversity like a slice of bread is prone to mold.

As South in a penny game at my club, Louie leaped to six hearts at his third turn. (North’s cue bid of five clubs, going beyond game when he had no help in diamonds, was bold.) West led the king of clubs to dummy’s ace.

Louie saw that if trumps broke no worse than 3-1, he could draw them all, then hope to run the diamonds to discard dummy’s remaining clubs and ruff at least one club. But when he led a trump at Trick Two, East discarded. Louie could still pick up the trumps but had to spend all of dummy’s trumps. He lost two clubs.

SHUT DOWN

“If I were a restaurant,” Louie sighed, “the Health Department would shut me down.”

Louie makes the slam with foresight. He ruffs a spade at the second trick and takes the ace of trumps. He can then continue thus: trump to dummy’s eight, spade ruff with the queen, trump to the ten. He draws West’s last trump with the king and runs the diamonds for 12 tricks.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S 9 7 5 3 H J 9 5 2 D 8 5 C K Q J. Your partner opens one diamond, you respond one heart and he bids two clubs. What do you say?

ANSWER: If you held 9753,J952,KJ,A54, you could reasonably return to two diamonds, both to play at the probable 5-2 trump fit and to preserve the chances of reaching game. With the actual hand, pass. To bid two diamonds might still work, but the hand is so weak that I would be reluctant to give partner another chance.

South dealer

N-S vulnerable

NORTH

S K J 4

H K 10 8 4

D 10 9 4

C A 6 4

WEST

S 9 7 5 3

H J 9 5 2

D 8 5

C K Q J

EAST

S A Q 10 8 6 2

H None

D J 6 3

C 9 7 5 2

SOUTH

S None

H A Q 7 6 3

D A K Q 7 2

C 10 8 3

South West North East
1 H Pass 3 H Pass
4 D Pass 5 C Pass
6 H All Pass
Opening lead — C K

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