Your Birthday
MONDAY, JUNE 12, 2017
A conservative approach to financial, health and legal matters will help you move forward without loss or stress. Trust in your ability to do the right thing, and ward off unrealistic proposals and joint financial ventures. Don’t share your thoughts, ideas or plans. Do your own thing.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) — An unexpected change will catch you off guard. Do your best to stabilize your position by minimizing your involvement in a potentially costly situation.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) — Take a different approach to the way you handle people, money and emotional issues. If you look for creative solutions, you will make an impression on your peers and loved ones.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) — Put a halt on any decision that involves an emotional situation. You aren’t likely to make the best choice at this volatile time. A work matter will suffer if ego is involved.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Listen to others’ offers or suggestions, but don’t make any sudden changes. Gathering information will help you make a move when the time is more appropriate.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) — Think twice before you sign up to do something with a partner. The chance of clashing on several issues will make it difficult to get things done your way.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) — Choose a destination that you find inviting. Whether it’s in your community, far away, or even a place of peace and quiet in the confines of your home, the respite will do you good.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) — Be open to discussions. Resolving issues that can be damaging to your relationship with a business or personal partner will encourage you to make decisions that will improve your life.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Keep it simple when dealing with any expenditures or business deals today. Be cautious if someone tries to sell you something. Stick to your budget.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Put more energy into the way you present who you are and how you look. Make a positive change at home that will help cut your costs.
PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) — You should offer assistance to those in need. Take time to explain what you mean when dealing with young and old people alike in order to avoid a misunderstanding.
ARIES (March 21-April 19) — Putting pressure on someone or bending to accommodate others should be averted. You are best off working alone and avoiding interference. Appreciate who you are and what you can do.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) — Put more effort into taking care of how you look and fulfilling any responsibilities you are given. Keeping up appearances will determine the kinds of opportunities you are given by someone influential.
A.N. Other said, “The essence of intelligence is skill in extracting meaning from everyday experience.”
One word in that sentence is relevant to this deal. South is in four spades. West leads the club ace, cashes the club king (East plays three, eight) and shifts to the heart 10. How should declarer continue?
East’s three-heart response was preemptive. With a hand worth at least a game-invitational raise, he would have cue-bid three diamonds. Then, South probably should have settled for three spades, trusting partner to raise with a suitable hand, but he plunged into four spades. West allowed the unfavorable vulnerability to dissuade him from sacrificing in five hearts. (Best defense would have taken five hearts down two, plus 500 for North-south.)
The original declarer thought this was a straightforward deal. He won the third trick with his heart ace, ruffed his second heart on the board and ran the spade jack. However, West took the trick with the king and shifted to his singleton diamond. South won on the board and had to get back to his hand to remove West’s trumps — but he couldn’t do it safely. When he ruffed a low diamond with the spade six, West overruffed with the 10 to defeat the contract.
Declarer had to avoid being stranded in the dummy. He needed to execute a dentist’s coup by extracting West’s safe exit cards. After ruffing the second heart, South should have cashed the club queen and diamond ace before running the spade jack. Then, even if West had a second diamond, declarer could have ruffed in his hand and drawn trumps.