FRANK STEWART BRIDGE

DARKEST BEFORE DAWN “I’ve got as much chance as a woodenlegged man playing wide receiver,” Unlucky Louie sighed.

“No, I’ve got as much chance as a woodenlegged man in a forest fire.”

In a penny game, Louie held today’s sterling North hand. Luckily for him, South’s hand was as strong as a giant; South bid game with no encouragement from Louie. Actually, Louie was doubly lucky since South was Ed, the club expert. West led the jack of diamonds, and Ed took the ace, king and queen and threw a club from dummy. Last Club East ruffed and led a club, and Ed rose with the ace, led his low diamond ... and discarded dummy’s last club. He ruffed West’s club return in dummy, led a trump to his queen, drew East’s king with the ace and claimed. “I don’t know why you were complaining,” I told Louie. “Your hand won a trick.”

I doubt I would have done as well as Ed. I might have tried to ruff my low diamond in dummy or started by leading the A-Q of trumps. Ed played as if he could see all 52 cards. Daily Question You hold: ♠ 7 ♥ A 10 7 ♦ J 10 9 8 4 ♣ K J 10 6. Your partner opens one spade, you respond 1NT, he bids two clubs and you raise to three clubs. Partner bids three hearts. What do you say? Answer: Your partner doesn’t have four hearts; he would have bid two hearts at his second turn. He is trying for game and may have 5-3-1-4 or 5-3-0-5 pattern. Since your hand is suitable — you have little waste in diamonds — bid five clubs. South dealer N-S vulnerable