DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

Unlucky Louie had suffered through another losing session in my club’s penny game.

“I woke up this morning feeling like a million dollars,” Louie told me. “Now it’s more like ‘insufficient funds.’ ”

Louie loses mostly because he plays in haste. In today’s deal, he leaped boldly to 3NT at his second turn. West led a spade, and when dummy tabled Q-J-4, Louie beamed. He covered with the queen, and East signaled with the 10. When dummy led a diamond, West took the king and led his last spade, forcing out Louie’s ace, and when East won the next diamond, he cashed three spades. Down one.

Louie’s thinking was insufficient. If East has both high diamonds — two entries to the spades — Louie will fail. But if the diamond honors are split, Louie must play low from both hands on the first spade.

West leads another spade: queen, king, ace. When Louie starts the diamonds, West wins but has no more spades, and Louie has time to set up his diamonds, making an overtrick.

Daily question

You hold: ♠ K10975 ♥ 9 ♦ A7 ♣ K 10 9 6 3. Your partner opens one heart, you bid one spade and he rebids two hearts. What do you say?

Answer: This situation is tough. Partner could have many hands with which some game contract might be a good proposition for your side. Since you lack the high-card strength for game and are unlikely to have a good trump fit, to pass would certainly be reasonable. If vulnerable, you might try for game by bidding 2NT.

South dealer

N-S vulnerable