DAILY BRIDGE CLUB Talking trash at the bridge table

“I need a little extra money to pay my losses at the club,” Unlucky Louie told me in the lounge, “so I talked my wife into having a garage sale this weekend.”

“What kind of things are you selling?” I asked.

“It’s really a garbage sale,” Louie admitted, “but the ‘b’ is silent.”

When I watched today’s deal in a penny Chicago game, Louie was declarer at four hearts, and when dummy hit with morethan-adequate trump support, he appeared to have at most three losers. But West led the ace of clubs and then a low club, and East ruffed with the seven of trumps — winning!

East then led a diamond. Louie had to finesse, and when West took the king and led another club, East scored his eight of trumps. He still had the ace of trumps for a second undertrick, and Louie was minus 200 points and lost another $2.

“My 6-5-4-3-2 of trumps were garbage,” Louie grumbled.

Poor Louie. He’s the only player I know who could lose three trump tricks with that holding.

DAILY QUESTION: You hold: KJ4 65432

AQJ3 K. Your partner opens one spade. The next player passes. What do you say?

ANSWER: A direct, forcing spade raise would promise four-card support, so you must temporize. I see no point in responding two hearts on that so-called suit. Bid two diamonds, intending to support the spades next. If partner happens to have slam aspirations, he can make a better decision if he can infer the location of your high-card values.