DAILY BRIDGE CLUB Unlucky Louie is killing leads

“My bidding, play and defense may not match the rest of my game,” Unlucky Louie told me, “but I’ll stack up my opening leads against anybody’s.”

Like many players, Louie can’t be objective about his own ability. When he was today’s West in a penny game, he and East stopped at two clubs, whereupon South balanced with two diamonds. Louie led the king of clubs.

When East signaled with the deuce, Louie shifted ... to the queen of spades. South took the king, drew trumps and led a heart. He made three!

East holds South to his contract by overtaking the king of clubs to shift to his singleton heart, but the defenders’ downfall was Louie’s opening lead. On the bidding, East will usually have a singleton heart, so Louie should lead the ace of hearts.

Louie then leads the deuce (suit preference), and the defense continues thus: heart ruff, club to the queen, heart ruff, club to the king, heart. East ruffs again, and though South overruffs, he has a spade to lose. Down one.

DAILY QUESTION: You hold: Q10 AJ852

J4 K Q 10 3. Your partner opens one diamond, you respond one heart and he bids one spade. What do you say?

ANSWER: At your second turn as responder, place the contract or suggest a contract if possible. Bid 3NT. You have opening values, almost balanced pattern and strength in the unbid suit. You have no reason to bid two clubs. Even if partner showed a tolerance for hearts next, you would want to play at notrump.