When not to sacrifice in bridge

The afternoon penny game had ended, and Rose showed me today’s deal. She had been East.

“When North-South bid four spades,” she said, “I wondered whether I should sacrifice at five hearts. We would be down only one.”

“If the hearts lay a bit differently,” I observed, “your ‘sacrifice’ could turn into a make. But who was South?”

“Unlucky Louie,” Rose replied.

“Then sacrificing is less attractive,” I said. “Louie may find a way to go down at four spades.”

“He ruffed the second diamond,” Rose said,

“drew trumps, attacked the clubs and lost three clubs. Down one.”

After Louie ruffs the second diamond (not best defense), he can lead a trump to dummy, ruff the last diamond, return a trump to dummy and lead a heart to his 10. (For East to play the king won’t help the defense.) When West wins, he is end-played. Whether he leads a diamond — conceding a ruffsluff — or returns a heart or a club, Louie gets his 10th trick.

Avoid taking sacrifices against a weak declarer.

DAILY QUESTION: You hold: ♠ AQ1095 ♥ AJ10 ◆ 7 ♣ K 9 8 5. You open one spade, and your partner raises to two spades. The opponents pass. What do you say?

ANSWER: Game is possible, especially if partner has help for your second suit. You will be a favorite at four spades if he has

K843,765,J653,A2. But if his hand is K 8 4 3, 8 765,KJ6,64,youneedto stay low. If you judge to try for game, bid three clubs, asking him to pay attention to his club holding.

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Apply carelessly Theoretical missing links

West Indies native Dish up, as a dish St. Patrick’s mo. Zoo enclosure Look at creepily Washing, as the dishes Bout-ending blows

*Monastic hood Golfer Isao Scottish family Fizz up, as water Protests by not eating 41 42 43 45

46 47

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56 58 59

Saloon bill

Oil leak blemishes Court clown Director

Hitchcock

Kind of bank card Goodnight woman of song Panoramic view Carpenter’s files Home of the Jazz Natural burn balm

Bobcat, e.g.

Dryly humorous Little __, singer of the #1 hit “The Loco-Motion”

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