DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

“Look at this,” Unlucky Louie said to me in a tone of disgust. “Harlow can’t have any luck left after this deal.”

Even as Lady Luck laughs in Louie’s face, she smiles on the player we call Harlow the Halo.

“I was West in a penny game,” Louie said. “Harlow was South, and his bidding was outrageous. I led the queen of diamonds, and Harlow won and cashed the A-K of trumps — and my ten and queen fell.”

“Remarkable luck,” I said.

“There was more,” Louie growled. “Harlow could avoid losing a diamond only by pitching a diamond from dummy on a winning heart, then ruffing his low diamond. He needed to find East, who still had a trump, with four hearts.”

“So the Halo led a heart to the king and back to his ten! He took the A-Q to discard dummy’s diamonds, ruffed a diamond, took the ace of clubs, ruffed a club, drew East’s trump and claimed.”

You need not admire Harlow’s bidding, but he gave himself a chance to make the grand slam. Luck can favor a man who makes it part of his plan. DAILY QUESTION You hold: S J 5 3 H K 9 D 6 3 2 C A 7 5 4 2. Your partner opens one heart, you respond 1NT, he bids two clubs and you raise to three clubs. Partner then bids three hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER: Partner suggests six hearts, four clubs and extra values. With a minimum 6-4 hand, he would rebid two hearts. Bid four hearts. (Some experts advocate showing a second suit and would always bid two clubs; I believe that is a minority view.)