BRIDGE

“Can you help me out?” Unlucky Louie asked plaintively.

“Sure,” I sighed. “Which way did you come in?”

“I need a loan,” he growled.

If Louie improved his technique, he wouldn’t lose so much in his money games and wouldn’t need loans. As declarer at today’s slam, Louie took dummy’s ace of clubs and informed North that they had missed a grand slam.

North groaned — understandably since Louie went down at six spades. He next cashed the A-Q of trumps. When West discarded, Louie tried the A-K of hearts. East ruffed and led his last trump, and Louie wound up down three.

Louie’s poor technique cost a bundle. To guard against a 4-1 heart break, Louie takes one high trump, then leads the ace and a low heart. If West wins and leads another club, Louie wins, leads a trump to his hand, ruffs a heart with the king of trumps, draws trumps and runs the hearts.

Question: You hold: ♠ K7 62 ♥ 10 2 ♦ AJ1063 ♣ AK. You open one diamond, your partner bids one spade, you raise to three spades and he tries four hearts. What do you say?

Answer: If your partner wanted to settle for game, he would have bid it. His four hearts shows a control — probably the ace — and slam interest. Though you have minimum high-card values for your bidding, you have good controls and can cooperate. Bid five spades or cuebid five clubs.