Bridge

Unlucky Louie had gone on a weekend fishing trip and had returned with his creel as empty as a church on Monday morning.

“The fish weren’t biting?” I asked. “If they were,” Louie growled, “they were biting each other.” To make matters worse, Louie was reeled in as today’s declarer. Against four hearts, West led the jack of spades. Louie won in dummy and led a trump to his king, and West smoothly played the four as if that were his only trump. ENTRIES

Louie went for it, hook, line and sinker. ( I admit I might have also.) He returned a spade to dummy and led a trump to his queen. This time West took the ace and jack and led another spade. Louie ruffed but had no more dummy entries: He lost a club to East’s queen plus a diamond for down one.

Louie makes four hearts if West wins the first trump. Louie would win the spade return and use his last dummy entry to lead a club to his jack. When the finesse won and the clubs broke 32, Louie’s game would be safe.