From a TV show to a Bridge table

FRANK-N-ERNEST®

GRIZZWELLS®

BIG NATE®

ARLO & JANIS®

ZITS®

Which sitcom had the largest viewing audience ever for its final episode?

Which character in that show would have made a good bridge player?

In today’s deal, after South opened with a strong no-trump, it would have been unsound for West to enter the fray with two spades, which requires at least a six-card suit (unless it shows a spade-minor twosuiter). North’s raise to two no-trump indicated 9 points and was game-invitational. South, with a maximum 17 and three lovely aces, had an automatic raise to game.

West led the textbook spade six: two, jack, king. Declarer led a heart to the dummy and ran the club queen. West, who enjoyed living dangerously, ducked! However, as West anticipated, declarer repeated the club finesse at trick four.

What did West do next? Clearly the spade suit was a nonstarter. The play to the first trick had shown declarer to be holding the A-K-10. What about the pointcount? North had 9, West 12 and South presumably 16 or 17. That left just 2 or 3 for East. The only useful card East could hold was the diamond queen.

Having worked this out, West led the diamond king: four, three, seven. That three looked mighty discouraging, but where was the two? Not being dissuaded from his path, West cashed the diamond ace: five, two, eight. So East was encouraging with an echo (a high-low) after all! West led his third diamond, East cashed two tricks in the suit, and declarer had to concede defeat by one trick.

Sitting West was Hawkeye of “M.A.S.H.” Unit 4077.