Daily Bridge Club

Thursday, April 1, 2021 Money out the door

“Do you and Charlotte have an agreement,” Unlucky Louie asked me in the club lounge, “about how big a purchase one of you can make without a discussion?”

“Most of the time,” I hedged. “Do you and Esther?”

“My figure is about $50,” Louie said sulkily. “Hers, apparently, is $643.27.”

Louie might tolerate his spouse’s spending habits if he kept down his losses in his penny game. When Louie was declarer at today’s 3NT, West led a club, and Louie took the ace and cashed the king, ace and queen of diamonds. West threw spades. Louie then led the ace of hearts and a second heart.

NINE TRICKS

When East’s jack appeared, Louie had nine tricks but couldn’t take them; the hearts were blocked. Down one.

Louie saves 700 points with careful play. After he takes the ace of clubs, he cashes the A-K of hearts. When East plays the jack, Louie can go to dummy’s ten, return to his king of diamonds, and take the queen of hearts, two more diamonds and the ace of spades to land the contract.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: ♠ J 10 6 5 2 ♥ KQ3 2 ♦ K 5 ♣ A 7. You open one spade, your partner responds 1NT, you bid two hearts and he tries three clubs. The opponents pass. What do you say?

ANSWER: Your partner has a weak hand with a long club suit. He may hold 4, 9 7 4, Q 4, K J 9 6 4 3 2. If he held a more promising hand such as 4, 9 7 4, A 4 3, K Q J 10 8 4, he would have responded two clubs, then bid three clubs next. Pass (fast). Your chances for game are next to nil.

North dealer

Both sides vulnerable