LIFE & CULTURE

In a duplicate event, I sat down to play against an attractive woman whose name tag identified her as Dottie Pickle.

“What kind of pickle are you?” I asked. “Sometimes sweet, sometimes sour,” she smiled. And then she proceeded to make potato salad of me in today’s deal. Against 3NT, I led the queen of spades, and East took the ace and returned the deuce. Ms. Pickle won and led the king of hearts. She eyed my nine, then overtook with dummy’s ace and cashed the queen.

When my ten fell, South led the eight, forcing out East’s jack. South won the diamond return and took three clubs and three more hearts.

Almost every North-South went down at 3NT. After winning the second spade, Souths usually swung for the fences: They cashed the king of hearts, went to the ace of clubs and took the A-Q of hearts, hoping for a 3-3 break (possible but against the odds). They took eight tricks; my opponent made an overtrick.

I won’t relish the next time I face Dottie Pickle.

You hold: K765h K ( A10864 $ K Q 8. Your partner opens one heart, you bid two diamonds, he rebids two hearts and you try two spades. Partner then bids four hearts. What do you say?

Answer: Partner’s high-card strength is limited by his rebid of two hearts, but his four hearts shows a sound hand with a self-sufficient suit, maybe A 2, A Q J 10 7 6 3, 5, J 6 5. Since slam is possible, make one try to get there. Cue-bid five clubs to show a control in that suit. by Dana Summers