DAILY BRIDGE CLUB:

In my club’s penny game, West was the dreaded Grapefruit, our member with the disposition of an untipped waiter. He berates his partners without mercy.

Against South’s 3NT (not best), Grapefruit led the deuce of spades. Declarer won with dummy’s queen and led a club. East played low, and South’s king won. South then claimed seven more tricks — five diamonds and two spades — and Grapefruit went wild.

“Partner, if you consulted a mind reader, he would charge you half-price. Can’t you count to 13?”

“All I did was play ‘second hand low,’” East said piteously.

Grapefruit told the kibitzers that if it rained soup, East would go outside with a fork.

South’s bidding suggested five diamonds and four clubs, and West’s opening lead marked South with three spades. So South had no more than one heart. At the second trick East must rise with his ace of clubs and lay down the ace of hearts. When South’s king falls, the defense takes three more hearts for down one.

DAILY QUESTION: You hold: ♠ AQ6 ♥ 108542

◆ AQ52 ♣ 7. You open one heart, your partner bids one spade, you raise to two spades and he tries 2NT. What do you say?

ANSWER: You had a mandatory opening bid with three Quick Tricks, but the auction has not developed favorably. To pass now with a singleton in an unbid suit would be questionable. Bid three diamonds to suggest a weak hand.