GOREN BRIDGE

LOUIE’S ONGOING LAMENT

Once again Hard Luck Louie was trying to win the club’s Saturday night duplicate. He won the opening diamond lead with dummy’s queen as East ducked his ace. A heart to the queen was successful, but Louie didn’t want to count on a 2-2 heart split. He tried to find another entry to dummy to repeat the heart finesse. He led the king of diamonds from his hand, but East smartly held up his ace. A spade to the king lost to the ace and a spade came back. When the 10 of spades lost to the jack and the king of hearts was still guarded, the contract went down one. “Both spade honors were off-side and the trumps split 3-1. I hate my life,” said Louie.

Lucky Larry played the same contract with the same opening lead. He also won the first trick with dummy’s queen of diamonds and took the heart finesse. Larry then cashed the ace and king of clubs and led the king of diamonds, ducked by East. East won the next diamond and led a club, but Larry ruffed, cashed the ace of hearts, and led a heart to East’s king.

East had to yield a ruff-sluff or break the spade suit. He led a low spade to the 10, jack, and king. A spade back toward his queen gave Larry his tenth trick. Nicely played!