DAILY BRIDGE CLUB:

I don’t know which is worse, Unlucky Louie’s bad luck or his insistence on telling us all about it.

“Somebody should inform him,” Cy the Cynic growled, “that the only people who want to listen to your troubles are lawyers, and they get paid to do it.”

Louie was moaning after today’s deal. At six spades, he took the ace of hearts, drew trumps, cashed the A-K of clubs and ruffed a club. When West discarded, Louie tried a diamond to dummy’s queen. East won and returned a diamond: three, nine, ace. Louie could pitch one diamond on the king of hearts but lost a diamond at the end.

“Nothing worked, as usual,” Louie told us.

The slam was cold. All Louie had to do was discard a diamond on the third club. East would have losing options: He could lead a fourth club (setting up dummy’s fifth club), a diamond (into the A-Q) or a heart.

The correct play might cost an overtrick but assures the slam.

DAILY QUESTION: You hold: ♠ 73 ♥ K75 ◆ AQ 6 ♣ AK872. You are the dealer. What is your opening call?

ANSWER: Years ago, experts would have shuddered at opening 1NT. The weak doubleton would have been a deterrent. But modern players know the benefits of describing a hand’s overall strength and pattern with one bid. I don’t know how players once coped after opening one club. A response of one spade would have left opener with no good second bid. Open 1NT.