DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

“I’m used to having him outplay me by one trick,” Cy the Cynic grumbled, “but two is too much to bear.” Cy was talking about Ed, the club expert, who regularly takes Cy’s money.

In a team match, both NorthSouths reached six clubs. When Cy was declarer, he took the king of hearts and led the queen of trumps: king, ace, three. Cy then returned a trump to his jack but had a trump loser when West discarded. The Cynic next took the ace of diamonds, led a spade to his ace, returned a diamond and played ... the king from dummy. Down one.

Ed was South at the other table. At Trick Two he led a subtle TEN of trumps. When West’s king came up, Ed was sure it was a singleton, so he led dummy’s deuce to his five! He drew trumps, took the ace of diamonds, came back to a high spade and finessed with the jack of diamonds. Making seven.

“West had one club, East had four,” Ed told me. “I gave West length in diamonds.”

“The man beats me like a drum,” was Cy’s comment. DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S 7 4 H 8 3 D A K J 10 4 C A 7 6 2. You open one diamond, your partner responds one heart, you bid two clubs and he jumps to three hearts.

Answer: This decision is close. Partner’s jump-rebid in his own suit is invitational to game, not forcing. Your strength is minimum, but your values are prime and you have heart tolerance and a possible ruffing trick in spades. Bid four hearts. Partner may hold A 5 3, K Q J 10 7 6, 5 3, 8 3.