DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

Wendy, my club’s feminist, and Cy the Cynic still argue about whether the husband or wife should run things at home. They asked Unlucky Louie to adjudicate.

His answer satisfied nobody: “I’m the boss. My wife is just the decision-maker.”

Judging by Louie’s bridge-table decisions, he needs to leave his wife in charge at home. Against four hearts, West cashed two spades and led a trump. Louie, the declarer, took the A-K and next let the queen of clubs ride. East won and led a diamond, and West’s king scored. Down one.

Louie made a clearly wrong decision. Once West, a passed hand, showed the A-K of spades, East had to hold one king. Louie must draw trumps with the A-Q and lead a low club from dummy. If East grabs the king to lead a diamond, Louie takes the ace, cashes the queen of clubs, ruffs his last spade in dummy and discards two diamonds on the A-J of clubs. If West had the king of clubs, East would hold the king of diamonds, and Louie would still be safe.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S Q 5 H Q 10 7 4 D Q J 4 C A J 6 4. Your partner opens one spade, you respond two clubs and he bids two diamonds. What do you say?

Answer: You want to make a limited, descriptive bid and suggest a contract. A bid of two hearts would be forcing and unlimited — and not necessary since partner would have bid two hearts at his second turn if he had a heart suit. Bid 2NT or, with a conservative partner, 3NT.