DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

Unlucky Louie told us that he and Esther decided their marriage needs revitalization.

“We’re going to a workshop next week,” Louie said, “to learn to reconnect.”

“My marriage was a workshop,” growled Cy the Cynic. “I worked, she shopped.”

Louie needs a refresher course in dummy play. At today’s four spades, he took the ace of hearts, lost a trump to the ace, won the next heart and drew trumps. He next led the ace and a low club to dummy’s queen. East took the king and returned a club. Louie ruffed and tried a diamond to dummy’s queen, but East won, and Louie also lost a diamond to West’s jack.

Louie succeeds with a bit of work. After he wins the second heart, he ruffs dummy’s last heart, draws trumps, takes the ace of clubs and leads a second club to ... dummy’s nine.

East takes the 10 but is stuck. A diamond return yields a free finesse, a heart concedes a ruff-sluff. If East led a low club, Louie could pitch a diamond to make sure of his 10th trick.

Daily question

You hold: ♠ K94 ♥ K53 ♦ AQ4 ♣ Q 9 6 2. The dealer, at your right, opens one heart. What do you say?

Answer: This is a matter of style and judgment, but I believe most experts would pass. Some would double, and a few brave souls — those who aren’t terrified of being minus 800 — would overcall 1NT. This hand is good for defense but won’t be such a good dummy if you double and oblige your partner to bid something and become declarer. North dealer

N-S vulnerable