DAILY BRIDGE CLUB No pretense of skill in bridge

When I watched today’s deal in a penny game at my club, my friend the English professor was North. He and South bid to six hearts — they did well to avoid six clubs — and West led the jack of spades. South won with the ace and pondered.

The prof fidgeted nervously in his chair, unwrapped a piece of gum from a pack, threw the gum in an ashtray and put the wrapper in his mouth.

“Are you tense?” I whispered.

“I’m past tense,” the prof said. “I’ve seen my partner handle the dummy before.”

Sure enough, South drew all the trumps, cashed the ace of clubs and led a low club. West discarded, and East got two clubs for down one.

“I see what you mean,” I told the prof.

South’s play wasn’t intense. South should cash all three top spades, pitching two clubs from dummy, then take the ace of clubs and ace of diamonds and concede a club. He can win East’s trump return and crossruff for 12 tricks: He wins seven trump tricks, three spades and the minor-suit aces.

DAILY QUESTION: You hold: AKQ KQJ8

7 A8743.Youopen one club, and your partner bids one heart. What do you say?

ANSWER: Your hand is worth four hearts, but that call would suggest balanced pattern. To show your shape, you have two options. One is a jumpshift to two spades before supporting the hearts. The other is a “splinter” bid of four diamonds to show a heart fit and diamond shortness. Partnerships may treat one sequence as stronger.