DAILY BRIDGE CLUB:
Unlucky Louie is my club’s resident authority: not on bridge but on being a parent. Louie has one married daughter, two more in college and a few more kids still under his roof. I heard him explaining parenting to a couple considering adoption.
“It’s 45% aggravation,” Louie said, “and 55% being confused by your kid’s math homework.”
Louie’s knowledge of percentages doesn’t extend to bridge. At today’s 3NT, Louie took the king of hearts, cashed the A-K of spades and led a third spade. Alas, East won, and West discarded. East then led a low diamond: 10, jack.
Louie won the heart return in dummy and conceded a spade. When East led another diamond, Louie put up his king — and went down two.
Louie’s best percentage play is to lead a spade to his nine. As it happens, the nine wins, and Louie can set up four spade tricks for nine in all. The correct plays wins if spades break 3-3 or if East has the Q-J or a doubleton honor. Louie’s play was inferior.
DAILY QUESTION: You hold: K10543 AQ6
42 A 8 7. Your partner opens one club, you respond one spade and he rebids two clubs. What do you say?
ANSWER: You almost certainly have a game, but your best game may be five clubs, four spades or 3NT. Bid two hearts, a forcing bid in a new suit. Your partner is unlikely to raise hearts. If he bids two spades, you can try four spades (or bid three clubs, forcing); if he next bids 2NT, you will raise to 3NT.