DAILY BRIDGE CLUB:

“Marriage reminds me of a deck of cards,” Wendy, my club’s ardent feminist, said to me. “You start off with two hearts and a diamond, and at the end, assuming you married a typical male, you could use a club and a spade.”

Wendy’s constant adversary Cy the Cynic is no fan of marriage either.

“At least you and Cy agree on something,” I said.

“It sure wasn’t his line of play in this deal,” Wendy growled, displaying the layout. “He went down at a cold grand slam.”

Wendy and Cy, NorthSouth in a penny game, reached seven hearts. The Cynic took the ace of diamonds, cashed two rounds of trumps and tried the A-K of clubs. Alas, West ruffed. How would you play at seven hearts?

After Cy wins Trick One, he shouldn’t take two trumps. He cashes the ace of spades, ruffs a spade high, leads a diamond to dummy and ruffs a spade high. Cy then leads a trump to dummy and ruffs a spade high. He can lead his last trump to dummy to draw trumps and claim.

DAILY QUESTION: You hold: 9 AKJ94 7 4 AK432.Youopen one heart, your partner responds one spade, you bid two clubs and he jumps to three hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER: Partner’s second-round jump is gameinvitational. He has about 10 points. To settle for four hearts would be reasonable, but if partner has an ideal minimum, you might make six hearts. Cue-bid four clubs as a try for slam.