COLORADO STYLE

“When I’m up against him,” Cy the Cynic told me, “I feel like a deep-sea diver whose air hose has been cut on a rock.”

Cy was speaking of Ed, the club expert, who regularly thrashes him in money games.

“I played at 3NT,” Cy said, showing me today’s deal. “I won the second club and finessed in diamonds. If the queen had held, I’d have cashed the top spades next. WhenWest turned up with four, I’d have led the ace and jack of diamonds. I win four diamonds, three spades, a club and a heart.

“Ed was East,” the Cynic went on. “He took the king of diamonds and pondered while I sat there like a condemned man.”

“I see what happened,” I said. “He led the KING of hearts.”

“I took the ace,” Cy nodded. “I had nine tricks if spades broke 3-3. But as the cards lay, I went down. Ducking the king of hearts wouldn’t have helped me.”

If Ed leads any other card, Cy has a link with his hand. He can unblock the A-J of diamonds, come to the ace of hearts and run the diamonds.

You hold: & 3 2 h K 9 8 7 6 5 K72 8 5. Your partner opens one spade, and the next player passes. What do you say?

Your hand certainly isn’t strong enough for a response of two hearts; for that, you would need an ace besides. You must respond, however, since your partner could hold a fairly strong hand such as A K 6 5 4, A J 3 2, A 3, 7 4. Bid 1NT. If he rebids two spades, you’ll pass. If he bids two of a minor suit, you can try two hearts.