LIFE & CULTURE

“I think you’re around Cy too much,” I told Unlucky Louie. “You’re starting to sound like him.”

“Just because I said it’s that wonderful time of the year,” Louie replied, “when I learn what I’m getting my wife for Christmas?”

Cy the Cynic is his usual cynical self about the holidays; he must be the Grinch’s first cousin. Louie just worries about paying for gifts for his big family. As declarer at today’s 3NT in a penny game, Louie took the king of spades, led a club to dummy and returned a heart to his nine.

West took the jack and led another spade, and Louie won, went to dummy and tried a heart to his queen. West produced the king and cashed three spades. Down one.

“I’m going to have to take out a loan,” Louie sighed.

Louie erred. He gets an extra chance by cashing the ace of diamonds at Trick Two. If nothing good happened, Louie would double-finesse in hearts. But when West’s singleton queen falls, Louie can set up a second diamond trick for nine in all.

You hold: AK A Q9 ( A1052 $ K J 6 5. Neither side vulnerable. The dealer, at your right, opens three spades. What do you say?

Answer: Your opponent’s preempt forces you to guess; it has cut away all your room for investigation. To bid with any accuracy and avoid being stolen from, you must assume your partner has a few points. Bid 3NT. An option would be to double for takeout, but then you might land at a poor contract of four hearts. by Dana Summers