Daily Bridge Club

No guarantees

Unlucky Louie told me he got a Christmas card from the firm that handles his legal affairs: “Your attorney wishes you, but by no means undertakes to guarantee or assumes any obligation thereby, a Merry Christmas.”

When Louie played at today’s 3NT in a penny game, West led the deuce of spades. Louie must have thought the finesse was guaranteed to win since he played low from dummy. East took the king and judged correctly that a spade return wouldn’t beat the contract: He shifted to a low club.

EIGHT TRICKS

Dummy’s jack won, but Louie had only eight tricks: two spades, four hearts, a diamond and a club. When he finessed in diamonds next, West took the king, and the defense cashed three clubs. Down one.

Louie could guarantee nine tricks — his duty in a money game. He wins the first spade with the ace and finesses in diamonds. Even when West takes the king, Louie has eight tricks. If West leads another spade or shifts to clubs, Louie gets his ninth trick in a black suit.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: K 5 3 10 8 4 2 7 5 A K 6 5. Your partner opens one diamond, and the next player jumps to two spades. What do you say?

ANSWER: Your opponent’s bid is probably preemptive. (You can ask what your opponents’ understandings are.) Your best call is a negative double, showing enough strength to act, with heart length plus either clubs or diamond support. Your only option would be a bid of 2NT. Your hand is too weak to bid at the three level. South dealer N-S vulnerable