Daily Bridge Club

Inclined to error

Bridge players are often less tolerant of their partner’s errors than their own.

“Do you think players tend to be judgmental?” I asked Cy the Cynic in the club lounge. I got a typical reply.

“Of course,” Cy said. “I can tell that some people are judgmental just by looking at them.”

Cy was dummy in today’s deal from a cut-around penny game. At four spades, South ruffed the third heart and drew trumps. He next led the A-K and a third diamond. Alas, East took the ten and queen for down one.

NOT BEST

“Your partner’s play wasn’t best,” I remarked to Cy.

“I knew he was a palooka when he sat down at the table,” the Cynic growled.

After South ruffs the third heart, he can lead a low diamond. West wins and returns, say, a trump. South takes the ace and king and leads the A-K of diamonds. When East, with the missing trump, must follow suit, South ruffs his last diamond in dummy, takes the A-K of clubs, ruffs a club and wins the 13th trick with the queen of trumps.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: A62 743 872 A K 6 5. Your partner opens one diamond, you respond two clubs, he rebids two diamonds and you raise to three diamonds. Partner then bids three spades. What do you say?

ANSWER: You had a maximum hand for your chance-giving raise to three diamonds, and since partner has tried for game, you must go along. Bid five diamonds. A typical hand for him such as K75, 86, AKQ 653, Q 3 will make him a favorite for 11 tricks. South dealer Both sides vulnerable