Cy the Cynic likes to sleep late, but Unlucky Louie is an early riser.
I asked Louie what the best time of the day is, and his reply was, “6:30, hands down.”
The best time to plan as declarer is at the first trick, but Louie loses cold contracts by playing too fast. He was declarer at today’s slam, and West led the eight of hearts. Louie promptly finessed with the queen, and East took the king and returned the jack to dummy’s ace.
Louie then needed a pitch for his diamond loser. He took the K-A of clubs and ruffed a club high, but when West discarded, Louie lacked the dummy entries to set up and cash the fifth club. He lost a diamond at the end.
FIRST TRICK
Louie goofed at Trick One. He must play a low heart from dummy.
East wins with the ten and shifts to a diamond, but Louie takes the ace, cashes the top clubs, ruffs a club high, takes the A-Q of trumps and ruffs a club. He can get back to dummy with the ace of hearts to take the good club for his 12th trick.
DAILY QUESTION
You hold: S Q 2 H A Q 6 2 D 7 5 C A 7 5 4 2. The dealer, at your left, opens one diamond. Your partner doubles, and the next player bids three diamonds. What do you say?
ANSWER: Partner’s double promises opening values or more and suggests support for the unbid suits. If your right-hand opponent had passed, you could have cue-bid two diamonds to look around, but after his preemptive raise, you must make a battlefield decision. Bid four hearts.
South dealer
N-S vulnerable
NORTH
S Q 2
H A Q 6 2
D 7 5
C A 7 5 4 2
WEST
S 9 5
H 8 7 3
D K 9 8 6 3 2
C J 6
EAST
S 8 7
H K J 10 5
D Q 10 4
C Q 10 9 8
SOUTH
S A K J 10 6 4 3
H 9 4
D A J
C K 3
South West North East
1 S Pass 2 C Pass
3 S Pass 4 S Pass
6 S All Pass
Opening lead — H 8
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