Bridge: Dec. 18, 2023

I found Unlucky Louie in the club lounge, morosely assessing his credit card bill.

“Judging by what my kids have on their Christmas want lists,” Louie told me, “they think this parenting gig pays really well.”

Louie might handle his Christmas expenses if he did better in his penny games. When he was today’s South, he did well to open one heart; North would have raised a 1NT opening to 3NT. West led the jack of spades: queen, king, ace. Louie then led a trump to dummy’s king and back to his jack; he brightened up when the jack won.

NINE TRICKS

Louie next took the ace of trumps and started the diamonds, but his luck ran out when the suit broke 4-1. Louie took nine tricks.

Good technique makes the game. Louie leads a diamond to dummy at Trick Two, returns a trump to his jack and cashes the ace. He then takes the ace of diamonds. As it happens, East has four diamonds as well as the queen of trumps, so Louie can take the queen of diamonds, ruff a diamond and return to the king of trumps to take the fifth diamond for his 10th trick.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S A 5 4 H A J 6 5 2 D A 5 3 C Q 10. Your partner opens one spade, you respond two hearts and he bids three clubs. What do you say?

ANSWER: Partner’s “high reverse” promises a strong hand (as most partnerships treat it). When you have three aces plus the queen of his second suit, you surely have a slam — quite possibly a grand slam. Bid three spades to set the trump suit. If partner bids four spades next, you will proceed to cue-bid both your red-suit aces to try for seven.

South dealer

N-S vulnerable

NORTH

S Q 7 2

H K 7 4

D K Q 8 6 4

C J 8

WEST

S J 10 9 8

H 8 3

D 7

C K 9 7 6 4 3

EAST

S K 6 3

H Q 10 9

D J 10 9 2

C A 5 2

SOUTH

S A 5 4

H A J 6 5 2

D A 5 3

C Q 10

South West North East
1 H Pass 2 D Pass
2 NT Pass 3 H Pass
4 H All Pass
Opening lead — S J

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