If you’re like many people, the things you put off doing until tomorrow got the same treatment yesterday. But it may be best to wait to draw trump.
Today’s North-South bid well for five clubs. When North offered two spades, he could not have spades; he showed club support and a hand much improved by South’s second bid.
West led a trump and South immediately drew trump. He took the AK of hearts and scrambled a heart — and was in trouble when East showed up.
FIFTH HEART
Declarer returned a third trump to his hand and hit another heart to set up his fifth heart. He led a fourth trump to his hand and threw dummy’s spade loser on the good heart, but then lost three diamonds.
South succeeds if he starts hearts at trick two: AK, heart ruff with the queen of trumps, trump to the hand, heart ruff. He could return with a trump, discard dummy’s spade loser on his good fifth heart and lead a diamond. South would still have a trump in hand to ruff Dummy’s third diamond.
DAILY QUESTION
You hold: S 9 5 HAKJ 5 2 D 10 6 CAKJ 10. You open a heart, your partner responds two diamonds, you bid three clubs and he rebids three diamonds. What are you saying?
ANSWER: Your three of clubs was a “high reverse” and promised extra strength. Partner may have long routes but minimum values for a two-level response, but he may have a better hand. Raise to four squares. If partner queue-bids four spades next, you can bid six diamonds.
Southern Dealer
NS vulnerable
NORTH
SAY
H 8 3
DJ 7 2
CQ 6 5 4 3 2
WEST
SK 8 7 2
HQ 9 6 4
DA 9 5
C 9 8
EAST
SQ 10 6 4 3
H 10 7
DKQ 8 4 3
C7
SOUTH
S 9 5
HAKJ 5 2
D 10 6
CAKJ 10
Southwest Northeast
1 H Pass 1 NT Pass
2 C Passes 2 S Passes
3 H Passed 5 C All Passed
Opening line — C 9
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