Have Patience

Dealer: South
N-S vulnerable

North
S A Q
H Q 10 5 4
D J 10 5
C A 10 9 4
West
S K 9 2
H 7 2
D A Q 9 4 2
C Q 7 6
East
S J 10 7 6 4
H J 9 8 6
D 7 6
C 3 2
South
S 8 5 3
H A K 3
D K 8 3
C K J 8 5
SouthWestNorthEast
CDHPass
1 NTPass3 NTAll Pass
Opening Lead: D 4

Unlucky Louie, who is blessed with a big family, says you can learn a lot from your kids — such as how much patience you have.Whatever patience Louie displays at home is lacking in his penny games. When he was declarer at 3NT, West led a diamond, and dummy’s jack won. Louie then (at his usual breakneck pace) took the ace of clubs and led the ten ride: an “avoidance” play since he didn’t want East to get in for a diamond return.


EIGHT TRICKS

West won and led a spade. Louie had eight tricks: three clubs, a spade, a diamond and three hearts. If he lost a spade finesse, East would return a diamond. So Louie took the ace and relied on the hearts. He went down when East held J-9-8-6.“The spade finesse would have won,” Louie grumbled. “My luck.”After Louie wins the first trick, he exercises some patience by testing the hearts. When West discards, Louie finesses in clubs as before. But when West wins and leads a spade, Louie knows he must finesse to make the contract.

DAILY QUESTIONÂ

You hold:
SA Q
HQ 10 5 4
DJ 10 5
CA 10 9 4
. The dealer, at your right, opens one spade. You double, and your partner jumps to three hearts. What do you say?

ANSWERÂ
This decision is close. Partner’s jump invites game; he has about 10 points. Your queen of spades is well placed (worth as much as the king) and you have three tens, but you have neither attractive shape nor extra high-card strength. Pass. If vulnerable, you could risk four hearts.

Copyright © 2015, Tribune Media Services

2018-03-01T21:54:20-08:00By |Categories: Chicago Tribune Bridge Column|0 Comments

About the Author:

Frank Stewart is one of the world's most prolific bridge journalists. He won many tournament events before devoting himself to writing. Frank has published hundreds of magazine and on-line articles. He has written 24 books, among them "Becoming an Expert," "Play Bridge With Me," "Who Has the Queen?" and most recently "Keys to Winning Bridge." In 2014, Frank Stewart received the International Bridge Press Association's Alan Truscott Award. He has been the senior analyst for ACBL-wide Charity and International Fund events since 1980. Frank and his wife, Charlotte, a pediatric speech pathologist, live in Fayette AL. They have a 17-year-old daughter.

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