BRIDGE

BRIDGE

East-West vulnerable, West deals

NORTH

x7 4 3

uA 3

vA 8 6 4

wK 9 7 3

WEST EAST

xK 10 6 xVoid

uK Q J 9 7 6 u10 8 5 4

vJ 2 v10 9 5 3

wQ 10 wA J 8 6 4

SOUTH

xA Q J 9 8 5 2

u2

vK Q 7

w5 2

The bidding:

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

1u Pass 4u 4x

All pass

Opening lead: King of u

Hard Luck Louie was taking advantage of the vulnerability when he bid four spades. He hoped it would be a good sacrifice against his opponents’ four hearts, but he caught a remarkably good dummy and now he fully expected to make his contract.

Louie won the opening heart lead with dummy’s ace and led a low spade. When East showed out, playing an encouraging club, Louie’s heart started to sink. His notorious bad luck was looming again. Louie rose with the ace of spades and continued with the queen, losing to West’s king. West shifted to the queen of clubs, covered by dummy’s king and won by East’s ace. East cashed the jack of clubs and continued with a third round of the suit. West’s 10 of spades was promoted into the setting trick and Louie had another sad tale to tell.

Lucky Larry played the same contract with the same opening lead. He also won the first trick with dummy’s ace, but instead of leading a trump right away, he led dummy’s remaining heart. He discarded one of his two low clubs as West won this surprise trick. West shifted to a diamond won in dummy with the ace. On the ensuing spade lead, East played an encouraging club as Larry won with the ace and then led the queen. West won with the king and shifted to the queen of clubs, but Larry was able to ruff the second round of clubs and finish drawing trumps. He had an easy road to 10 tricks after that.

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