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“She has me so intimidated I can’t think straight,” Cy the Cynic told me.
“You’re intimidated by a sweet old lady?” I asked.
“It’s those glasses,” Cy growled
Minnie Bottoms wears old bifocals that make her mix up kings and jacks, often to her opponents’ dismay.
“Look at this deal,” Cy said. “I played at 4♥, and Minnie, West, led a club.”
“She hates to lead from kings,” I observed.
“True,” Cy shrugged, “but she can’t tell a king from a jack, so who knows which honor she led from? I played dummy’s queen: king, ace.”
| Dlr: South | ♠ A K J 6 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Vul: N-S | ♥ 8 5 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| ♦ J 9 4 | ||||||||||||||||||
| ♣ Q 10 | ||||||||||||||||||
| ♠ 9 8 3 | ♠ Q 10 7 5 | |||||||||||||||||
| ♥ K | ♥ J 9 6 | |||||||||||||||||
| ♦ K 6 5 2 | ♦ A 8 7 | |||||||||||||||||
| ♣ J 9 7 5 2 | ♣ K 6 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| ♠ 2 | ||||||||||||||||||
| ♥ A Q 10 7 4 3 | ||||||||||||||||||
| ♦ Q 10 3 | ||||||||||||||||||
| ♣ A 8 3 | ||||||||||||||||||
|
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Opening lead — ♣5
Discard
“Next I led the ace of trumps,” the Cynic went on, “and Minnie played the king. Against you, I would have taken the ♠A K for a club discard and led a trump to my 10 for 10 easy tricks.”
“But Minnie might have played the king from K-J,” I noted.
“I ‘misguessed’ and took the queen next,” Cy said grimly. “When she discarded, I tried a spade to dummy’s jack. I went down three.”
Poor Cy. Minnie has his number.
Daily Question
You hold:
♠ 2
♥ A Q 10 7 4 3
♦ Q 10 3
♣ A 8 3
Your partner opens 1♦, you respond 1♥ and he bids 2♣. What do you say?