“It’s disgusting,” Unlucky Louie told me. “When I’m declarer, my key suit always runs into a bad split.”
“When life deals you lemons,” I said lightly, “you’re supposed to make lemonade.”
Louie wasn’t impressed.
“When life deals you lemons,” he growled, “it doesn’t furnish you with a glass, ice and some sugar.”
Louie’s latest trouble came in today’s deal, where he sat South. When East-West leaped to four spades, North’s 4NT was for takeout. (A double would have been an option, but North wanted to buy the contract.)
At five diamonds, Louie surveyed dummy with approval. He ruffed the spade opening lead and led the jack of trumps to his queen. When West threw a spade, Louie ruffed his last spade and led another trump. East took the ace and shifted to the seven of clubs: five, deuce, king.
Louie then tried to take the ace of clubs. He intended to re-enter his hand by ruffing the next club, draw trumps and set up dummy’s fifth club for an overtrick. But things went sour when East ruffed and led another spade. Louie ruffed but had to fall back on the heart finesse, and when East had the queen, the result was down one.
“Nice club break,” Louie grumbled.
Louie’s play needed some lemon-aid. After he takes the king of clubs, he should play safe by leading a low club from dummy. If West wins and shifts to a heart, Louie wins, ruffs a club and draws trumps. He can then return to dummy with a high heart, discard his last heart on the ace of clubs and claim.