“I noticed that my ironing board has wrinkles — which I thought was irony. And then I realized it was iron-y.” — graffiti.

At today’s two spades, declarer took the ace of clubs, led a trump to dummy and returned a heart. When East played low, South guessed to put up the king. West won and led a second trump, and South won in dummy and led another heart. East smoothly played low again, and South tried the nine. When West took the ten and led his last trump, South lost two more hearts plus two diamonds. Down one.

“Well done, partner,” North said, striking while the irony was hot. “If you’d tried harder, you might have gone down two.”

South could iron out his issues. At Trick Two he leads the king of hearts from his hand. West wins and shifts to a trump, and South wins in dummy and leads a second heart.

Even if East plays low, South’s nine loses to the ten and West leads a second trump, South can ruff a heart with dummy’s last trump to win eight tricks.

Daily question: You hold: ? 7 6 ? Q 8 5 2 ? K Q ? K Q 9 6 5. After three passes, the player at your right opens one spade. You double, and your partner responds “advances”) two diamonds. The opponents pass. What do you say?

Answer: You took a bit of a gamble and lost. You hoped partner would bid hearts (or clubs or no trump), but the oaf bid diamonds. Take your medicine and pass. If you act again, you may convert a small loss into a painful one.

South dealer

N-S vulnerable

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