Rose, my club member whose consideration for her fellow players is so admirable, had taken on Unlucky Louie as a project.

"I thought he couldn't be as bad as his results suggest," Rose told me, "but I'm almost ready to give up on him."

In the deal that left Rose discouraged, Louie was declarer at 3NT. West led a spade, and Louie won and led the three of clubs to dummy's ace. East dropped the jack.

WORRIED

"Louie looked worried," Rose said. "If he took the king of clubs and East showed out, he couldn't run the clubs because they would be blocked. So Louie led a diamond to his king and let the eight of clubs ride - and lost a club trick! East shifted to hearts, and Louie took only eight tricks."

"He plays without thinking," I sighed.

Louie would avoid such a silly result if he led the nine of clubs to dummy at Trick Two and unblocked his eight on the second high club. If East had a singleton ten or jack, Louie could run the clubs by leading his three to dummy's seven.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S A 9 7 6 2 H K 7 3 2 D 4 C 6 5 4. Your partner opens one diamond, you bid one spade and he rebids two diamonds.

What do you say?

ANSWER: An optimist might try two hearts. After all, partner might hold 3, Q J 8 6, A Q J 8 7 6, K 2. A realist knows that partner will seldom hold four hearts and will often continue with 2NT or three diamonds, hence any further bid may trade a plus score for a minus, or a small minus for a bigger minus. Respect the misfit and pass.