Playing Hunches

"I had a hunch once," Cy the Cynic observed, "but a firm mattress got rid of it."

Deals do occur where declarer must rely on his "feel of the table," but on most deals good technique is enough. In today's deal, South ruffed the third club, pondered and led the king of trumps - and West discarded a club.

With annoyance, South took the ace of trumps, cashed the ace of spades and finessed with his jack. West produced the queen, and East's queen of trumps won the setting trick.

"I had a hunch West might have Q-6-2 of trumps," South shrugged. "So much for hunches."

STILL SAFE

So much for technique. South must start the trumps by taking the ace. If East showed out, South would still be safe. He could take the king of trumps, cash the top diamonds and ruff dummy's last diamond.

South would then exit with a trump, forcing West to lead a spade to the K-J or concede a fatal ruff-sluff.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S Q 7 5 4 H None D Q J 5 2 C A K 10 9 8. You open one club, your partner responds one heart, you bid one spade and he jumps to three hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER: Partner's second-round jump in his own suit is invitational to game, not forcing. With a hand such as A 3, A Q J 8 6 2, K 8 7, 3 2, he would bid four hearts or force with a "fourth-suit" bid of two diamonds. Pass, hoping for a small minus at worst. To bid 3NT would beg for trouble.