Due to his unending "bad luck," Unlucky Louie habitually underbids by at least one trick. That approach does him no good since he usually underplays by two tricks.

When Louie opened two clubs as South, North's positive response of two spades promised a good suit. When North showed an ace in response to Blackwood, Louie could reasonably have bid seven hearts. Instead, he stopped timidly at a small slam.

FINESSE

West led the jack of clubs, and Louie won and drew trumps. He might have done well to cash all his trumps but next took the ace of spades and led the three: eight, king ... and East discarded. Louie still had a chance but finessed in diamonds for his 12th trick, and down he went.

"I saved 100 points by not bidding seven," Louie sighed.

At a grand slam, Louie would want five spade tricks, but he could safeguard his actual contract by playing dummy's nine on the second spade. If East could win, Louie would still be sure of four spades, six trumps, a diamond and a club.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S K Q 9 5 2 H 8 3 D 6 5 3 C A 6 3. Your partner opens one diamond, you respond one spade and he bids two clubs. The opponents pass. What do you say?

ANSWER: Partner promises longer diamonds than clubs. It would be an error for him to bid that way with a hand such as J 4, Q 7 4, A K 10 4, K J 5 2 or 4, K 7 4, A K 10 4, K J 7 5 2. Bid two diamonds to get back to your longer trump suit. A rebid of two spades would show a weak hand but a six-card or longer suit.