LEARNING CURVE

Some of us went to a French restaurant, where I noticed this sign:

"If you think our servers are rude, you should see the manager."

"Sounds like Grapefruit," Cy the Cynic said.

My club has a few grumps, but none can match Grapefruit, who harangues partners unmercifully. In today's deal South led the nine of clubs at the second trick. West played low, and Grapefruit, East, took the king and returned a spade, ruffed in dummy.

LAST SPADE

West won the next club and led a diamond. South took dummy's ace and led a trump to his ace. He ruffed his last spade and threw two diamonds on high clubs. West ruffed, but South claimed - and Grapefruit told West that his learning curve had turned into a circle.

Grapefruit might have led a diamond at the third trick - South would have a crucial guess - but West should have grabbed his ace of clubs at Trick Two to lead a diamond. The defense will need a diamond trick and must get it before South sets up the clubs for discards.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S A 6 3 H A Q 9 7 6 D Q 10 7 C J 9. Your partner opens one club, you bid one heart and he rebids two clubs. What do you say?

ANSWER: You have enough values for game, and to leap to 3NT might work. Partner could hold K 5 2, 4, J 4 3, A K Q 10 6 5. But if his hand is 4 2, J 5 3, A K, K Q 10 8 7 6, a spade opening lead might beat 3NT when you can make four hearts. My inclination would be to stall with a bid of two diamonds or two spades to learn more about partner's hand.