BRIDGE

My Simple Saturday columns focus on improving basic technique and logical thinking.

I doubt that you would bet your house, car or baseball card collection on the flip of a coin, but players routinely stake contracts on a finesse, where the same 50-50 odds are available.

At today’s six hearts, South won the first spade in dummy and, reasonably enough, led the jack of trumps for a finesse. West took the king and led another spade. South won and, less reasonably, drew trumps and tried a diamond finesse with dummy’s jack. He went down when East had the queen.

TOO MANY

South tried one finesse too many. After he wins the second spade, he should cash the ace of trumps and then the A-K of diamonds. When East-West play low, declarer takes his ace of spades to discard the jack of diamonds. He ruffs a diamond with the ten of trumps and takes the A-K of clubs to discard his last diamond. Making six.

Finesses are fickle. Rely on them only when no option is attractive.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: { AK4 x AQ982 z K765 y 4. You open one heart, and your partner bids one spade.

What do you say?

ANSWER: You have the strength for a raise to three spades, strongly inviting game, but that call would promise four-card support. Bid two diamonds. If partner returns to two hearts or bids 2NT, you will show your spade support. A jump-shift to three diamonds would commit you to game even if partner has a six-point responding hand.

North dealer

N-S vulnerable