Skip to content
Entertainment
Link copied to clipboard

Bridge by Frank Stewart

Sunday, Dec. 27. It was hot in Los Angeles. We were working the daywatch out of Bunco. The boss is Capt. Stewart. My partner's Bill Gannon. He's a good player. My name's Friday.

Sunday, Dec. 27. It was hot in Los Angeles. We were working the daywatch out of Bunco. The boss is Capt. Stewart. My partner's Bill Gannon. He's a good player. My name's Friday.

We got a call about a scam at a club in Ventura. We checked it out. The suspect was still playing. One of his opponents spoke with us.

"It was terrible, officer."

"Just the facts, ma'am."

"I'll tell you the facts: That man sitting East swindled my partner out of a grand slam."

Against seven spades, West led a diamond, and declarer threw a heart on dummy's ace and took two high trumps. When West discarded, South saw that she probably had to ruff at least one heart in dummy.

"My partner next led a heart to the king," North told us, "and East dropped the queen! Naturally, my partner thought it was safe to draw the last trump. If East had Q-J doubleton in hearts, there would be no problem, and if he held the singleton queen, declarer could set up the hearts by taking a ruffing finesse against West's jack.

"But when my partner took the ace of hearts, West discarded! South then had to lose a heart to East's jack. East is a con artist and should be arrested. Collar him!"

We took the suspect into custody on a charge of deceptive practice. He was found guilty, and the judge said he wished he defended so well. If East follows low to the king of hearts, South will continue with a heart to her ace. When West discards, South can safely ruff two hearts in dummy and make the slam.