The
Last Time I Saw Paris
starring you as Vain Johnson, a GI in
a
post-war rubber bridge game
Dealer
: North
Vuln: East-West
North — — — —
BRIDGE
MOVIE #36
West — — — —
East — — — —
The
scene: A local French watering hole.
Action:
Your partner, the bartender, opens a weak two-diamonds and
the girl you love sits down behind you to kibitz. Do you bid
2,
forcing, or 2NT, forcing?
You
bid 2,
as your real heart is pounding, but suddenly you have a bad
feeling as the kibitzer's father walks over and
sits between the dummy and West. The king of spades is led.
South You A A
K 9 7 3 Q
7 5 Q
8 6 5
South
—
2
West
—
pass
North
2
4
East
pass
all pass
Dealer
: North
Vuln: East-West
North 7
6 J
5 4 A
K 9 8 4 3 J
10
West — — — —
East — — — —
You
had nine top tricks in 3NT, and you might have figured this
out by counting three in your hand and six in dummy. But
you chose to introduce the heart suit and now you're in 4.
Never mind, you should be OK, as long as you hold your trump
losers to one. Suddenly, you feel her warm breath on the
back of your neck and her father is gazing intently at the
West hand. Lightning flashes and rain begins to stream down
on the windows of the tavern.
After
winning the first trick in hand, you lay down the ace of hearts,
getting the 2 on your left and the 8 on your right. Will you
continue with the king of hearts or make a safety play
of a low heart, in case West started with Q-10-6-2?
South You A A
K 9 7 3 Q
7 5 Q
8 6 5
South
—
2
West
—
pass
North
2
4
East
pass
all pass
Opening
lead: K
Dealer
: North
Vuln: East-West
North 7 J
5 A
K 9 8 4 3 J
10
West — — — —
East — — — —
You
lead a low heart at trick three and West plays the 6. Dummy's
jack loses to the queen. Darn it, you could have cashed two
high trump and called it a night. East now cashes the ace
of clubs and leads the deuce of clubs to West's king. West
returns a third club and East trumps it with the 10 of hearts.
Down one!
Serves
you right for trying to read anything into the kibitzers.
The girl's father was simply looking at the only hand he
could look at, and she was leaning over because she was in
love with you....but not anymore. With tears in her eyes,
she runs out into the rain, leaving her coat on the chair,
and you are left to explain things to the bartender.
THE
END
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—
—
—
—
East 
