“Hear about Minnie getting her money’s worth?” Rose asked me. Minnie Bottoms is my club’s 82-year-old senior member.
“The heat at Minnie’s house was out,” Rose said. “An electrician fixed the problem in five minutes and handed her a bill for $80. When she complained, he said he charged $80 an hour with a one-hour minimum. So Minnie gave him a rake and made him rake leaves for the next 55 minutes.”
“You have to like her style,” I said.
Minnie also got her money’s worth as today’s South. She still wears the old bifocals that make her mix up kings and jacks — often to her opponents’ dismay.
In a team match, Minnie played at 6NT with only 31 high-card points. But North-South had two five-card suits, and having Minnie and her glasses in charge of the play was worth something. Minnie won the first spade with her ace and … took the ace of clubs!
When West produced his king, Minnie peered at it through the mists, re-examined her hand and dummy, and found that she had three club tricks, two spades, two hearts and five diamonds.
“She thought her clubs were A-K-Q-4-2,” I laughed. “She was running the suit.”
Minnie’s play was correct. She needs only three club tricks and is safe if clubs break 3-2, but she must guard against the singleton king with West. If East-West follow low to the ace, South leads a diamond to dummy and returns a club to her jack. If that wins and West shows out, South returns a heart to dummy and leads another club to assure the slam.
South dealer
N-S vulnerable
NORTH
S K 7
H A K 3
D A Q J 10 9
C 6 5 3
WEST
S 10 9 8 6 2
H Q 9 7
D 8 7 3 2
C K
EAST
S Q J 3
H J 8 5 4
D 6 5
C 10 9 8 7
SOUTH
S A 5 4
H 10 6 2
D K 4
C A Q J 4 2
South West North East
1 C Pass 1 D Pass
1 NT Pass 4 NT Pass
6 NT All Pass
Opening lead — S 10
