Life Insurance

Rina was upset, and on the way to the bridge club she spilled her heart to her partner:

"Making a life insurance contract was a one in a life time experience. This guy came over and started to ask all these terrible questions... About my eating habits, smoking habits, physical activity, sexual activity, about previous illnesses, genetic illnesses, illnesses in the family... If I ever did drugs, about accidents I had, about my education, if I've had therapy with a psychologist, psychiatrist, the most intrusive interview I've ever been through".

"But it's all behind you now... Why are you still so upset?" asked her partner.

"After I gave him my credit card details, and signed the contract, he went to the door then turned around, smiled and said: 'This life insurance contract is a bet between the insurance company and you. We win if you stay alive, and you win if you die' And then he laughed and left without even saying goodbye. I still wonder what I should make of his words..." said Rina with a puzzled expression.

On today's hand her partner went a little wild:

Dealer West, all vulnerable


West lead the ♥K.

"I went a little crazy here. But hey... You are a great player, and if you go down - you have a life insurance now," smiled her partner.

Rina tried to focus on her mission:

Spades must be 3-2 here, else the contract is doomed. That means: 5 spades, 1 heart, 3 diamonds and 2 clubs.

She needs two more tricks. Ruffing twice in dummy is problematic and setting up the 5th diamond, in case the suit splits 4-2 is not enough, she'll still need another trick.

But, as West must have 7 hearts and 2 or 3 spades, he is short in the minors which means that a squeeze can be performed on East. She can set it up after one ruff in dummy.

With this plan in mind, Rina won the ♥A, cashed ♠AK, and ruffed 1 club in dummy. Now she ruffed a heart in hand, played the ♠Q and the ♣K, throwing 2 hearts from dummy.

5 cards remained: 1 spade, 2 diamonds and 2 clubs in hand, 5 diamonds in dummy and 4 diamonds and the ♣J in East. When Rina played the last spade, East was squeezed: If he throws a club – the clubs in hand are high, and if he throws a diamond - the diamonds in dummy are high.

"Well done partner!" said partner with enthusiasm.

"It's that life insurance... It gives me peace of mind, and while I'm calm I always perform better," smiled Rina for the first time today.