Beware the Male Ego

[rod]

This one is embarrassing. From yesterday's club game...

♠ K1052
♥ J82
♦ AK4
♣ J85

♠ 8
♥ AQ63
♦ 1032
♣ KQ962

♠ A964
♥ K9754
♦ 986
♣ 3

♠ QJ73
♥ 10
♦ QJ75
♣ A1074

The deal is rotated to put me on the bottom. I was declarer in 4♠ after partner opened a bit light with 1♣. The opening lead was the ♣K.

I won the ♣A and led a spade to dummy's 10, taken by RHO who returned a small heart. LHO won the Q and cashed the ♣Q, RHO discarding a heart.

At this point it's obvious to everyone that LHO only needs to give partner a club ruff to defeat the contract. Inexplicably though she tried to cash the Ace of hearts which I ruffed.

Cashing the ♠Q and J in hand left this position:

♠ K
♥ J
♦ AK4
♣ J

♠ --
♥ 63
♦ 103
♣ 96

♠ 9
♥ K9
♦ 986
♣ --

♠ --
♥ --
♦ QJ75
♣ 107

All I needed to do was cross to dummy with a diamond, pull the last trump and claim. However a couple of odd things happened in my thick head:

1. It "remembered" that RHO had ruffed a club. That's what should have happened, right? In which case all trumps were drawn.

2. It considered drawing an "insurance" round of trumps. However the male ego scoffs at such displays of weakness.

So sadly, I played the club that I "knew" would cash. RHO ruffed and then took the ♥K. Down two, instantly converting a top to a bottom and first place to third.

Guess I'll take out that insurance next time. At my age one can't be too careful.