An almost Sure Bet ... as told by the legal immigrant.

Quarter-Finals of a Bracket I. Regional Knockout, second Board, noting that triple our MP-Count barely matched our opponents'. My brave Partner (MbP), she is gold but not diamond, opens a red-against-white One Heart. Perennial Spingold Contender (PSC) interjects One Spade.

My assets are: 6  |  A,9,5,3  |  K,J,7  |  A,10,7,3,2

My call is Two Spades, as per standard practice. Pegeen, (PSC's wife, only slightly less perfect than her husband) bids Four Hearts.

MbP raises (!) that to Five, PSC chimes Five Spades. Given, that agressive is not MbP's middle name, offering Seven Hearts appeared to me a sure bet... 2210 is a very big number to the fair sex on the other side too. Action pursued instinct. Sure enough, mine was followed in three seconds by Seven Spades via Pegeen.

Observe that our sophisticated auction, replete with hidden implications, was confined to the majors and to each other's suits.

My lead of the Ace finds MBP-s void, thus we get two sticks and two wheels (1100). After absorbing my hand, PSC can not stop himself from asking: "How could you bid seven with a sure spade loser ?"

Spread my hands in self-deprecation, but Pegeen can't stand it either. "How could you ..." - she pleaded in anguish. I could not elude an answer, words escaped  my lips:

"I had to get your respect"

Oh, the match ? ... we lost by Five.