Do you prefer points or winners?

Steve Jobs said, “Quality is more important than quantity. One home run is much better than two doubles.”

That isn't necessarily true. Say, for instance, the second double scores the runner, and later the man on second is brought home. But we know what he means.

First today, look at the West hand and the auction. Would you double four spades?

North made a well-judged three-spade rebid. If you count short-suit points, North got 2 for the singleton, making his hand worth 15 points. Alternatively (my preference), the hand had only six losers: two spades, one heart, one diamond and two clubs. Again, this justified the jumprebid. South raised to game, not certain it would make, but feeling optimistic.

At the table, West doubled, thinking it was his birthday.

West led the spade ace and found the dummy troubling. His best chance was a club shift, hoping partner had the queen. South would have won with his 10, drawn the missing trump and led his singleton heart. Then West could have only won and cashed the diamond ace to concede minus 790.

In reality, West shifted to a low heart ace at trick two. Declarer won with dummy's jack, cashed the spade king and tried a diamond to his jack. West took that trick and led the diamond ace, but South ruffed on the board, trumped a heart, played a club to the ace and ruffed another heart, bringing down the ace. Declarer trumped his diamond king, discarded his remaining clubs on the heart king-queen and claimed an overtrick for plus 990.

Winners are worth more than points.