DAILY BRIDGE CLUB:

In my experience, most people can be as good at bridge as they decide to be. Study and a sense of dedication are important factors in improving.

Today’s West leads a spade against 3NT, and East takes the ace and returns a spade to dummy. How should South play?

The actual South saw that the lead was in dummy for the last time, hence he finessed with the queen of clubs for his ninth trick. West produced the king, and the defense took three spades for down one.

This was a problem anyone who has studied percentage play should solve. South gave himself a 50 percent chance but could do better. If he tests both hearts and diamonds, he will make 3NT if either suit breaks 3-3.

South will succeed when hearts break 3-3: almost a 36 percent chance. When hearts don’t break (64 percent), he succeeds when diamonds break: about 59 percent in all with slight additional chances.

DAILY QUESTION: You hold: ♠ A 10 8 6 5 ♥J 9 ◆ 10 9 7 ♣ 10 9 8. Your partner opens one heart. The next player passes. What do you say?

ANSWER: Some fivepoint hands aren’t worth a response, but here you have an ace, a useful jack and three 10s. Failure to respond could miss a game and would let the opponents enter the auction too easily. Bid one spade. If partner has KQ 4 2, A K 6 54, 3, A K 2, it would be a shame to play at one heart when you might make a slam.