DAILY BRIDGE CLUB:

When I watched today’s deal in a penny game, declarer was the notorious Joe Overberry, who thinks it’s nobler to go down in pursuit of an overtrick than to make his bid. Players dread cutting Joe as a partner.

Against four hearts, West led the queen of spades. Joe threw a club on dummy’s ace and led a trump, finessing with his queen. West took the king and led a club: three, king, ace.

Joe then cashed the ace of trumps. When East discarded, Joe led the A-K and a third diamond. East won, and the defense took a club and West’s high trump. Down one.

Declarer’s best chance to make four hearts — what he bid — is to take the ace of trumps at Trick Two, then lead the A-K and a third diamond. He wins East’s club shift and discards dummy’s last club on a good diamond, losing two trumps and a diamond. This line gives declarer many chances for at least 10 tricks.

DAILY QUESTION: You hold: ♠ None ♥A Q 5 3 2 ◆ K8 6 4 3 ♣ A J 4. Your partner opens one diamond. The next player passes. What do you say?

ANSWER: An average opening bid for partner with one “wasted” spade honor —Q 6 5, K 6, A J 9 5 2,K 7 6 — will make seven diamonds a fine contract. To help you get there, jump-shift to two hearts and support the diamonds next. True, you have only 14 highcard points, but the auction will be smoother if you tell partner now that slam is likely.