DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

"We might as well have bid a grand slam," South shrugged after today's deal. "We'd have had much more to gain and little more to lose."

In a "five-or-seven" deal, the opening lead sets up a winner for the defense. If they get back in, perhaps when declarer loses a finesse, they can cash it. If not, declarer has 13 tricks.

In today's deal, West led a club against six diamonds, and South took the ace, drew trumps and led the jack of hearts to finesse. East produced the queen and cashed a club for down one.

Was it a five-or-seven deal as South thought?

Yes, as he played. But South could give himself an extra chance for 12 tricks. After he draws trumps, he takes the A-K of spades and dummy's ace of hearts, then exits with a club.

The defender who wins must concede the 12th trick. If West wins, he must lead a black card, and South ruffs in dummy and discards a heart from his hand. If East wins, he must lead a heart from the queen or concede a ruff-sluff. DAILY QUESTION You hold: S A 8 H A K 5 4 3 D Q 8 5 2 C 4 3. Your partner opens one spade, you bid two hearts, he rebids two spades and you try three diamonds. Partner next bids three hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER: If your partner had three-card heart support, he would often have raised directly; your response of two hearts suggested a five-card suit. Do not bid four hearts. Bid three spades to show a tolerance for that suit. Partner may hold K Q 7 5 4 2, Q 9, A J 4, 8 2.