DAILY BRIDGE CLUB:

“My partner never makes the same mistake twice,” a club player griped to me.

“He makes it a half-dozen times — just to be sure, I guess.”

I heard that as declarer at four hearts, the complainant’s partner took the ace of spades and then the A-K of trumps. When West threw a spade, declarer shifted to clubs: He took the A-K and led a third club.

Alas, East ruffed and led a spade, and West won and led a fourth club. East won a second trump trick, overruffing dummy, and also got a diamond. Down one.

South made a mistake that I see players make more than once: He played hastily to Trick One. South may not foresee exactly what may happen, but he should routinely let West’s king of spades win. (To take the ace and return a spade might do.)

South wins the next spade and takes the A-K of trumps. He then attacks the clubs as before. East can’t gain by ruffing the third club since West has no entry to give a second ruff. If East discards, South wins and ruffs his last club in dummy, losing only three tricks in all.

DAILY QUESTION: You hold: ♠ A9 ♥ 862 ◆ 98 542 ♣ K 5 3. Your partner opens one spade, you respond 1NT and he bids two clubs. What do you say?

ANSWER: With a weaker hand—J9,862,98542,A 5 3 — it might be right to pass and not give partner another chance to bid and maybe get too high. But here, with two useful honors, I would be willing to issue a “false preference” to two spades. If partner has five spades and four clubs, he will usually do better at a spade contract.