DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

Unlucky Louie takes his family on occasional vacations. He says a journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step, usually one where you go back to make sure you turned off the oven. Too many declarers start the play with a misstep.

Today’s South was clearly a notrump hog. He bid 1NT at his second turn instead of the textbook two diamonds.

Against 3NT, West led the ten of spades, and dummy played low.

East won and shifted to a low club: four, queen, deuce. West returned a club, East played low, and South had to take his ace, the last sure entry to his hand. South next led a spade to dummy and let the jack of diamonds ride. West ducked and won the next diamond, and South never got his long diamonds and went down three.

South lost his way at Trick One: Dummy should play the queen of spades.

If East wins and leads a club, South can take the ace and go to the ace of spades to finesse in diamonds. He has the jack of spades to reach his hand and is sure of nine tricks. DAILY QUESTION You hold: S A Q 2 H A Q 5 4 D J 5 C J 10 5 2. Your partner opens one heart, and you bid 2NT, a conventional forcing raise. Partner next bids three clubs. What do you say?

ANSWER: In the style of most pairs, partner’s three clubs shows a singleton club. The idea is to let you judge whether you have a useful holding opposite his shortness. Since you have only one “wasted” jack, you can encourage. Cue-bid three spades. He might hold K J 6 5, K J 9 7 2, A Q 4, 3.