DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

Many players, including successful experts, embrace a competitive style that I can sum up as, “When it’s my turn, I bid.”

That style has successes. For example, it may obstruct the opponents’ auction. But there are losses also. Bidding on flimsy values can sustain a heavy penalty or help the opponents judge the play.

When today’s South opened one heart, West threw in a one-spade overcall, presumably because it was his turn. North-South then bid to slam, and West led the nine of diamonds. South won with the king and placed West with the ace of clubs for his bid.

So South took the ace of diamonds, ruffed a diamond, led a trump to dummy and ruffed a diamond. He led a trump to dummy, cashed the ace of spades and took the good fifth diamond, discarding the seven of clubs.

South next led the jack of clubs to his king. When West won, he was end-played. If he led a spade, South would pass it to his jack. If West led a club, South would discard dummy’s losing spade and ruff in his hand. (South could also succeed by “strip-squeezing” West.)

If West keeps silent, North-South may reach six hearts, but I wonder whether South would make it. He would set up dummy’s long diamond, but with no indication from the bidding, South might try for a 12th trick by leading toward his king of clubs. If West had the ace, South would hope the queen of spades fell under the A-K.

Proponents of carefree bidding tend to forget deals in which their style comes to grief. My advice is to have a good reason to enter the auction.