Experts cherish their views on bidding. One issue on which they may disagree is which suit to open with five spades and five clubs.

The one- club advocates think it often leads to an economical auction: If responder bids a red suit, opener has a space- saving bid of one spade available. One- spade bidders believe in getting the major suit mentioned quickly and making it harder for the opponents to come in.

Personally, I almost always open one spade. Today’s deal shows a possible additional edge for opening in the major.

In a team match, one NorthSouth got to four spades with the prosaic auction shown. West led a heart, and South took the ace and led the ace and a low club. West discarded, and East won and led a trump. Declarer rose with the ace, cashed his queen of hearts and started a crossruff. No defense could stop him from winning 10 tricks.

In the replay, the North- South auction was one club- one diamond, one spade- 1NT, two spades- three spades, four spades. Then West knew dummy would table a weak hand with spade support and perhaps not many clubs. Since West suspected that East had club length and strength, West led a trump.

South won and led a low club, and East captured dummy’s queen and returned a trump. Declarer took the ace and led the ace of clubs, but West ruffed. Eventually, East got two more club tricks. Down one.

Defense is easier when you know a lot about declarer’s hand. The auction to game at the first table concealed South’s distribution and made a winning defense harder to find.

South dealer, N- S vulnerable NORTH