Bridge THE UNPREDICTABILITY OF SIMPLE BIDS

You are faced with a simple choice: say, a takeout double or a one-no-trump overcall. At that moment, it will be difficult to judge the effects of each option. Probably one will work better on the given deal, but who can then say that it was the percentage action?

Looking at today’s North hand, what would you do after West opens one club in third chair?

One no-trump looks normal to me, despite the weakish clubs. A takeout double with 4-3-3-3 distribution should be avoided if at all possible.

After one no-trump by North, some pairs play that two clubs by East is Stayman. Finally, after 20 years, it came up! But if East passes, what would South do? Probably transfer to and play in three diamonds.

After North’s actual takeout double, East might have bid one spade. But when he passed, South advanced one diamond, and North raised to show a strong hand, East was happy to make a takeout double.

Then South bid imaginatively, jumping to five diamonds. He liked his six trumps and the singleton. He was worried that his club king would be useless, but when the dummy revealed that that was not the case, he felt fortunate.

West led the spade ace and continued with another spade. Declarer played dummy’s 10 and ruffed East’s king. He then led the diamond 10, which West unwisely covered, letting the contract make with an overtrick. South threw a club on the spade queen and picked up the hearts.

If five diamonds is played by North, it can be defeated by a club lead.