Look only at the West hand in today's deal from the Mixed Pairs at the ACBL Spring Championships. With your side vulnerable, North opens two hearts (weak). Your partner overcalls two spades, and South leaps to 3NT.

What is your call? If you double, everyone passes. What do you lead? (South, by the way, is a world-class player.)

When eventual winners Scott Levine and Judi Radin were North-South, West doubled 3NT and led the king of spades, and Radin raced off 10 tricks for plus 650.

SEVEN TRICKS

If West had led a diamond, East-West could have taken seven tricks, but since they could make five spades, losing only to the A-Q of trumps, even plus 500 would have given them only an average score.

I can't blame West for leading the king of spades against 3NT, but East-West might have judged better in the auction. South could have nothing except long, solid clubs, so to let her play 3NT was asking for trouble. Still, for either East or West to bid four spades wasn't clear.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S K H A J 4 2 D A 10 6 4 3 C J 9 6. You open one diamond, and your partner bids one spade. What do you say?

ANSWER: The least evil is to bid 1NT. A rebid of two diamonds would suggest longer diamonds, and a bid of two hearts would show more than minimum strength. Though your pattern isn't balanced, your singleton spade is the king. If partner insists on a spade contract, he may survive. If he holds Q 7 6 5 4, K 7 5 3, 2, A 5 4, he'll bid hearts next.