This deal occurred in a four-table team-of-four match. At Tables 1 and 2, the bidding went as shown, and South wound up in five hearts doubled. Had West led a club, or led diamonds and switched to a club, declarer would have gone down two 300 points. But both Wests led a spade, their partner’s suit, and collected only 100 points.

At Table 3, where the bidding started the same way, West bid five spades over five hearts, showing full faith and confidence in his partner’s vulnerable four-spade bid. North doubled, won his partner’s king-of-hearts lead with the ace, but later scored only his ace of trump. So at this table, East made five spades doubled, worth 850 points.

At Table 4, there was even more dramatic action. Here, when the bidding went 1 yxC0yx-4 yxS0yx-5 yxH0yx, West leaped to six spades over five hearts! What’s more, his judgment proved correct when East made the slam.

South had a difficult choice of opening leads and decided on a club, the suit his partner had bid, rather than a heart. This unfortunate choice cost him 1,860 points.

The deal illustrates how different players facing the same set of circumstances often react in different ways. All four Wests had to contend with a five-heart bid by South. The first two Wests doubled incorrectly, in our opinion. The third West raised to five spades with only a singleton trump, while the fourth West went on to six.

Who was right, you ask? Obviously, the West at Table 4. Never argue with success!

Tomorrow: >> Famous Hand.

Steve Becker