You'll play luckier by counting to 13

Sherwood Smith, an author of fantasy and science fiction, said, "When I turned 13 and took a typing class, with typical early teen enthusiasm and total lack of critical ability, I started sending my stuff to publishers once I'd baby-sat long enough to earn the postage."

If you can count to 13 at the bridge table, you will quickly win the money to buy sheets and sheets of stamps - assuming you are playing for greenbacks. How did that ability help South in today's deal? He was in five diamonds. West cashed his two top spades, then shifted to the heart 10.

West made a weak jump overcall. South's three-spade cue-bid asked his partner to bid three no-trump with a spade stopper. When North could only admit to some club values, South signed off in five diamonds.