How deep do you dabble your digit?

[Photo provided to China Daily]

Cote de Pablo, who used to play Ziva in "NCIS," said, "I actually speak fluent English and Spanish and ... I dabble in a couple of languages, but I'm not fluent in German, Russian and Arabic."

At the bridge table, you sometimes wonder how high you should dabble. In today's deal, look at the South hand. East opened three clubs, South doubled (would you?), West passed, North advanced with three diamonds, and East passed. What should South have done now?

South might have overcalled three clubs with three no-trump, but if North had a four-card major, that rated to play better than no-trump. When North bid three diamonds, though, South paused. He knew that he should play North for 6 or 7 high-card points. Here, this meant that South expected his side to have 23 or 24 points－not enough for game unless they had a good fit or a long suit to run. But not wishing to stop in a minor, South plunged into three no-trump.

He survived because East erred at trick one by winning with his club ace and returning a club. South, needing some luck, crossed to the heart ace and led the diamond jack. When East played low, so did declarer. West won the trick and shifted to a low spade, but South took that, cashed the diamond ace and claimed an overtrick.

However, if East had played the club 10 at trick one, the result would have been very different. South could have cashed out or established dummy's diamond suit to go down four.

South should have passed out three diamonds, which would have made with an overtrick.