But you can get a slightly better percentage by playing clubs for three tricks – and a better percentage yet by combining the chances in clubs with the chances of getting four heart tricks. Those chances have a success ratio up in the high eighties. 

But after extensive study of this hand, both Alex and John agreed that by far the best percentage play ... with about a 93.2% success rate ... is to win the spade lead in hand, and lead a diamond to the ace! This was Kelsey’s recommendation, and it costs nothing to check this out: in six cases out of 32, on the first diamond trick you will see a diamond honor (singleton K or Q, or from doubleton KQ, by either defender). If that happens (as it would on the layout above), you just knock out the high diamond and take at least 10 tricks. 

And if nothing spectacular falls on the ËA, you finesse in clubs and check out hearts, with many different ways to make your contract. Of course, the layout may look something like this: 

You make an overtrick when both hearts and clubs behave. And I hope you noticed that the diamond finesser will go down in all three examples. 

93.2% instead of 78% ... if only my investment portfolio had gained over 15% in 2008, instead of plummeting about twice that! And I’m not even eligible for a bailout!