Blum on Bridge Five is for the opponents & We never double six
	It was many years ago I learned a lesson that today I shall pass on to you. An opportunity for me to go wrong - had I forgotten what had been taught to me by I can't remember who - occurred recently at the Southeastern Regional in Fort Lauderdale. Sitting NS in the Open Pairs with partner Shannon Lipscomb, our EW opponents were two of the finest women players in the country. I will not name them for obvious reasons, but I will say that they have both been my friends for a long time. My lho opened the auction by bidding one diamond. After Shannon passed, righty responded one spade. I passed and lefty now reversed and bid two hearts. With no hesitation my rho jumped to three spades and after my usual pass her partner bid what sounded like a reasonable bid of three no-trump. Shannon again passed. The lady on my right, a world champion by the way, quickly jumped to six spades. Another lesson I have learned is to keep a poker face and to never change expression, even should an earthquake occur during a session of bridge. I will say that this lesson was seriously challenged when I kept staring at my 13 cards consisting of the A987654 of spades plus it doesn't make any difference. Now I do pride myself in being able to count and somehow my seven spades kept adding up to more than my opponent could possibly hold. "My God," I thought, "I hear the bells of Christmas and I can see the lights of Hanukkah before my eyes. What a wondrous and joyous thing." Then lesson one suddenly came upon me. I got up onto the table and.... quietly passed. Well, I didn't get onto the table, but I felt as if I did. My rho went into the tank and after a great deal of thought also passed. Of course Shannon had nothing to say so the final contract became six spades. By the time the air cleared our opponents were down three tricks for a disastrous bottom board. Back to important lesson one. Had I doubled my lho, void in spades, would have run to six no-trump and would have been down only one. With expert play of which she was capable, she actually had a small chance to make the revised contract. It is wrong, dead wrong to double a six contract unless you have two aces and they are in an evenly distributed six no-trump contract. The reasoning is that either they have overbid or that the double alerts them that there may be a superior contract. Only last week while writing this column in my head our opponents at the Tuesday game in Naples bid a heart slam that I felt would go set and again I passed. Sure enough every other pair sitting in their direction was in a no-trump slam making. Why try to get a "super" top by doubling? You may get a big surprise. If renowned duplicate and rubber-bridge champion Grant Baze didn't coin the phrase "The five-level belongs to the opponents," then he is one of its greatest proponents. It is one of bridge's golden rules or cardinal sins, depending upon which side of the fence you sit. This rule applies only to major suits, for game is obtained at the four-level. One must bid five in a minor to reach game, thus the law does not apply. Five of a major suit is the most unfavorable contract in which to be. Thus if one opponent has pushed the other into five hearts or five spades, it is best to pass rather than sacrifice at that level. Logic tells you that if five of a major is successfully made no more points will be gleaned than those stopping at four. As a matter of fact many times the overtrick cannot be made. In these cases those at the five-level will be set for a minus score. Competing at the four-level can also be unwise. It takes 25-26 points to make game in a major suit. It stands to reason that it likewise takes the same amount of points to make four of a minor. If the points are about even both sides should be able to make two of their respective suits, occasionally three. Why take away their minus score at the four-level? Rho 1spade-you pass-lho 2spades-pard double-rho 3 spades-you hold 873-92-J3-KQ10765. Don't compete at the four-level. Lead the club king. This is a beautiful example hand from Ron Klinger's "100 Winning Bridge Tips."