In a session of bridge, you will have good results and bad. You will make good plays and, no matter who you are, you will make errors. The goddess of chance will see that some of your results are beyond your control.
Winning players are thoroughly impassive. They stay in the present. They know that an emotional response to any result — or even to the play of one trick — can affect their focus on the next deal or next trick.
Today’s West led the three of spades against 2NT, and dummy played low. South captured East’s 10 with the king, led a diamond to the king and tried a diamond to his jack.
West took the queen and considered underleading his A-K of clubs. But even if East had the jack and declarer misguessed, West might need to find East with the queen of spades to win six tricks in all. So West judged to continue spades at the fourth trick — and in case South had held the K-8 doubleton, West led the nine.
When dummy played low, and South’s eight appeared, West was delighted. He led a third spade.
Alas, when East took the queen, he had to guess what to lead next. When he led a heart, South took four diamonds, three hearts and a spade, making 2NT.
West succumbed to euphoria. After his nine of spades won, he forgot that the deal wasn’t over. If West puts his emotions on the shelf, he will carefully cash the king of clubs at Trick Five. When East takes the queen of spades next, he will return a club, and West can win and take his ace of spades for down one.