Brian Adams, a self-help author, wrote, “Learn the art of patience. Apply discipline to your thoughts when they become anxious over the outcome of a goal.”

Discipline can pay good dividends at the bridge table, but crazy calls work occasionally too, especially when the opponents are goaded into undisciplined bids.

In today’s deal, what do you think of the auction, given that North’s three-diamond response was pre-emptive? (With a limit raise in diamonds, he would have bid two no-trump. With a normal two-no-trump response, he would have started with redouble, showing 10 high-card points or more.)

Let’s take each call in turn. One diamond was impeccable.

But the double does not appeal to me. I prefer to bid five-card majors. However, I agree that if East had had four spades and short hearts, double could have worked well.

I like North’s three-diamond raise. After West’s double, the chance of a 4-4 spade fit was diminished, and why not try to make life tough for the opponents?

If I had held that East hand, I would have competed with four clubs. Pass was very timid. (Yes, if South then doubled four clubs, it would have gone down one, minus 200, but that would have been because the West hand was so poor.)

South showed excellent discipline in not bidding over three diamonds. She realized that, with only one ace and a heart holding that was probably worthless, no game was going to make. In three diamonds, declarer lost one spade, two hearts and one diamond. Points aren’t everything.