In which suit do you try for game?

Greg Norman said, “Setting goals for your game is an art. The trick is in setting them at the right level, neither too low nor too high.”

When trying to get to game in a major after partner has raised your one-of-amajor opening to two, you must move with a hand at the right level ... strength. You should have six losers. Also, if you rebid three of a minor, you may do that with only a three-card suit because it is forcing to three of your major.

In today’s deal, note that South’s hand has six losers: one heart, two diamonds and three clubs. When opener has a choice of suits, he should, strange as it sounds, bid his weaker minor. Here, South should rebid three clubs. Opposite that, North has the worst possible club holding: three low. So he signs off in three spades.

West leads the club jack. East takes three tricks in the suit, then exits safely with a spade. How should South proceed after drawing trumps?

Declarer can afford only one more loser. His two main chances to get home are the heart ace with West or the diamond queen with East. Which should he try first?

The rule is: Play initially the suit with the higher missing card; here, hearts. South leads his heart toward dummy’s king. When West has the ace, the king sets up for a diamond discard. But if East had the heart ace, the diamond finesse would still be on the back burner.

Finally, note that if South had rebid three diamonds, North might have jumped to the hopeless fourspade contract.