Warren Buffett said, “If past history was all there was to the game, the richest people would be librarians.”

Every promising bridge player learns from books. But this week, we are primarily going to look at getting to game. In today’s deal, South opens one spade, and North raises to two spades. What should South do now?

South has a hand that is not strong enough to jump to game, but has sufficient power to think about game. To recognize a hand that falls into this bracket, count its losers. This one has one spade, two hearts, two diamonds (you worry only about the first three cards) and one club: a total of six. This is the number for a game-try after partner raises your major-suit opening to two.

South should rebid three diamonds, which is called a help-suit game-try. It implies losers in diamonds and asks partner to look primarily at his spades and diamonds. Here, North has great holdings in those suits, so, despite only six high-card points, he should jump to four spades.

West begins the defense with three rounds of hearts. After ruffing, how should South continue?

Declarer has five losers: two hearts, two diamonds and one club. He has only eight winners: five spades, two diamonds and one club. But he can ruff two diamonds on the board.

South cashes the spade ace and queen, plays a diamond to dummy’s king, returns the diamond nine to his ace, ruffs a diamond with the spade 10, plays a club to his ace, trumps the last diamond with the spade king, and claims two of the last three tricks with his high trumps.