No declarer worth his salt should deliberately jeopardize making a game in order to try for a 30-point overtrick. To do so — even when the overtrick seems highly probable — would mean risking the hundreds of bonus points awarded for making a game.

Consider this deal where West leads a spade against three notrump. Let’s say declarer wins with the queen, cashes the K-Q of hearts, crosses to the ace of clubs and plays the ace of hearts, on which West shows out. South must now go down one, regardless of what he does next.

It is certainly easy to blame the outcome on the unlucky division in hearts — the suit could have been divided 3-3, or either defender might have been dealt the singleton or doubleton jack.

But the fact is that, from the word “go,” South can absolutely guarantee nine tricks by means of a perfectly simple play. All he has to do is to cash the king of hearts at trick two and overtake the queen with the ace at trick three.

He then plays the ten of hearts to force out the jack, and in that way assures himself of nine tricks comprised of three spades, four hearts and the two minor-suit aces.

While it is granted that there is a natural reluctance to spend the queen and ace of hearts on the same trick, that is scarcely a good excuse for failing to make the play, which guarantees the contract against any division of the opposing cards. The overtrick that might be lost by this seemingly extravagant expenditure is well worth the price. Indeed, the failure to overtake the queen of hearts amounts to being penny-wise and pound-foolish.

Tomorrow: Positive and negative signals.