MAJOR SUIT GAME TRIES

By Larry Matheny

 

 

Your partner raised your major suit and you have a hand too good to settle for just a partscore, but not strong enough to bid game.  You are in that middle ground where you need to either tell partner something or ask for more information.  The concept seems simple enough but it can be difficult.  Which type of game try works best for you?  How many kinds are there? 

 

A quick scan on the inter-net showed more types than we have time to discuss.  The list included:

 

Long Suit

Help Suit

Short Suit

Two-Way

 

There are many more but today we only have time to discuss the most common agreements so let’s start with a simple raise by responder as in 1  -  2.

 

 

LONG SUIT GAME TRIES

 

The Long Suit game try is probably the oldest method employed.  This is an attempt by opener to tell responder more about his hand.  He shows a second suit with the understanding that as responder revalues his hand, he should give extra weight to honors in this suit.  Here is an example:

 

North

 

South

S

96

AQJ63

A4

A742

 

S

8543

K842

965

K8

1

 

2

3

 

4

  

Although South has a minimum raise, the Long Suit game try tells him that his club holding is probably all opener needs for game.  Here are some guidelines for responder:

 

 

1.

If responder has zero losers in the bid suit, he should bid game.

2.

If responder has 1 loser in the bid suit, he should bid game, as in the example above.

3.

If responder has 2 losers in the bid suit but has the maximum values for a single raise, he should also bid game.

4.

If responder has 2 losers in the bid suit but has the minimum values required for a single raise, he should sign off on the three-level in the trump suit.

5.

If responder has three losers in the bid suit and maximum values for a single raise, he can show a suit also at the three-level below the trump suit by bidding that suit. This is known as a Counter Trial.  Opener can then either sign off on the three-level in the established trump suit or bid game if the known values of the Counter Trial suit are helpful in determining whether game is possible.

 

 

 

 HELP SUIT GAME TRIES

 

Over the years, the Long Suit game try has become the Help Suit game try.  The major difference is that opener may hold fewer than four cards in the suit.  But, it’s important that we look at the suit that opener may hold in order to make a Help Suit try. 

 

Help Suit game tries are made after a simple major suit raise by responder or after a major suit response to an opening bid and a raise to two by opener. Classically they are a try for game by bidding a three or four-card side suit with at least one high honor, looking for a filling high honor or two from partner.  However, some partnerships play that Help Suit game tries can also be made with side suits that have no honors at all – looking for primary strength or shortness and four trumps.  Your partnership needs to decide whether to use strictly classic Help Suit game tries or to also make help-suit game tries in suits with no honors - otherwise there will be times when you won’t know if you should accept your partner’s game try.  

 

 

WHEN SHOULD YOU MAKE ONE?

 

The Help Suit game try should be used only when you want your partner to focus on his holding in a particular suit, using that as the primary factor in his decision to accept game or not.  A help-suit game try by opener shows a strong hand, typically with a very good 15 to a poor 18 HCP or even less if you have a 5-5 two-suiter, looking for help in a particular suit. 

A help-suit game try by responder typically shows a hand of around 9-12 HCP with chances for game if opener has help in responder’s side suit.  When using Long Suit or Help Suit game tries, there are other methods available to show extra values.  You may rebid 2NT to show a balanced hand with scattered values.  You may also use a rebid of three of your major as a general try.

 

Let’s look at some examples:

                       

1.  Opener: SAQ1054  H8  DAK65  CK98        

 

Opener           Responder                           

1S                     2S                                     

   3C                       ?

                                                                       

Now let’s look at what responder should do:

 

a.  SK98   H10964   DJ103   CA103        - Bid 4S, your club holding is great.

b.  SK98   HQ109  DJ874  C743              - Bid 3S, your club holding is terrible.

c.  SK98   HKQ1072   D84   C764           - Bid 3H, make a counter offer.

 

 

 

2.  Opener: S87  HA109765  DAJ94  CA

     

Opener           Responder

1H                      2H

   3D                        ?

 

a.  S10932  H KJ3  D KQ32   C98           -Bid 4H, this is easy.          

b.  SQ103   HK82   D876   CQJ87           -Bid 3H, you have no diamond help.

c.  SA109  HKQ32  D87  C10943            -Bid 4H, your 4th trump is a great asset.

 

 

3.  Responder:  SK8   HKJ1052   DK872   C102

 

Opener           Responder

1C                     1H

   2H                      ?                                        -Bid 3D, this is where you need help.

 

 

4.  Opener : SA943   HAQ964   DA   CAK8

 

Opener           Responder

1H                      2H

2S                       

 

This game try may also be used as a slam try.  If responder signs off in 3H, opener will bid game.  If responder accepts the game try, opener can move toward slam.

 

 

SHORT SUIT GAME TRIES

 

Using the Short Suit Trial bid, a new bid by the opener shows a singleton.  For responder this means that the ace is probably the only honor in the short suit that will help opener.  Of course, this means that honors in the OTHER suits will be what opener needs.  Again we use examples:

 

 

5.  OPENER:  SAK1093   HKJ2   DAJ9   C2

 

Opener           Responder

 1S                      2S

3C                      ?

 

Responder’s rebids:

 

a.  SQJ6   HQ943   DK4    CJ1094          -Bid 4S, your red suit honors are good.

b.  SQJ4   H10943   D 876   CKJ6           -Bid 3S, your clubs are not working.

c.  SJ742   HQ7  DQ108  CA1093           -Bid 4S, your club ace is working.

 

 

 

 

SUMMARY

As I stated at the beginning, there are many more types of game tries available, some much more sophisticated.  You and your partner should agree on the one that works best for you.  Then you should discuss exactly what it takes to accept a game try.  Remember that hand evaluation is a constantly moving target depending a lot on the auction.  A good raise can lose value when your honor cards are of little or no use to your partner.  Also, the opponents can enter the bidding and further complicate the auction.  The most important thing is to have a method that you and your partner understand.