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Contract Bridge card game, the most popular card game in the world |
A game try in the card game of bridge is a bid that shows interest in bidding a game and asks partner to help in making the decision.
For example, suppose the bidding goes 1 spade, 2 spades and opener has a good 15 points. Responder has shown 6 to 9 support points. If responder has the maximum 9 points, then game is a good bet and should be bid; otherwise, the partnership should settle for a partscore.
The original method to solve this problem was to have opener bid 3 spades; responder would raise to 4 spades with a maximum single raise, and pass otherwise.
Another method, which permits more accurate decision-making, is to have opener bid a new suit. By agreement, this can be a long suit, short suit, or help suit game try. In any event, responder will evaluate the additional information and make one of the following choices: sign off in 3 of the agreed suit; jump to game in the agreed suit; or make a counter try in yet another new suit.
After a single raise, opener shows extra values by bidding a second suit naturally at the 3-level. Responder can promote length and/or high-card values in that suit, or shortness combined with an extra trump, and jump to game. Conversely, responder with weakness in opener's second suit should sign off.
With this agreement, opener bids a short suit (singleton, void, or perhaps a doubleton) at the 3-level, showing extra values and, by implication, side length in the unbid suits.
This agreement is similar to the long suit game try, but slightly more precise. Responder should envision opener holding three small cards in the new suit (although the holding may in fact be better, perhaps as good as KJx). Then, regardless of point count, responder bids game with zero or one loser in that suit and signs off with three losers in that suit. With two losers in that suit, responder bids according to her point count.
If responder cannot bid game based on opener's game try suit, but has a good holding in a higher-ranking side suit, she can bid that suit at the 3-level. This in effect says, "I cannot accept the invitation based on your suit, but if you had asked in this suit, I would have." Opener can then reevaluate based on this new information and either sign off or bid game.
Yet another possibility is to use the rebid of 2 notrump as a game try. By agreement, this may be natural, or may be a game try showing solid holdings in the side suits and a weak trump suit, or may have some artificial meaning.
When playing new suits (and perhaps 2NT) as game tries, partnerships can agree that a reraise to 3 of the agreed suit is not a game try, but simply an attempt to block the opponents from entering the bidding at a low level. With this agreement, of course, responder will pass the reraise.
Sometimes opener may have such a good hand that she sees a possible slam opposite a single raise. In this case, she can get more information about responder's hand by using a game try bid. If responder rejects the game try, opener can sign off in game. If responder accepts the game try, then opener can further investigate the slam.