Game Tries in Bridge
You open 1♥, partner raises to 2♥, and you’re sitting there with 17 points wondering if game is on. You’re too strong to pass but too weak to blast into 4♥. What do you do?
This is exactly where the bridge game try comes in. It’s one of the most practical tools in competitive bidding, letting you invite game after finding a major suit fit. Instead of guessing whether to settle in a partscore or push to the four level, you can ask partner a question: “Do you like your raise?”
Let’s explore how game tries work, when to use them, and how to respond to them effectively.
What Is a Game Try?
A game try (also called a trial bid) is an invitational bid made after your side has found a major suit fit at the two level. It typically happens in these auctions:
- 1♥ – 2♥ – ? (opener has extras and wants to explore game)
- 1♠ – 2♠ – ? (same situation in spades)
When partner raises your major to the two level, they’re showing 6-10 points with three-card support (or sometimes a good doubleton). That’s a pretty wide range. If you have 16-18 points, you’re right on the edge. Game might make if partner is maximum, but you’ll struggle if they’re minimum.
Rather than guessing, you make a game try—a new suit bid that asks partner to evaluate their hand in context. Partner can then sign off at three of the major with a minimum, or accept the invitation and bid four with a maximum or a well-fitting hand.
The beauty of game tries is that they don’t just ask “how many points do you have?” They ask “how well does your hand fit with mine?” And that’s a much better question.
When to Make a Game Try
You should consider making a game try when:
You have 16-18 points (sometimes as few as 15 with great shape). With 19+, just bid game directly. With fewer than 16, sign off at three of your major or pass.
You have a five-card or longer major. Game tries work best when you have real length in your suit. With only a four-card major, you often lack the playing strength to make game even when partner accepts.
You’re missing about one trick for game. If you count your tricks and come up short by one or so, a game try is perfect. You’re asking partner if their hand covers that gap.
The vulnerability and form of scoring matter too. At matchpoints, you might be more aggressive about trying for game. At IMPs, you want to be more conservative, but you also can’t afford to miss cold games.
Here’s a typical hand for a game try after 1♥ – 2♥:
♠ A J 5
♥ K Q J 6 3
♦ K 8 4
♣ Q 2
You have 16 HCP with a decent five-card heart suit. Too strong to give up, too weak to force to game. Perfect for a game try.
Help-Suit Game Tries
The most common type of game try is the help-suit game try (sometimes called a long-suit game try in traditional methods). After partner raises your major, you bid a new suit where you need help.
1♥ – 2♥
3♣ = “I need help in clubs to make game”
What constitutes “help”? Partner is looking for:
- An honor (ace, king, or queen)
- Shortness (singleton or void)
- Length that provides ruffs or discards
What’s NOT helpful:
- Small cards (x x x is nearly worthless)
- A poorly-placed jack
Let’s see how this works in practice:
You hold: ♠ A 5 ♥ K Q J 7 4 ♦ K 9 3 ♣ Q 8 2
After 1♥ – 2♥, you bid 3♣. You’re worried about club losers. If partner has the ♣A, ♣K, or even a singleton club, game is likely excellent. If they have ♣J x x, you probably want to stop in 3♥.
Partner holds: ♠ K 8 3 ♥ A 6 2 ♦ 7 6 4 ♣ K 9 5 3
Even though partner has a dead minimum 8 HCP, they should accept by bidding 4♥. Why? Because the ♣K is perfect for your game try. They have exactly the help you need.
Compare this to: ♠ K 8 3 ♥ A 6 2 ♦ Q 7 4 ♣ J 7 6 3
Now partner should reject by bidding 3♥. Same point count, but the ♣J x x x is worthless opposite your club weakness. The ♦Q isn’t what you asked about.
Short-Suit Game Tries
Some partnerships use short-suit game tries instead. The idea is reversed: you bid your shortest suit (singleton or void) to show where you don’t need help.
1♠ – 2♠
3♣ = “I have a club shortage; honors in clubs are wasted”
Partner now evaluates based on whether their values work well with your shortage:
- High cards in your short suit are bad (wasted values)
- High cards outside your short suit are good
- Length in your short suit is somewhat bad
- Shortness in your short suit is great
Short-suit game tries are popular in modern expert practice because they often help partner evaluate more accurately. However, they can be more complex to judge, especially for intermediate players.
You hold: ♠ A Q 8 7 4 ♥ K Q J 6 ♦ 2 ♣ K 5 3
After 1♠ – 2♠, you bid 3♦ showing your singleton. Partner with ♦A K x knows those are wasted values and signs off. Partner with all their honors in the other suits bids game.
Long-Suit Game Tries
A long-suit game try shows a second suit where you have length and can potentially establish tricks. This is different from help-suit tries because you’re showing a source of tricks rather than asking for help.
These are less common in modern bidding but still appear in some systems. The auction might go:
1♥ – 2♥
3♦ = “I have long diamonds; extras there help”
You might hold: ♠ K 4 ♥ A Q J 6 3 ♦ K Q 10 8 4 ♣ 5
You’re showing your diamond length as a potential source of tricks. Partner can visualize whether their hand fits well with your two-suiter.
Many modern players treat all game tries as help-suit tries to keep things simple. Partnership agreement is essential here.
Responding to Game Tries
When partner makes a game try, you’re not just counting points. You’re evaluating fit. Here’s how to respond:
With a Maximum (9-10 points)
Usually accept by bidding game, unless you have terrible cards in partner’s help suit.
With a Minimum (6-7 points)
Usually reject by bidding three of the major, unless you have perfect cards in partner’s help suit.
With a Medium Hand (8 points)
This is where judgment matters. Look at the quality of your fit:
Good signs for accepting:
- Honor(s) in the help suit
- Shortness in the help suit (if playing help-suit tries)
- Aces and kings rather than queens and jacks
- Ruffing values
- Four-card trump support
- All your points working (no honors in side suits where partner didn’t try)
Bad signs—reject:
- Small cards in partner’s help suit
- Quacks (queens and jacks) in unbid suits
- Honors in your short suits
- Flat 4-3-3-3 shape
- Maximum losers
Let’s see an example:
Partner opens 1♥, you raise to 2♥, partner bids 3♦ (game try)
Hand A: ♠ K 8 3 ♥ Q 7 4 ♦ A 9 4 ♣ J 8 6 2
Hand B: ♠ K 8 3 ♥ Q 7 4 ♦ 8 6 4 ♣ A J 9 2
Both hands have 8 HCP. But Hand A should accept (bid 4♥) because the ♦A is perfect help in the suit partner needs. Hand B should reject (bid 3♥) because diamonds are weak and the ♣A isn’t what partner asked about.
Example Game Try Auctions
Let’s walk through some complete auctions to see game tries in action.
Example 1: Successful Game Try
Opener: ♠ A 4 ♥ K Q 10 7 3 ♦ K 8 5 ♣ Q 7 2
Responder: ♠ K 9 3 ♥ J 6 4 ♦ A 7 3 ♣ 10 8 5 4
Auction:
1♥ – 2♥
3♦ – 4♥
Opener has 16 HCP and tries for game by bidding 3♦ (help-suit try). Responder has only 7 HCP—a minimum raise—but the ♦A is exactly what opener needs. Responder accepts, and 4♥ is an excellent contract. Ten tricks are likely: five hearts, two spades, and three diamonds.
Example 2: Rejected Game Try
Opener: ♠ K 5 ♥ A Q J 7 4 ♦ K 8 3 ♣ Q 6 2
Responder: ♠ Q 8 3 ♥ K 6 2 ♦ 9 6 4 ♣ J 9 7 3
Auction:
1♥ – 2♥
3♣ – 3♥
Pass
Opener makes a club game try with 16 HCP. Responder has 7 HCP but terrible clubs (J x x x) and no useful values in clubs. Responder correctly rejects by bidding 3♥. 4♥ would be touch-and-go at best, while 3♥ should make comfortably.
Example 3: Short-Suit Try
Opener: ♠ A K 10 7 4 ♥ K Q 6 ♦ 3 ♣ A 8 6 2
Responder: ♠ Q 9 3 ♥ A 8 4 ♦ K 9 7 6 ♣ Q 7 3
Auction:
1♠ – 2♠
3♦ (short-suit try) – 3♠ (reject)
Opener shows diamond shortness. Responder’s ♦K 9 x x represents wasted values opposite a singleton, so despite having 10 HCP, responder signs off. The ♦K is worthless, making the hand functionally weaker than the point count suggests.
Example 4: Accepting with a Fit
Opener: ♠ 7 4 ♥ A Q J 6 3 ♦ K 8 ♣ A Q 7 2
Responder: ♠ A 9 3 ♥ K 7 4 ♦ 9 6 3 ♣ K 8 6 4
Auction:
1♥ – 2♥
3♣ – 4♥
Opener makes a club game try with 17 HCP. Responder has only 9 HCP, but the ♣K is golden. Responder also has four-card heart support and the ♠A (working values). Easy acceptance to 4♥, which should make with careful play.
Common Game Try Mistakes
Even experienced players can go wrong with game tries. Here are the most common errors:
1. Making Game Tries with Flat Minimums
Don’t bid 3♣ here:
♠ A 8 3 ♥ K Q 7 4 ♦ K 6 2 ♣ J 8 3
After 1♥ – 2♥, you have only 14 HCP and a flat hand with no source of tricks. Just pass or bid 3♥. Game tries should show genuine game interest (usually 16+ points or 15 with great shape).
2. Responding Based Only on HCP
After 1♠ – 2♠ – 3♦:
♠ K 6 3 ♥ A 8 4 ♦ 8 6 4 ♣ Q 9 7 2
You have 9 HCP, but your diamonds are worthless. Sign off at 3♠. Don’t bid game just because you have maximum points.
3. Trying for Game with Only Four Trumps
After 1♠ – 2♠, you need real playing strength to make game. With a minimum opener and only four spades, you rarely have enough tricks. Pass or bid 3♠ unless you have 17+ points.
4. Bypassing a Game Try with 16-18 Points
You hold: ♠ K 4 ♥ A Q 10 7 3 ♦ A 8 6 ♣ Q 7 2
After 1♥ – 2♥, don’t just bid 3♥. Make a game try! You have 16 HCP. If partner has a maximum or fitting cards, 4♥ could be excellent. Bidding 3♥ gives up on game when you shouldn’t.
5. Not Discussing Agreements
The biggest mistake is not agreeing with partner whether you play help-suit tries or short-suit tries. If you think 3♣ shows clubs and partner thinks it shows a club shortage, disaster awaits. Have this discussion before you play together!
6. Making Game Tries in Wrong Suits
If you’re going to make a help-suit try, bid the suit where you actually need help. Don’t bid 3♦ with A K x of diamonds—that suit is solid. Bid the suit with Q x x or K x x where partner’s help matters.
7. Accepting with All Points in the Wrong Places
After 1♥ – 2♥ – 3♣:
♠ K Q J ♥ 8 6 4 ♦ Q J 10 ♣ 9 7 4 2
You have 10 HCP, but all your honors are in spades and diamonds. You have nothing in clubs (the help suit) and minimum trumps. Reject by bidding 3♥.
Final Thoughts
Game tries are powerful tools that help you reach the right contract. They transform vague invitations into focused questions: “Do you have help in this suit?” or “Are your values working with my shortage?”
The key is remembering that bridge isn’t just about point count. It’s about fit. A 7-point hand with the ♣A might be worth more than a 10-point hand with ♦Q J x x if partner needs club help.
Practice evaluating your hands in context. When partner makes a game try, ask yourself: “Do I have what they need?” Not “How many points do I have?” That shift in thinking will improve your bidding judgment dramatically.
Master game tries, and you’ll find yourself in the right contract far more often—making games that others miss and avoiding games that others go down in. That’s the path to better results at the bridge table.