1. Lesson 20: Game Trial Bids Surendra Mehta July 2007

2. Surendra Mehta, July 20072 Introduction What are Game Trial Bids? This is a very useful convention to investigate game after partner supports your suit. Game Trail Bids are very different depending on whether partner has supported your bid in major or minor

3. Surendra Mehta, July 20073 Game Trial Bids in Major Suit (1) Requirements for opener: –At least four cards in one of the majors –Open one of the major –The opener should have 15 to 18 points Requirements for partner: –Partner supports with 2 of that major –Typical bidding scenario1H/2H

4. Surendra Mehta, July 20074 Game Trial Bids in Major Suit(2) Openers rebids: –12 – 14 points – pass (14 + 9 = 23) –19 points – Bid four of major –15 – 18 points – Total count between 21 to 27; Trial Bid sets in

5. Surendra Mehta, July 20075 Game Trial Bids in Major Suit (3A) With 15 – 18 points, aim to see if you can bid to a game level But how???? First investigate to ensure that the team does not have a particularly weak suit The opener bids his/hers weak suit

6. Surendra Mehta, July 20076 Game Trial Bids in Major Suit (3B) The partner’s response will depend on the number of losers in the weak suit bid by the opener –0 or 1 loser, jump to 4 of major –With 2 losers, bid 3 of major with min (6 points), or 4 with max (9 points); with 7 and 8 points use your judgment. –With 3 losers, bid 3 of major regardless of suit

7. Surendra Mehta, July 20077 Game Trial Bids in Major Suit (4) North’s handBidding  Q 7 4 3NorthSouth A Q 10 6 4 1 2  A K Q 2  ???  10 North has 17 points. All he needs to know about partner’s hand is whether he can help in spades North bids 2 , to express an interest in game, but concerned about losing tricks in that suit. North has 3 losers in spades and wants to know whether partner can help in spades – does he have A, K, Q or singleton or doubleton?

8. Surendra Mehta, July 20078 Game Trial Bids in Major Suit (5) How to count losers in a suit: Count Ace, King or queen as a winner – everything else is a loser Only look at your top 3 cards This is the method used in the ‘Losing Trick Count’ scheme of hand evaluation. In the previous example, South jumps to 4 if he has 0 or 1 loser; with 2 losers South bids 3 with min and 4 with max; with 3 losers south bids 3, regardless of strength

9. Surendra Mehta, July 20079 Game Trial Bids in Major Suit (6A) Your (South) handBidding  A 3NorthSouth J 9 4 3 1 2  9 8 2 2  ?????  Q 8 4 2 North bids 1. Your 2 response shows 6-9 points, so your 7 points are below average. North rebids 2 , what is your response?

10. Surendra Mehta, July 200710 Game Trial Bids in Major Suit (6B) Your (South) handBidding  A 3NorthSouth J 9 4 3 1 2  9 8 2 2  4  Q 8 4 2 North bids 1. Your 2 response shows 6-9 points, so your 7 points are below average. In response to 2 , you only have 1 loser in that suit, so jump to 4. If partner had bid 3  or 3 , you would close on 3, as you have 3 losers in  and 3 losers in  and below average points.

11. Surendra Mehta, July 200711 Game Trial Bids in No Trump (1) You open one of a minor suit (  or  ) Your partner supports your minor suit bid by you (e.g. 1C/2C); what do you do next? Requirements for opener: –At least four cards in one of the minors –Open one of that minor –Partner supports with two of that minor –The opener should have 15+ points to try for a 3NT contract

12. Surendra Mehta, July 200712 Game Trial Bids in No Trump (2) Opener’s rebid 12 – 14 points – pass (14 + 9 = 23) 15 – 19 points – Total count is between 21 to 28 Too low to go for 5 in minor suit so you want to investigate 3NT

13. Surendra Mehta, July 200713 Game Trial Bids in No Trump (3) Investigate to ensure that the team does not have a particularly weak suit, and have stoppers in all the suits After your partner has raised your minor suit, the opener makes a non-jump bid in a new suit, showing an interest in a final 3NT contract. (N.B. A jump bid in a new suit is a ‘shift jump’ and shows interest in slam) It shows strength in the suit bid and asks the partner to bid a suit in which he/she has strength (a good stopper). Also the bid in the new suit must be below 3NT and should be a lower ranking one when you have 2 or more strong suits

14. Surendra Mehta, July 200714 Game Trial Bids in No Trump (4A) North (you)BiddingSouth  10 8NorthSouth  K J 9 A 9 41  3  K J 4  K Q 10?????  3 2  A Q 7 4 3  K 9 8 6 2 (15 pts)(11 pts) After South shows 10 -12 points with a 3  response, the partnership has a min of 25 pts – enough for a game in NT but not in minor What does North bid? 2c

15. Surendra Mehta, July 200715 Game Trial Bids in No Trump (4B) North (you)BiddingSouth  10 8NorthSouth  K J 9 A 9 41  3  K J 4  K Q 103  3NT  3 2  A Q 7 4 3Pass  K 9 8 6 2 (15 pts)(11 pts) After South shows 10 -12 points with a 3  response, the partnership has a min of 25 pts – enough for a game in NT but not in minor North makes a game trial bid by bidding 3 , showing strength in diamonds. South has both majors covered and bids 3NT. With only 1 major, South will bid that suit and North will go 3NT if he covers the missing suit. 2c

16. Surendra Mehta, July 200716 Game Trial Bids in No Trump (5) NorthBiddingSouth  K Q 3NorthSouth  10 5 A J 10 61  2  Q 5 3  A K 10 7 32  3   Q 6 4 2  103NTPass  K Q 8 4 North has 17 points, and knows partner has 6-9 points, so the most likely game is 3NT, but only if the partner has control of Clubs. 2  bid shows a spade stopper, and partner can bid 3  to show control of clubs. Without club control, South would bid 3 . N.B. North’s bid of 2  is superior to 2 in this case. If North bid 2, South might have replied 2 , leaving North none-the wiser about Clubs. 2c

17. Surendra Mehta, July 200717 Alerts EBU alert rules say that neither form of game trial bids need to be alerted, as they both should show a suit with at least 3 cards in it (no matter how weak the suit).