When the auction begins
1
:2 or
1
:2, a 2NT rebid by opener is an artificial Bergen Game Try. It indicates game invitational strength — approximately 15-17 points and 6 losers — and asks responder to further describe her hand.
2NT and its responses are all alertable.
Responses to 2NT
| Bid |
Meaning |
| 3 of a new suit | A void, singleton, or doubleton in that suit. 6-8 points. |
| 3 of the trump suit | 4-3-3-3 shape with 6-8 points. |
| 3NT | 4-3-3-3 shape with 8-10 points. |
| 4 of the trump suit | 8-10 points, any semi-balanced or unbalanced hand. |
After hearing a response to 2NT, opener rebids naturally. If responder has shown shortness in a side suit, opener can reevaluate her hand and place the contract accordingly.
Benefits
- Bergen Game Tries are meant to conceal information about declarer’s hand from the defense. Thus they can be superior to help suit game tries and short suit game tries, which require declarer to broadcast a weak or short suit to the whole table.
- Another benefit is that opener can bid 3 of any new suit naturally. These bids are no longer reserved for help suit or short suit game tries.
Drawbacks
- Opener loses the natural 2NT rebid. While rare, this can be helpful when the partnership has a weak 8-card major suit and should play in no-trumps. As a corollary, opener cannot stop in 2NT either.
- When hearts are agreed and responder wants to show spade shortness, he must respond 3. This is less than ideal since it forces the partnership to game.
Examples
| | Opener | | | Responder |
| AQ863 | | K97 |
| AJ6 | | KT3 |
|  J | | T8542 |
|  A764 | | J8 |
|
Opener
1
2NT1
43
|
|
Responder
2
32
|
- Bergen Game Try
- Club shortness
- Hoping to ruff club(s) in dummy
| | Opener | | | Responder |
| A73 | | 954 |
| QJT98 | | 765 |
| AK76 | | QJ84 |
| J | | A32 |
|
Opener
1
2NT1
Pass
|
|
Responder
2
32
|
- Bergen Game Try
- Minimum 4-3-3-3
| | Opener | | | Responder |
| AK952 | | J873 |
| QJ | | K9532 |
| AJT8 | | 6 |
| 65 | | K72 |
|
Opener
1
2NT1
Pass
|
|
Responder
2
42
|
- Bergen Game Try
- Max hand; semi-balanced or unbalanced
Origins
Bergen Game Tries are named for their inventor, American expert Marty Bergen.
