When opener holds game-invitational values (15-17 points or 6 losers), she can bid a new suit at the cheapest level to say, "Partner, I'm interested in game, but I need help in this suit. Please bid game if you have an appropriate holding."
Partnership styles vary, but a help suit typically shows a 3-4 card suit with exactly one of the top three honors. In losing trick count parlance, this equals 2 - 2.5 losers. Examples:
The help suit game try does not require an alert, as long as it shows 3+ cards.
At the risk of contradicting two venerable books, I have suggested roughly 2 - 2.5 losers because I believe it to be more practical. (The risk of a potential misnomer aside.) When you make and reject game tries with xxx, the opponents have a screaming indicator about what to lead.
There is one dicey holding worth mentioning - Qxx(x). In my opinion, Qxx(x) equals 2.5 losers, although many players treat it as only 2. I've always had trouble accepting this. How can Axx and Qxx be valued the same way? Therefore, partnerships should agree if/when Qxx(x) can constitute a HSGT; and conversely, if it's worth a jump to game by responder. Good interior cards, e.g. QT9, or perhaps good overall strength and/or shape, might affect the decision.
A non-exhausive list of responder's possible holdings in the help suit:
Holding | # Losers | Responder's action |
---|---|---|
Void AK x Ax KJT |
0 losers 0 losers 1 loser 1 loser 1.5 losers |
Bid game |
xx Jx Qx QJx Kxx Axx |
2 losers 2 losers 2 losers 2 losers 2 losers 2 losers |
Bid game |
xxx Txxx Jxxx |
3 losers |
Sign off in 3![]() ![]() |
Opener | Responder | ||||
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Opener 1 ![]() 3 ![]() Pass |
Responder 2 ![]() 3 ![]() |
Opener | Responder | ||||
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Opener 1 ![]() 2 ![]() Pass |
Responder 2 ![]() 4 ![]() |
Opener | Responder | ||||
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Opener 1 ![]() 3 ![]() Pass |
Responder 2 ![]() 4 ![]() |
Giving extra information to the defense
A potential drawback to help suit game tries is that they help inform the defense's opening lead.
Using hearts as a help suit
After 1 : 2
, a 3
rebid may or may not be a help suit game try. This requires partnership discussion:
Opener | Responder | ||||
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Opener 1 ![]() 3 ![]() Pass |
Responder 2 ![]() 4 ![]() |
This sequence is natural because a 4-4 fit is often preferable to a 5-3 fit. These two hands play better with hearts as trumps, because the spades can be used to pitch club losers from dummy. Declarer can draw trumps in three rounds, run the spades, and then ruff a club in dummy for an overtrick. With spades as trumps, 10 tricks are the limit.
Note that this problem does not occur when the auction begins : 2
.
,
.
Lastly, the adoption of help suit game tries means that opener's /
Opener | Responder | ||||
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Opener 1 ![]() 3 ![]() |
Responder 2 ![]() Pass (2) |
As an alternative to help suit game tries, see short suit game tries.
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