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Hand Evaluation Part VIII

Responder Makes a Game Try

It is not always opener who has to decide whether to make a game try. In an auction such as 1 - 1 - 2, it is responder's suit which has been agreed and accordingly it is her decision whether to make a move. It is not quite so easy to lay down hard and fast rules in this situation as it was after responder had raised opener's suit to the two level.
Although we know that opener's simple raise is consistent with a near-minimum hand, that still covers a much wider range of handtypes than in the previous situation. It is worth bearing in mind that our basic bidding methods will have an effect on partner's likely handtype and therefore on the odds of game being on. Say that we play Acol, or a similar four card major system, with a weak no trump.

Now the sequence 1 - 1 - 2 is entirely consistent with all these examples:

(i)		K 5 3
		Q 8 6 4
		8
		A Q 10 8 6

(ii)		8
		K 5 3
		Q 8 6 4
		A Q 10 8 6

(iii)		K 5 3
		J 8 6 4
		A 2
		A Q J 7

Opener will always have extra values in some form or another, either in high cards (iii) or in distribution (i) and (ii), but there is no guarantee of four card support. Examples (i) and (ii) are also entirely consistent with a strong no trump based system, whether playing four or five card majors. If we have to open one of a minor when holding a minimum balanced opening then even this is a possible hand for our auction:

(iv)		K Q 6
		J 10 7 3
		K 9 4
		K 10 9

Now you might say that you would not open that specific example due to its sterile shape and lack of aces, but the majority of players would.
Anyway, you take my point, that in this type of system the 2 rebid may have extra values in terms of distribution but not in high cards and may be a very unattractive balanced minimum.

Clearly, if opener's average hand is significantly weaker in the second style, then responder needs to be that shade better before trying for game. So there will be some hands which will move over 2 in a weak no trump structure but not in a strong no trump structure.
This should be considered any time that we think we have a borderline decision. When selecting our game try, we should again bear in mind that partner may have supported us with only three trumps and that at some point, we may want to clarify whether there is an eight card fit. While a 2NT game try, or going back to partner's first suit, might be based on either four or five cards in our own suit, it simplifies things if a bid in a new suit promises five cards in the agreed trump suit.
Forrester, who is assuming an Acol weak no trump base, suggests a 'Rule of Nineteen'. Responder adds his high card points to the number of cards held in his two longest suits. If the total comes to nineteen or more the hand should at least try for game, if it does not then we should settle for a partscore.
Of course, while this is a good basis on which to work, a certain amount of judgement is also required.

(v)		Q 8 3
		A 10 7 6 4
		Q 9 7
		K 4

Bid 2NT. Though we have at least eight trumps and a useful fitting club card, at least one of the queens will be of dubious value opposite an unbalanced hand so to bid game is too much. 2NT tells partner to look at her whole hand, not concentrate on one particular suit.

(vi)		10 3
		A J 10 8 6
		Q 8 6 4
		K 2

Bid 3. Nine cards in two suits plus 10 HCP qualifies under the Forrester rule and the K is a particularly good card. As partner's diamond holding may be crucial, 3 is the best game try. Note that the strong no trumpers do not have the extra comfort of knowing that the K is well-placed, making things a little vaguer. It will be opposite an unbalanced hand but not necessarily if partner has a weak no trump type.

(vii)		K J
		Q 7 6 3 2
		Q 5 3 2
		Q 8

This hand also qualifies, but both suits are weak, we have no intermediates, and there are poor honours in the short suits. Game may be on but we are more likely to end up in 3 or 4 going down if we make a try.

(viii)		A Q 4 3
		Q 9 8 7 6 3
		10
		5 4

Bid 2. The count only comes to eighteen but the big trump fit makes it far too easy for game to be on for us to feel comfortable passing. Change the Q to the king and we should bid 4. Making a game try when we need so little help puts too much strain on partner's judgement.

(ix)		A 6
		K J 9 7 5
		10 4
		Q 8 7 6

Bid 3. The fact that clubs was partner's first suit does not alter the meaning of 3. It is still a game try with hearts agreed. Some play this return to opener's suit as constructive but non-forcing, allowing the partnership to get back to the better fit when opener has raised hearts on three cards, but mainstream style is for 3 to be forcing for one round, just like a bid in a new suit. As always, if partner makes a game try in a suit, she wants us to look in particular at our holdings in the bid suits. We will look at our decision over the game try next month.