THE RED MIST – DOUBLE TROUBLE [PART 8]

Game-Try (Maximal) Doubles

This double is used by opener to make a game try. This allows opener the ability to compete to the three level without inviting game. Suppose you hold: ♠A2 ♥KQ10984 ♦43 ♣K32.

At favorable vulnerability, you open 1♥ and partner raises to 2♥. You’d love to buy it there, but RHO bids 3♦. Since your side has nine trumps, you want to compete to the three-level, so you bid 3♥. However, what if partner thinks you have an invitational hand, and he raises you to 4♥? This is why the Game-Try (Maximal) double exists. In the auction described, 3♥ means what you want it to mean (“Partner, I am just competing for the part score”). If instead, you did have a game-invitational hand, such as: ♠AQ3 ♥KJ987 ♦3 ♣AJ102, you would double. This call says nothing about Diamonds. It just says: “Partner, I have a 3½ Heart bid. Please go to four with a maximum but retreat to 3♥ with a minimum.”