| 100% | LED | 3 | Started the bridge game |
| 69% | DEAL | 4 | Start the card game |
| 69% | BREAKS | 6 | Starts the pool game |
| 65% | SERVE | 5 | Start the game, perhaps |
| 64% | OPENS | 5 | Starts the bidding, in bridge |
| 61% | SERVES | 6 | Starts the game depicted in this puzzle |
| 56% | SERVE | 5 | The starting hit in a game of tennis |
| 56% | TRUMPCARD | 9 | Advantage, from the game of bridge |
| 55% | DEAL | 4 | Start of the title of Howie's game show |
| 55% | BULLYOFF | 8 | The former way of starting a game of hockey |
| 54% | IMIT | 4 | Starting words from the tagger in a game of tag |
| 53% | YOUIN | 5 | Query at the start of a poker game |
| 53% | IMIN | 4 | Cry at the start of a poker game |
| 53% | ANTE | 4 | Stake at the start of a poker game |
| 53% | BENZOBRIST | 10 | Cubs second baseman who started the 2016 MLB All-Star Game: 2 wds. |
| 53% | ANTHONYRIZZO | 12 | Cubs first baseman who started the 2016 MLB All-Star Game: 2 wds. |
| 53% | KRISBRYANT | 10 | Cubs third baseman who started the 2016 MLB All-Star Game: 2 wds. |
| 52% | OPEN | 4 | Make the first bid in a game of bridge |
| 52% | ISAFOOT | 7 | "The game __" cried Holmes at the start of a case |
| 52% | RHE | 3 | Letters over "0 0 0," when the game starts |
| 52% | ROOK | 4 | Corner piece at the start of a chess game |
| 52% | ANTE | 4 | Pony up at the start of a poker game |
| 52% | OLDEST | 6 | In some games, the youngest not the __ start first |
| 52% | TIPOFF | 6 | Ball toss that starts the basketball game |
| 52% | BALL | 4 | --> start the baseball game |
| 52% | ALPHABET | 8 | The ___ Game, conversation game where players name words starting with each letter |
| 51% | COIN | 4 | It's tossed at the start of a football game |
| 51% | DRAWS | 5 | Takes tiles, as at the start of a Scrabble game |
| 51% | COINTOSS | 8 | 50-50 flip at the start of a football game |
| 51% | IRE | 3 | Game company, started in 1997, that released the MUD "Starmourn" in 2018 (abbr.) |