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Friday, February 29, 2008 

Weak Stayman

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CONTENTS:
1. Weak with long ♣s
2. Weak with 5-4 in Majors
3. Weak with 5-5in Majors
4. Weak 3-suited Hand

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1. Hand-Type B (0-10 points with long ♣s) is much rarer.

By agreeing to play Stayman, you are no longer able to bid 2♣ in a natural sense. Previously this would show 5+ cards in ♣s and 0-10 points (i.e. no chance of game). This is known as the "Weakness Take-Out" and must be passed by the 1NT opener. Playing Stayman, if you want to make a Weakness Take-Out in ♣s you start by bidding 2♣ and then bid 3♣ over partner's response (cancelling Stayman), which partner must of course pass. This means you are contracting for 9 tricks, so it is usually best to have 6+ cards in your suit. With only 5 ♣s it is usually best to opt for 7 tricks and pass 1NT.

♠ 6
♥ 10 9 5
♦ Q 5 2
♣ Q J 10 8 6 4

Bid 2♣ over partner's 1NT and then 3♣ over partner's response to your Stayman.
This cancels Stayman - partner must pass. It does not promise a 4-card major.

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2. Hand-types C are the least-known Stayman hands.
You are able to use Stayman with 0-10 points, provided you have 5-4 in the majors.

If partner responds in your major, you can pass, raise or use the Losing Trick Count.
If partner bids 2♦ you bid your 5-card major, as a Weakness Take-Out.

♠ J 10 6 5 2
♥ K 10 9 5
♦ 5
♣ 6 4 3

Before Stayman, you would simply respond 2♠ to partner's 1NT opener. With Stayman you are able to look for a 4-4 ♥ fit, passing if partner bids 2♥ or 2♠. If partner responds 2♦ you make the bid you would have made, 2♠ and partner must pass.

♠ A 10 6 5
♥ K 10 9 5 3
♦ 5
♣ Q 4 3

On this hand you can respond Stayman 2♣, and if partner responds 2♦ you can settle for 2♥. If partner responds 2♥ or 2♠ to your 2♣ you can raise to game, by virtue of your singleton ♦. Those using the Losing Trick Count will arrive at the same answer.

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3. You can also use Stayman on all hands with 5-5 in the majors and 0-10 points.

If partner bids 2♦ simply choose a major and bid 2 of that suit as a weak-take-out, which partner will pass. If you find a 5-4 fit, you can use the Losing Trick Count to see whether game is viable. See under Extended Stayman for more on 5-5 hands:

♠ 9 7 6 5 2
♥ 10 9 8 5 3
♦ K 3
♣ 2

Bid 2♣, intending to pass any major suit response, and over 2♦ bid 2♥.

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4. There are various 3-suited hand-types that can handle any response by partner:

♠ Q J 6 5
♥ 10 9 5 3
♦ Q 8 4 3 2
♣ -

Perfect for Stayman - you can pass any response.

♠ J 9 5
♥ 10 9 5 3
♦ K Q 5 4 3
♣ 6

Not quite so perfect as partner may respond 2♠ (with 4 cards, occasionally 5). This will however often prove to be a better contract than 1NT, especially if they don't find a trump lead, as you can trump ♣s in dummy. 4-3 trump fits work well when there is a singleton in the shorter trump holding. Put it this way, if partner were to open 1♠ the best response would be to raise to 2♠. "Moysian" fits (four trumps opposite three) require delicate handling and are much loved by experts.

♠ A J 6 5
♥ 10 9 5 3
♦ -
♣ J 10 9 6 4

Many would bid 2♣ on this hand also. It works fine when partner bids a major suit (55% of the time), but over a 2♦ response, you are now compelled to bid 3♣ which may result in a 5-2 fit at the 3-level. This is probably worth the risk as on average, partner will hold 3 cards in ♣s and sometimes 4 or even 5 cards.

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3:07 PM | Permalink |

 

Advanced Stayman

CONTENTS:
1. Stayman 3♣ to 2NT
2. Stayman cancelled after Double
3. Conventional Redouble option - MAJOR WARNING
4. Stayman after intervention - WARNING
5. Intervention after Stayman
6. Extended Stayman - WARNING
7. Stayman with Transfers - WARNING
8. Doubling Stayman
9. Five-Card Stayman (over 2NT) -WARNING
10. Puppet Stayman (over 2NT) - MAJOR WARNING
11. Modified Puppet - MAJOR WARNING

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1. STAYMAN 3♣ over an OPENING 2NT

This works in exactly the same way except the bids are all one level higher.

Stayman is now 3♣ and there are again only three possible responses (not 3NT). There is no weak take-out opposite 2NT (unless you have agreed to play "Transfers"), so any bid requires 4+ points and commits the partnership to game....with one exception:

♠ 9 7 6 5
♥ 10 9 5 3
♦ 9 8 4 3 2
♣ -
Bidding 3♣ on this hand works well even with no points, as you can pass any response.

RESPONSES to STAYMAN 3♣:
a) 3♦ - No 4-card major, partner
b) 3♥ - I have 4 (or 5) hearts and maybe 4 spades too.
c) 3♠ - I have 4 (or 5) spades and not 4 hearts.

THERE ARE NO OTHER RESPONSES.
NEVER RESPOND 3NT.
NEVER RESPOND AT THE 4-LEVEL.

STAYMAN in RESPONSE to OTHER 2NT BIDS

A. Stayman works equally well after the bidding begins 2♣ - 2♦ - 2NT.
This is the only 2♣ auction that can stop below game.
At least two points (or a good one-point hand.....!) are required.

♠ 9 7 6 5
♥ J 10 9 5 3
♦ 9
♣ 7 6 3

If partner has shown 23/24 points: 2♣ - 2♦ - 2NT - then bid 3♣ - Stayman.
If partner bids a major, raise to game.
If partner bids 3♦ (denial) bid 3♥ showing 5 cards, looking for 4♥/3NT.

B. If an opponent opens a Weak-two Opener, and partner overcalls 2NT, showing 15-18 balanced, with a stopper, it is winning strategy to employ 3♣ as Stayman. (Transfers can also be played - "systems on"). This needs to be agreed with partner.

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2. STAYMAN after OPPONENTS DOUBLE

If your partner's 1NT opening bid (or 1NT overcall) is doubled, all bids are natural:

2♣ after a Double is no longer Stayman, but weak with five+ ♣s. It is vital that you are able to play in ♣s at the lowest level i.e. 2♣. Tournament players often choose to keep 2♣ as Stayman, so they use redouble as a rescue into ♣s (see below), and forego the use of redouble in a natural sense (Normally redouble is for business as in the auction: 1NT - Double - Redouble "We are going to make at least seven tricks in Notrumps - show me the money").


♠ 9 7 6 5
♥ 5 3
♦ 9 2
♣ 9 8 7 6 3

1NT - Double - ?
Bid 2♣ - natural, five+ ♣s weak and to play (yes, they are likely to double you, but you must surely make more tricks than you would left in 1NT doubled).


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WARNING - EXTRA ADVANCED .
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3. REDOUBLE FOR RESCUE

Having said this, many regular partnerships, especially at tournament level, agree to have "systems on" after a Double (including Transfers). They use Redouble to escape to 2♣/2♦, holding a 5-card minor suit - partner must bid 2♣, after which they pass or correct to 2♦. Sometimes it leads to the exotically named "Staveley Wriggle":

♠ 9 8 6 5
♥ 10 9 5 2
♦ 8 6 5 4
♣ 5

Partner: 1NT - Double (opponent) - Redouble (you) - Pass (opponent)
Partner: 2♣ - Double (opponent) - Redouble (you):

The first redouble forced partner to bid 2♣.
The second Redouble says "choose any suit except ♣s partner". It is called an S.O.S Redouble or more properly a "Koch-Werner" Redouble, and demands partner choose any suit except ♣s, as clearly you could not want to play in 2♣ redoubled.
Be careful with this one - only for the top tournament players (last time I did this my partner supported me to 3♣ and then left me there Redoubled - she did have five good ♣s so I managed to 'escape' for a mere 1000 points on a part-score hand.) We hadn't had that all important discussion about what system we were playing....

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END OF WARNING ;
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4. STAYMAN after OPPONENT'S OVERCALL

Bidding the opponents suit is Stayman, Bidding 3♣ shows ♣s (unless the opponents have overcalled ♣s in a natural sense - a 2♣ overcall is often conventional ).

If an opponent overcalls a suit after partner has opened 1NT, this obviously prevents you from bidding 2♣. If you want to ask partner whether she has a 4-card major, you must bid the opponent's suit at the 3-level, committing you to 3NT.

♠ Q J 6 5
♥ A 9 5 2
♦ K 5
♣ Q 10 2

1NT - 2♦ (opponent) - 3♦ (you)
    or
1NT - 2♣ (opponent) - 3♣ (you)

Your bid of the opponent's suit is 'Staymanic' and asks partner whether she has a 4-card major. The denial would be 3NT, so you need enough points for game, ideally 13+ or a good 12.

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5. INTERVENTION after STAYMAN

If an opponent intervenes after Stayman has been bid, the 1NT opener must only make the bid he would have made without any intervention, i.e. at the 2-level, but NOT 2NT.

If an opponent overcalls 2♦ you can still bid 2♥/2♠.
If an opponent overcalls 2♥ you can still bid 2♠.
If an opponent overcalls 2♠ however, the 1NT opener can no longer make one of the three possible responses and must pass, or perhaps Double.

DO NOT BID 3♥, as the Stayman 2♣ might be one of the weak varieties (e.g. very weak with long ♣s and your bid will have forced partner to bid 4♣ - not what she wanted).

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6. EXTENDED STAYMAN

I did play this with my brother Zeb for a while, but it is of questionable value, especially given its frequency and particularly for players who use Transfers.

♠ A 9 7 6 5
♥ A J 10 9 2
♦ 5
♣ 4 2

When holding moderate hands with 5-5 in the majors (for weak 5-5 hands see Weak Stayman above), you can use Stayman. If partner bids 2♥ or 2♠ you can raise to game. If partner bids 2♦ you can bid 3♦ - "Extended Stayman" - this asks partner for 3-card majors, and will help you discover your 5-3 major-suit fit. Hands which are 5-5 in the majors with slam interest are often best handled by going through Stayman 2♣. If you unearth a 5-4 fit, you chances of slam are vastly improved, and you can jump to the 4-level over partner's 2♥/2♠ - a splinter, which shows a singleton or void in the bid suit and agrees partner's major, with interest in slam. Extended Stayman is rare and most players use 3♦ after a 2♦ response to Stayman to show five+ ♦s with game values (at least).

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7. STAYMAN with TRANSFERS

If you are playing red-suit Transfers over 1NT, this allows you to use the 2♠ transfer to show a weakness take-out in either ♣s or ♦s. The 1NT opener bids 3♣ and the responder passes if weak in ♣s or corrects to 3♦ if weak in ♦s. This means you no longer need to go through Stayman 2♣ followed by 3♣ to show a weak hand with ♣s. This sequence is therefore forcing showing 5+ cards in ♣s, a 4-card major and slam interest.

When holding 5-4 in the majors, it is possible for experienced partnerships to distinguish between invitational hands and game-forcing hands. Transfers can be used to show the invitational types, but this is an area that must be agreed.

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8. DOUBLING STAYMAN

All doubles of conventional bids are lead-directing.

If your opponent bids Stayman, you should be hesitant to overcall on marginal values, especially vulnerable, as your opponents are likely to hold at least 23 points between them (Stayman usually shows 11+ points). You are guaranteed to have a second chance to bid, so pass and await developments, unless you have a good 6+ suit.

Doubling Stayman shows ♣s and is meant as a lead-directing bid (as is Doubling the 2♦ response). Please lead a ♣ partner. To make such a double, you need at least five good ♣s. If the opening side Redouble this is "To Play". You need to be cautious when doubling their Stayman (I doubled a 3♣ Stayman bid opposite a 2NT opener, which the opponents promptly redoubled, and I was only able to take two tricks with my five good ♣s. Redoubled overtricks are an expensive business.....although I did keep them out of their slam for a break-even result.
DOUBLING ANY CONVENTIONAL BID IS LEAD-DIRECTING.

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9. FIVE-CARD STAYMAN

It is normal practice for tournament players to use 5-card Stayman when their partner opens 2NT. This asks partner whether they have a 4-card or 5-card major suit. Responder needs 3+ cards in at least one of the majors and 4+ points.

The responses are:
3♦ - No 5-card major, but I do have at least one 4-card major
3♥ - I have 5 cards in ♥s
3♠ - I have 5 cards in ♠s
3NT - I have no 4-card or 5-card major.

After 3♦, responder shows her cheapest 4-card major and any 4-4 fit will be unearthed.

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10. PUPPET STAYMAN

This is one for regular partnerships, usually advanced tournament players. It is a winning convention, but comes up rarely (like nearly all conventions), so it should be taken with a pinch of salt by all but the truly dedicated.

The bidding is the same as for 5-CARD STAYMAN, except after the 3♦ response, the Stayman bidder bids such that the strong hand always plays the hand.

2NT - 3♣ - 3♦ (promising at least one four-card major) - ?

3♥ - shows 4 cards in ♠s but not in ♥s.
3♠ - shows 4 cards in ♥s but not in ♠s.
3NT - no 4-card major.
4♣- 4 cards in both majors with slam interest.
4♦ - 4 cards in both majors with no slam interest.

♠ K 10 9 7
♥ J 10 9 2
♦ 9 5 2
♣ 4 2

When partner opens 2NT, you bid 3♣, and partner responds 3♦ which denies a 5-card major but promises a 4-card major. You can now bid 4♦ which shows 4 cards in both majors and ensures the lead comes around to the strong hand, protecting partner's strength and concealing the big hand. Partner bids her major suit.

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11. MODIFIED PUPPET (aka MUPPET)

I could also tell you about Modified Puppet, which allows responder to discover any available major suit fit even when holding five cards in ♠s and four cards in ♥s (with five cards in ♥s and four cards in ♠s you simply transfer), but I'll wait until you ask. If you've made it this far you've done well. Any questions? Please don't hesitate.

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Back to OVERVIEW (in new window)
Back to top

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CONTENTS:
1. Stayman 3♣ to 2NT
2. Stayman cancelled after Double
3. Conventional Redouble option - MAJOR WARNING
4. Stayman after intervention - WARNING
5. Intervention after Stayman
6. Extended Stayman - WARNING
7. Stayman with Transfers - WARNING
8. Doubling Stayman
9. Five-Card Stayman (over 2NT) -WARNING
10. Puppet Stayman (over 2NT) - MAJOR WARNING
11. Modified Puppet - MAJOR WARNING

2:41 PM | Permalink |