Stayman
Stayman is the most used relay in bridge. This convention helps find 4-4 fit in a major.
The vanilla Stayman requires 9+ points to 1NT and 6+ points to 2NT in order to safely sign off at the next notrump when no major fit is found. This also implies an exactly 4-card major and denies a 6-card major. Transfer with a 6-card major because a fit is already found.
Stayman is unlimited and gives no information about minors. It is possible that responder pursues 6NT or bids a 5-card minor in later rounds.
Garbage Stayman
As the most frequent rebids are simple ♠, ♥, and ♦, responder can psych a Stayman with a ♠-♥-♦ 3-suiter with insufficient strength. Such a legitimized psych is Garbage Stayman.
Criteria for a 3-suiter are less strict here. The 5-4-3-1 pattern also counts as a 3-suiter, which ironically provides 56% of hands to this convention. However, a 5-card major is unacceptable because a transfer scores more.
An 1NT opening is assumed in the following examples.
- ♠Q83 ♥10984 ♦J10743 ♣2
- Off-shape Garbage Stayman.
- ♠QJ52 ♥10975 ♦8632 ♣4
- In-shape Garbage Stayman.
- ♠J532 ♥108764 ♦AJ7 ♣7
- Bid ♦ to transfer to hearts.
Opener's rebids
A 5-card major is allowed as an 1NT opener in Wbridge5. Hence, there are 5-card major rebids after 1NT-2♣.
- 2♦
- No biddable major.
- 2♥
- Exactly 4 cards in hearts without biddable spades
- 2♠
- Exactly 4 cards in spades without biddable hearts.
- 2NT(!)
- Exactly 4-4 in majors.
- 3♣!
- Minimum with 5 cards in hearts.
- 3♦!
- Minimum with 5 cards in spades.
- 3♥!
- Maximum with 5 cards in hearts.
- 3♠!
- Maximum with 5 cards in spades.
The notrump response showing majors is French standard but unexpected outside. Therefore, it requires an alert in most countries.
There is no 5-card major in a 2NT opener. The rebids after 2NT-3♣ are just one level up from 1NT-2♣.
Second responses to an 1NT opener
1NT-2♣; 2♦
Opener denies a 4-card major. As a consequence, the only possible major fits are 3-5, so a second response should show 5 cards. A 5-card major implies 4 cards in the other major as Stayman requires an exactly 4-card major.
- Pass
- Garbage Stayman.
- Notrump
- Showing strength as no Stayman.
- 2♥, 2♠
- Invitational+, 5 cards (which implies 4 cards in the other major).
- 3♣, 3♦
- Forcing to game, 5+ cards.
1NT-2♣; 2♥
Opener's major rebid denies the other major as in the French system. Responder immediately knows if there is any major fit. Opener can infer exactly 4 cards in the other major from a misfit second response.
- Pass
- Garbage Stayman.
- 2NT
- Invitational, 0~3 support.
- 3♣, 3♦
- Forcing to game, 5+ cards, 0~3 support, some singleton or void.
- 3♥
- Invitational, 4+ support.
- 3NT
- Signoff, 0~3 support.
- 3♠!, 4♣!, 4♦!
- Splinter, slam try (14+ points), 0~1 cards, 4+ support.
- 4♥
- Signoff, 4+ support.
- 4NT
- RKCB 0314
- 6NT, 7NT
- To play, 0~3 support.
2♠ as a fitted slam try puppet
The 2♠ response is unallocated in Wbridge5. I think 2♠ should be used for slam try and giving up quantitative invitation is a bad idea. Therefore, I made some modification to this system.
The 2♠ response is now a puppet because there is no need to find a fit in spades. After opener puppets to 2NT, responder would bid a control or RKCB.
- 2♠!
- Slam try, puppet to 2NT, 16+ points, 4+ support.
- 4NT, 5NT
- Quantitative invitation, 0~3 support.
1NT-2♣; 2♠
- Pass
- Garbage Stayman.
- 2NT
- Invitational, 0~3 support.
- 3♣, 3♦
- Forcing to game, 5+ cards, 0~3 support, some singleton or void.
- 3♥
- Slam try, 16+ points, 4+ cards, 4+ support.
- 3♠
- Invitational, 4+ support.
- 3NT
- Signoff, 0~3 support.
- 4♣!, 4♦!, 4♥!
- Splinter, slam try (14+ points), 0~1 cards, 4+ support.
- 4♠
- Signoff, 4+ support.
- 4NT
- RKCB 0314
- 6NT, 7NT
- To play, 0~3 support.
3♥ as a fitted slam try puppet
Again, why abandon quantitative invitations? I would artificialize 3♥ to a puppet, freeing 4NT. There is no need to find a fit in hearts, so we can treat 3♥ like a cuebid. After opener puppets to 3♠, responder would bid a control or RKCB.
- 3♥!
- Slam try, puppet to 3♠, 16+ points, 4+ support.
- 4NT, 5NT
- Quantitative invitation, 0~3 support.
1NT-2♣; 2NT(!)
Opener's notrump rebid shows both majors. As a major fit is found, there is no need to find a minor fit. Minor bids are South African transfers to clarify strength.
For Garbage Stayman, the Wbridge5 program generates questionable 1NT-2♣; 2NT-3M auctions. Therefore, the responding structure is modified in this book.
The transfers are now strong or weak. Garbage Stayman is moved to minors, prepared to pass as transfer completed. Keeping bidding after transfer shows game-forcing strength. This makes the natural bids exclusively invitational. Opener no longer bids an incorrect game when responder has garbage.
- 3♣!
- Garbage Stayman or forcing to game, 4+ cards in hearts.
- 3♦!
- Garbage Stayman or forcing to game, 4+ cards in spades.
- 3♥, 3♠
- Invitational, 4+ cards.
1NT-2♣; 3♣!
Because open has shown strength, quantitative invitation is no longer needed.
- 3♦
- Forcing to game, 5+ cards, 0~2 cards in hearts.
- 3♥
- Signoff, 3+ cards.
- 3NT
- Signoff, 0~2 cards in hearts.
- 4♣
- Forcing to game, 6+ cards, 0~2 cards in hearts.
- 4♥
- Signoff in game, 3+ cards.
- 4NT
- RKCB 0314
I propose using the unallocated 3♠ as an artificial slam try which starts control bidding.
1NT-2♣; 3♦!
- 3♠
- Signoff, 3+ cards.
- 3NT
- Signoff, 0~2 cards in spades.
- 4♣, 4♦
- Forcing to game, 6+ cards, 0~2 cards in hearts.
- 4♠
- Signoff in game, 3+ cards.
- 4NT
- RKCB 0314
I propose using the unallocated 3♥ as an artificial slam try which starts control bidding.
1NT-2♣; 3♥!
- Pass
- Garbage Stayman.
- 3NT
- Signoff, 0~2 cards in hearts.
- 4♣, 4♦
- Forcing to game, 6+ cards, 0~2 cards in hearts.
- 4♥
- Signoff, 3+ cards.
- 4NT
- RKCB 0314
I propose using the unallocated 3♠ as an artificial slam try which starts control bidding.
1NT-2♣; 3♠!
- Pass
- Garbage Stayman.
- 3NT
- Signoff, 0~2 cards in spades.
- 4♣, 4♦
- Forcing to game, 6+ cards, 0~2 cards in hearts.
- 4♠
- Signoff, 3+ cards.
- 4NT
- RKCB 0314
I propose using the unallocated 4♥ as an artificial slam try which starts control bidding.
Second responses to an 2NT opener
The 2NT opener has significantly more points, and a vanilla Stayman requires game-forcing strength now. There are some adjustments to reflect this change.
2NT-3♣; 3♦
- Pass
- Garbage Stayman.
- Notrump
- Showing strength as no Stayman.
- 3♥!
- Smolen, 5 cards in spades.
- 3♠!
- Smolen, 5 cards in hearts.
- 4♣, 4♦
- Slam try, 5+ cards.
2NT-3♣; 3♠/♥
Structure is unchanged from 1NT-2♣; 2♠/♥.
2NT-3♣; 3NT(!)
There is no invitation here, so direct 4♠/♥ become signoffs including Garbage Stayman. As a logical consequence, the South African transfers become slam tries. Nevertheless, they are not puppets because opener can bid a control instead of completing transfer, e.g. 2NT-3♣; 3NT-4♣; 4♦ shows a control in diamonds.
- 4♣!
- Slam try, 4+ cards in hearts, starting control bidding.
- 4♦!
- Slam try, 4+ cards in spades, starting control bidding.
- 4♥, 4♠
- Signoff, 4+ cards.