2.1 Responses to 1NT
Non-Forcing Stayman
| West | North | East | South |
|---|
| |
1NT |
Pass |
2♣ |
| Pass |
? |
|
|
| 2♦ |
No 4+ major |
| 2♥ |
4+ hearts, might have 4 spades |
| 2♠ |
4+ spades, denies 4 hearts |
| West | North | East | South |
|---|
| |
1NT |
Pass |
2♣ |
| Pass |
2♦ |
Pass |
? |
| 2♥ |
Weak hand, 4+ in both majors, asks for 2-level preference |
| 2♠ |
4 hearts, 5 spades, invitational to game (there is no corresponding bid to show 5 hearts, 4 spades - see next) |
| 2NT |
Invitational to game, may or may not have a 4-card major, might include 5 hearts and 4 spades, so opener should bid 3♥ if accepting with 3-cards in hearts. |
| 3♣ |
Natural and forcing, includes 4-card major and longer clubs |
| 3♦ |
Natural and forcing, includes 4-card major and longer diamonds |
| 3♥ |
5 hearts, 4 spades, choice of games |
| 3♠ |
5 spades, 4 hearts, choice of games |
| 3NT |
To play |
| 4♣ |
Gerber |
| 4♦ |
Unused |
| 4♥ |
6+ hearts, 4 spades, to play |
| 4♠ |
6+ spades, 4 hearts, to play |
| 4NT |
Invitational to 6NT |
| 5♣ - 5♠ |
Unused |
| 5NT |
Invitational to 7NT (forcing to 6NT) |
| 6NT |
To play |
Note
This is a non-standard treatment of Stayman. The advantages are that you can always sign off in the best major suit fit, even with a very weak hand. The disadvantage is that you might play in 2NT instead of 3♥ when you have an invitational hand with 4 spades and 5 hearts opposite a minimum. Since this happens less often than the number of hands with which you can improve the part score when you have both majors, it is a good proposition, especially at Matchpoinon]
An excellent alternative is to reverse the meanings of 3♥ and 3♠, allowing opener to bid the major when you have a 5-3 fit. So, 1NT - 2♣; 2♦ - 3♥ shows 5 spades and 4 hearts, and 1NT - 2♣; 2♦ - 3♠ shows 4 spades and 5 hearts. This is called Smolen. It can be used over a 2NT opener as well.
|
| 2♠ |
4 Spades, invitational to game |
| 2NT |
No major, invitational to game |
| 3♣ |
4 Spades, longer clubs |
| 3♦ |
4 Spades, longer diamonds |
| 3♥ |
Invitational to game, 4+ hearts |
| 3♠ |
Game force, artificial raise of hearts — use this to set a trump suit for cue-bidding or RKCB |
| 3NT |
4 Spades, choice of games |
| 4♣ |
Gerber |
| 4♦ |
Unused |
| 4♥ |
To play |
| 4♠ |
Not used |
| 4NT |
Invitational to 6NT or 6♠ |
| 5♣ - 5♠ |
Not used |
| 5NT |
Invitational to 7NT or 7♠ |
| 2NT |
Invitational, may or may not have 4-card major (hearts) |
| 3♣ |
4 Hearts, longer clubs |
| 3♦ |
4 Hearts, longer diamonds |
| 3♥ |
Game force, artificial raise of spades — use this to set a trump suit for cue-bidding or RKCB |
| 3♠ |
Invitational to game, 4+ spades |
| 3NT |
4 Spades, choice of games |
| 4♣ |
Gerber |
| 4♦ |
Not used |
| 4♥ |
Not used |
| 4♠ |
To Play |
| 4NT |
Invitational to 6NT |
| 5♣ - 5♠ |
Not used |
| 5NT |
Invitational to 7NT |
| 6NT |
To play |
Notice the use of the bid of the other major at the three-level as an artificial forcing raise. We have no other use for this bid, since if you just had 5 of that suit, you would have started with a transfer unless you have four cards in the Major partner just bid. This allows 1NT - 2♣; 2♥ - 3♠; ? - 4NT to be RKCB, while 1NT - 2♣; 2♥ - 4NT is a quantitative raise without Heart support (so must have 4 spades), and asks partner to pass or bid 5♠ if he does not accept the slam try, or choose between 6♠ and 6NT if he does.
| West | North | East | South |
|---|
| |
1NT |
Pass |
2♣ |
| Pass |
2♥ |
Pass |
3♣ |
| Pass |
? |
|
|
| 3♦ |
Cue bid in support of clubs |
| 3♥ |
Cue bid in support of clubs |
| 3♠ |
Natural (responder has shown 4 spades and longer clubs) |
| 3NT |
Poor hand for clubs, less than 4 spades |
| 4♣ & higher |
not used |
| West | North | East | South |
|---|
| |
1NT |
Pass |
2♣ |
| Pass |
2♠ |
Pass |
3♦ |
| Pass |
? |
|
|
| 3♥ |
Cue bid in support of diamonds (if you had 4 hearts, you would have bid them last time) |
| 3♠ |
Cue bid in support of diamonds |
| 3NT |
Poor hand for diamonds |
| 4♣ & higher |
not used |
Jacoby Transfers