Imagine that you hold this hand opposite a 1NT opening bid:
With 11 HCP opposite partner’s 15 to 17 HCP, you have enough points for game. But which game? If partner has 4 (or 5) Spades, it is better to play with Spades as trump (4). Otherwise, you should play 3NT.
Good news: you are going to have two tools for finding major-suit fits (in Hearts or Spades) after 1NT, and I will give you the first one here. It is known all over the world, from Abidjan to Vladivostok. It is “2 Stayman,” named after its inventor, American champion Sam Stayman.
This will be your first artificial bid: even though you bid “Clubs,” it promises nothing in Clubs.
It is simply a question: “Do you have 4 (or 5) cards in a major?”
Of course, if you ask the question, you must be interested in the answer.
That means you hold 4 cards in a major yourself, so you can find an eight-card fit (4 with opener and 4 with you as responder).
The responses to 2 Stayman:
- 2 means yes, in Hearts, and 2 means yes, in Spades. Nothing Nobel Prize-worthy so far.
- There are two more to remember: 2 means no, and 2NT means both.
Stayman in brief
| SouthS | WestW | NorthN | EastE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1NT | Pass | 21 | Pass |
| Possible responses | |||
| 22 | |||
| 23 | |||
| 24 | |||
| 2NT5 | |||
- NorthN 2
“Do you have 4 (or 5) cards in a major?”
- SouthS 2
“No, neither 4 nor 4 ”
- SouthS 2
“I have 4 (or 5)”
- SouthS 2
“I have 4 (or 5)”
- SouthS 2NT
“Both: 4 and 4 ”
To avoid going wrong
When you use Stayman after 1NT, always have at least 8 HCP. Otherwise, you risk getting too high and going down.
Partner opens 1NT. You have 9 HCP, four Hearts, and three Spades. What do you do to choose between a possible major-suit game and notrump?
You hold four Hearts, two Spades, and 10 HCP opposite 1NT. You respond 2 Stayman and partner responds 2NT. Which contract do you choose?
| SouthS | WestW | NorthN | EastE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1NT | Pass | ||
| 2 | Pass | 2NT | Pass |
Here is a very common sequence using the hand I gave you:
North’s hand
| SouthS | WestW | NorthN | EastE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1NT | Pass | 21 | Pass |
| 22 | Pass | 3NT3 | Pass |
| Pass | Pass |
- NorthN 2
“I have at least 8 HCP and 4 cards in a major. How about you?”
- SouthS 2
“Yes, I have 4”
- NorthN 3NT
“No fit there—I had 4. Good news: I have enough to play game”
You have four Hearts, two Spades, and 11 HCP. After the auction shown below, what do you bid?
| SouthS | WestW | NorthN | EastE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1NT | Pass | ||
| 2 | Pass | 2 | Pass |
After a 2NT opening, it works the same way but one level higher and with at least 5 HCP:
| SouthS | WestW | NorthN | EastE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2NT | Pass | 31 | Pass |
| Possible responses | |||
| 32 | |||
| 33 | |||
| 34 | |||
| 3NT5 | |||
- NorthN 3
“Do you have 4 or 5 cards in a major?”
- SouthS 3
“No, neither 4 nor 4 ”
- SouthS 3
“I have 4 (or 5)”
- SouthS 3
“I have 4 (or 5)”
- SouthS 3NT
“I have 4 and 4”
Partner opens 2NT. You have 6 HCP and four Hearts. After your 3, partner responds 3. Which contract do you choose, with no slam interest?
| SouthS | WestW | NorthN | EastE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2NT | Pass | ||
| 3 | Pass | 3 | Pass |
Have fun with your new tool—it is the best way to learn!
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