Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Responding to Stayman

Read the Introducing Stayman post first.

When you open the bidding 1NT sometimes Partner wants to know if you hold a 4 card major in your hand. To ask you they bid 2♣ Stayman. Just like when Partner opens 1 of a minor we bid our 4 card suits up the line. That means if you have both 4 and 4 ♠ you tell Partner about the first. If you do not have a 4 card major you reply 2. This says nothing about your suit. It just says you do not have a 4 card major.

Summary that states your only possible responses when Partner bids 2♣ Stayman to your 1NT opening bid:
Bid What the bid means
2 Partner I do NOT have a 4 card major.
2 Partner I have 4 . I MIGHT have 4 ♠.
2♠ Partner I have 4 ♠. I do NOT have 4 .


Question: Why can't I jump to 3NT to show partner I have a nice hand?
Answer: You have told Partner you have a nice hand when you opened the bidding 1NT. It is now up to Partner to decide where to play the hand. Partner knows your hand. You have no idea what Partner's hand is. Partner is asking you a question. Please just answer them.

Question: Can I jump to 3 of my Major if I opened 1NT with a 5 card major?
Answer: No. Opening 1NT with a 5 card major is an easy way to tell Partner you have 15 to 17 points. But once you decide to do that there is no way to let Partner know you have 5 of them. Jumping to 3 of the major will just make things more difficult and confuse Partner. Before you open the hand decide if you want to tell Partner you have a 5 card major or whether or not you want to tell Partner you have 15 to 17 points. You can't do both easily. That would be like having your cake and eating it too. Make your choice and live with it.

Question: I have 4 really bad ♠. Should I tell Partner about them?
Answer: Yes. Maybe Partner has really good ones. Maybe not. Your 4-4 fit rates to be better than NT in any case.

Question: Can I skip over my bad 4 card suit to show Partner my really good 4 card ♠ suit?
Answer: No. Bid your 4 card suits up the line. You are not saying you have a good 4 card suit. Just a 4 card suit.

Let's test out this knowledge. On each of the following hands you opened the bidding 1NT. Partner answered 2♣ Stayman. What will you bid and what are you telling Partner?

Hand 1

♠KQJ2
Q62
KQJ3
♣J9



Hand 2

♠KJ5
Q97
KQ65
♣A74



Hand 3

♠K654
KJ8
AJ86
♣K4



Hand 4

♠53
KQ5
Q864
♣AKQ5



Hand 5

♠Q84
AKJ7
Q542
♣KT



Hand 6

♠J3
K95
AQJ9
♣KJ93



Hand 7

♠763
AK4
K852
♣AJ3



Hand 8

♠Q854
KQ7
AQ74
♣K2



Hand 9

♠QT3
J98
A732
♣AKJ



Hand 10

♠AJ8
A842
KQ3
♣KT7



Hand 11

♠QT73
QJ6
K954
♣AK



Hand 12

♠AJT3
KQ32
95
♣KQ9



Hand 13

♠AK5
Q84
KQ7
♣Q653



Hand 14

♠8532
AK
KQ4
♣K974



Hand 15

♠A63
AK74
A43
♣T82



Hand 16

♠K3
KJ42
832
♣AKQ4



Hand 17

♠A73
Q7
AK62
♣QT43



Hand 18

♠A962
A8
K32
♣A872



Hand 19

♠A964
K4
J86
♣AK87



Hand 20

♠AJ72
AQ3
QT94
♣K8



Hand 21

♠AKJ
J93
KQJ3
♣J83



Hand 22

♠AK9
65
KJT2
♣KJ84



Hand 23

♠AQ9
K432
KJ6
♣KT7



Hand 24

♠AQ95
QJ
J85
♣AQT3



Hand 25

♠AQJ2
52
QT8
♣AQT4



Hand 26

♠K6
KJT8
AQ8
♣Q532



Hand 27

♠K72
K874
KQ
♣AQT8



Hand 28

♠KQ86
A942
K9
♣QJ4



Hand 29

♠KQJ3
KQ43
QJ3
♣J4



Hand 30

♠KT5
KQ74
K86
♣KJ5



Hand 31

♠QJT3
AKQ2
T2
♣A42



Hand 32

♠T43
QT75
AQ92
♣AK



Hand 33

♠KJ7
Q86
AKQ3
♣T83



Hand 34

♠QJ7
AKJ5
J2
♣AJ43



Hand 35

♠KQ
AT93
862
♣AQ76



Hand 36

♠Q96
AT
KQ75
♣AQ65



Hand 37

♠KQT5
85
AKT4
♣A96



Hand 38

♠JT94
T32
AK4
♣AKJ



Hand 39

♠KJ7
QJ96
T7
♣AKJ7



Hand 40

♠K532
AKQJ
82
♣A95



Hand 41

♠AQ52
73
AT84
♣KQ4



Hand 42

♠AQ6
A73
A65
♣K982



Hand 43

♠AQT3
K872
Q94
♣A7



Hand 44

♠AQ4
532
AQ432
♣K9



Hand 45

♠AQ
7654
AJ92
♣AQ4



Hand 46

♠A32
A543
AJ
♣QJ86



Hand 47

♠A95
QJ94
J5
♣AQJ3



Hand 48

♠AKQ8
JT43
76
♣AK8



Hand 49

♠QT8
AK32
K53
♣AJT



Hand 50

♠QJ5
QT5
AQ4
♣KQ43



Hand 51

♠K6
KQ4
AK93
♣QT53



Hand 52

♠KJ
AJ76
AQT5
♣Q52



Hand 53

♠942
AKQT
JT
♣AJ83



Hand 54

♠AQ98
A6
J43
♣KQT3



Hand 55

♠A9
KQ42
Q76
♣KJ87



Hand 56

♠A4
QJ95
K962
♣AQ7



Hand 57

♠A87
KQT8
QJ7
♣A85



Hand 58

♠AK54
QJT9
K94
♣K3



Hand 59

♠AJ52
QJ9
KJ5
♣KQ4



Hand 60

♠52
K973
KQ5
♣AQJ2



Hand 61

♠AJ8
AJ42
AQ3
♣T53



Hand 62

♠A9
KJ97
AK7
♣T654



Hand 63

♠K75
A872
K8
♣KQJ3



Hand 64

♠AJ72
J9
KJ2
♣KQ83



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