Responding to Stayman (Easier)

Read the Introducing Stayman (Easier) 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, 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 the three responses you give 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: 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