A One No Trump opening (15-17 points) is a powerful bid because it offers so many options to the responder. Today we will talk about one of these responses, Two Clubs, which is the Stayman convention bid meaning “Partner, I have at least 8 points and at least one four-card major. Do you have a four-card major?” The following steps are taken in an effort to find a contract that keeps the strong opening hand hidden and the weaker responding hand the dummy hand.
STEP 1: OPENER bids One No Trump (or Two No Trump) with a balanced or semi-balanced hand.
OPENER might also open with a Two Club demand bid. Then, after responder’s bid of Two Diamonds (waiting), opener could bid Two No Trump, and Stayman would be available to responder.
STEP 2: RESPONDER answers Two Clubs (or Three Clubs after a Two No Trump opening) to show he has at least eight points and at least one four card major or a four card and five card major (do not transfer with both majors four and five but do transfer with both majors five and five).
EXCEPTION: RESPONDER does not use Stayman if he has a hand that has four, three, three, three distribution. This hand will have no ruffing values. It will most likely make the same number of tricks whether it is played in a suit or in No Trump. So why not remain in No Trump?
STEP 3: OPENER now bids Two Diamonds if he does not have a four card or five card major. OPENER bids Two Hearts with four or five cards in Hearts or in BOTH Hearts and Spades. OPENER bids Two Spades with four or five cards in Spades only.
STEP 4: RESPONDER now bids the LEVEL of the contract. If OPENER has bid Two Diamonds signifying that he does not have a four card major, RESPONDER bids Two No Trump with eight or nine points inviting game. With ten or more points, responder bids Three No Trump showing that a game is probable.
If OPENER has bid Two Hearts or Two Spades, RESPONDER answers Three Hearts or Spades inviting game with four of opener’s bid suit and eight or nine points. RESPONDER answers Four Hearts or Spades with four of opener’s bid suit and ten or more points showing that a game of Hearts or Spades is probable.
If RESPONDER has bid STAYMAN, OPENER knows that if RESPONDER doesn’t have four Hearts, he must have four Spades. RESPONDER does not bid Spades! Responder just sets the level of the contract. Responder bids Two No Trump with eight or nine points inviting game. With ten or more points, responder bids Three No Trump. The reason why responder does not bid Spades is that he wants OPENER to bid Spades to keep the strong hand hidden from the eyes of the defense. Responder does not want the strong hand to be the dummy hand.
STEP 5: Remember that the RESPONDER is the CAPTAIN. But even though the RESPONDER is the captain, the OPENER does have the right to decide whether the final contract should be played in a suit or in No Trump and he may adjust the final contract to the major suit accordingly.
STEP 6: RESPONDER is the player who knows what the total assets of the partnership are. If responder has a super hand with sixteen or more points (knowing opener partner has at least fifteen points and maybe even seventeen points,) responder can decide to try for a slam. So, once responder knows if the partnership has an eight card “Magic” fit or whether the hand is best played in No Trump, he can bid “Gerber,” the convention that uses the Four Club bid to ask for aces in a No Trump contract. Or RESPONDER can bid Four No Trump which is the “Blackwood” convention that asks for aces in a suit contract.
So you see, Stayman may seem to be complicated, but it’s really very simple!
If you wish to promote an activity in your bridge group or ask a bridge question, send the information to [email protected] and I will include it in this column.
HUNTSVILLE DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB
Games for the Huntsville Club are Tuesdays, 7:15pm, Trinity United Church 33 Main Street. Please arrive 15 minutes before game time. The Winter Season Jan-Feb-Mar afternoon schedule of 1pm begins Tuesday, Jan 3. For partners and information call Susan Marshall 705 787-5454 or email [email protected]
PLEASE NOTE: Every Tuesday for the rest of the winter, the game will be held downstairs in the warm basement. To avoid the long stairs, you also may enter from the door on Main Street.
REMINDER: Dec 13 is our Christmas Party at Tall Trees 4:30pm for 5pm.
After dinner, we will return to our regular venue at Trinity United Church for our bridge game at the usual time 7:15pm. ALSO, the game is cancelled Dec 27 and starts the Winter Season afternoon schedule of 1pm on Tuesday, Jan 3. Please arrive 15 minutes early. The following winners are for Tuesday, Dec 6 with 7 tables playing a Howell movement. 1. Mary Simonett and Kel Andresen; 2. Fay MacDonald and Yvonne Cox; 3. Liz Barnes and Rod Dixon; 4. Liz Graham and Dorothy Russell; 5/6. Ann Cassie and Bruce Cassie; 5/6. Jim Smith and Ralph Mitchell
MUSKOKA DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB (Bracebridge)
Games at the Bracebridge Club are at the Knox Presbyterian Church, 120 Taylor Road 7pm Monday evenings. Please arrive 15 minutes before game time. For information or partnerships, call Brian at 705-645-5340 [email protected]
PLEASE NOTE: The game is cancelled both Dec 19 and Dec 26 and resumes Jan 2.
The following winners are from Monday, Dec 5 with 10 tables playing a Mitchell movement. North-South 1. Mary Luke and Donna McIntosh; 2. Betty Fagin and Brian Brocklehurst; 3. Pamela Jardine and Ralph Mitchell; 4. Val Rhead and Peter Rhead; 5. Mary Hogarth and Albert Eatock; East-West 1. Liz Barnes and David Bryce; 2. Kel Andresen and Jim Smith; 3. Betty Rintoul and Bev Howard; 4. Kathy Kent and David Kent; 5. Lynda Mochrie and Wayne Mochrie
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