Stayman And The Minor Suits
How to Deal with Minor Suits
Ever since Mr. George Rapee devised the Stayman conventional method, bridge players around the world have been trying to improve it. Therefore, there are many variations. Following is a variation which deals with the Minor suits. Since the original version dealt only with the Major suits, the bridge community discovered methods of modifying the concept to include the Minor suits.
The following example of the holding of the responder illustrates this variation:
| Opener |
|
|
Responder |
|
Meaning |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1 NT |
|
|
2  |
|
Stayman Convention |
The Convention of Logic and the basic guidelines of the Stayman conventional method admonish the bridge player to pass the above holding and allow the opener to declare in a 1 No Trump contract. The responder has a long Club Suit, and it appears to be useless and non-productive in continuing the auction. However, when the declarer actually plays the hand, the declarer finds that he can most likely take nine tricks. In order to reach the contract of 3 No Trump it is necessary and most effective if the Stayman convention is employed.
The responder has 7 high card points. The responder does not remain silent, but applies the Stayman convention by bidding 2 Clubs. The Stayman convention covers this case because the chance to win three extra tricks in Clubs is great, if, and only if, the No Trump bidder has a chance to get to the dummy, thereby making 3 No Trump. And the auction proceeds as follows:
| Opener |
|
|
Responder |
|
Meaning |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1 NT |
|
|
2 |
|
Stayman Convention |
2  |
|
|
3 |
|
Shows a 6-card plus Club suit and 6/7 points. |
| 3 NT |
|
|
|
|
Holding sufficient entries to the additional Club tricks, the No Trump bidder bids game. |
The opener, with a 3-card Club suit, recognizes a guaranteed entry to the long Club suit and bids 3 No Trump.
Note: As the bridge player can recognize from the above example, if the the Clubs split 4-0, then the opponent can duck three times thereby refusing declarer an entry to the remaining winning Club tricks. However, with the Queen of Diamonds the declarer may be able to regain entry. The bridge student will also recognize that there are no guarantees that this concept will function successfully every time, but at least the bridge player can take a calculated risk.
Strength Requirements
The requirements for the Minor Suits are a minimum of 6-7 high card points and a good 6-card Minor suit with several top honors.
| Opener |
|
|
Responder |
|
Meaning |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1 NT |
|
|
2 |
|
Stayman Convention |
2  |
|
|
3  |
|
Shows a 6-card plus Diamonds suit and 6/7 points. |
| Pass |
|
|
|
|
Holding insufficient entries to the additional Diamond tricks, the No Trump bidder passes. |
The opener, realizing that the Diamonds are blocked, does not see any possible entry to the 6-card Diamond suit of his partner and passes.
What happens in that case when the No Trump bidder has no 4-card Major suit, and responds 2 Diamonds. The responder does not waiver, but continues to let his partner know that he does have a 6-card Diamond Suit by bidding 3 Diamonds. If the No Trump bidder discovers an entry, then he bids 3 No Trump. If he has no entry, he decides to discontinue any further bidding, because he realizes that his holding does not allow the number of entries necessary to run the long Diamond suit. The two holdings are not compatible to continue the auction.
Therefore, that additional entry to the Minor suit in the dummy is the most important factor in the auction.
Slam Values in Minor Suits
When the responder has possible slam values in a Minor suit, the responder also uses another feature of the Stayman conventional method to bid his holding. Instead of responding 2 Clubs, the responder jumps in the Minor suit, in which he holds a 6-card plus suit. This action alerts the No Trump bidder to a possible Minor suit slam, as shown in the following illustration:
| Opener |
|
|
Responder |
|
Meaning |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1 NT |
|
|
3 |
|
Promises slam values in the Diamond suit. |
After the partner opens a No Trump, the responder jumps one level in Diamonds, (or Clubs, if Clubs), informing the No Trump bidder that he has a good 6-card Diamond suit and possible slam values.
In the above example, the auction will proceed as follows:
| Opener |
|
|
Responder |
|
Meaning |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1 NT |
|
|
3 |
|
Promises slam values in the Diamond suit. |
| 4 |
|
|
|
|
Partner accepts a slam try in Diamonds. |
| |
|
|
4 NT |
|
Aces or Keycard asking bid. |
| 5 |
|
|
|
|
Blackwood responses (for example), showing 2 Aces. |
| 5 |
|
|
|
|
RKC Blackwood 1430 responses (for example), showing 0 or 3 Keycards. |
| |
|
|
6 |
|
1 Ace of Key Card is missing and the partnership stops in a small slam. |
A 6 Diamonds final contract is a safe and secure final contract with the above holdings of the two bridge players. However, as one can see, a final contract of 6 No Trump is also possible. The essential element of the partnership is to use a bidding method establishing either the possession of the Ace of Hearts or the Queen of Hearts to successfully bid 6 No Trump. The result would be a better score.
If you wish to include this feature, or any other feature, of the game of bridge in your partnership agreement, then please make certain that the concept is understood by both partners. Be aware whether or not the feature is alertable or not and whether an announcement should or must be made. Check with the governing body and/or the bridge district and/or the bridge unit prior to the game to establish the guidelines applied. Please include the particular feature on your convention card in order that your opponents are also aware of this feature during the bidding process, since this information must be made known to them according to the Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge. We do not always include the procedure regarding Alerts and/or Announcements, since these regulations are changed and revised during time by the governing body. It is our intention only to present the information as concisely and as accurately as possible.
 |
 |
 |
| Claus and Raymond |
Conventions |
Bridge Sites |
| |
 |
 |
|
| Home Page |
Glossary |
Home Page II |
| |
|
|
|
| Response Methods |
|
Glossary |
| |
|
|