Stayman Convention - Standard Stayman

Standard Stayman

After an opening bid or an overcall of 1NT (2NT), responder bids 2♣ (3♣) (artificial) to ask opener or overcaller to bid a four card major suit headed by a Queen minimum if he has one. This bid promises four cards in at least one of the major suits and, in standard form, enough strength to continue bidding after partner's response (8 HCP for an invitational bid opposite a standard 1NT showing 15-17 HCP or 5 HCP to go to game opposite a standard 2NT showing 20-21 points). It also promises distribution that is not 4333. By invoking the Stayman convention, the responder takes control of the bidding since strength and distribution of the opener's hand is already known within a limited range. The opener responds with the following rebids.

• 2♦ (3♦) denies four or more cards in either major suit.
• 2♥ (3♥) shows at least four hearts.
• 2♠ (3♠) shows at least four spades.

A notrump opener should have neither a suit longer than five cards nor more than one 5-card suit since an opening notrump bid shows a balanced hand. A notrump bidder who has at least four cards in each major suit normally responds in the longer or stronger major, with a preference given to spades.

In the standard form of Stayman over 1NT, the responder has a number of options depending on his partner's answer:

• If the notrump opener names a major suit and the responder has four cards in that suit, the responder bids three of the notrump bidder's suit (invitational) with 8-9 HCP or four of the notrump bidder's major suit (game) with 10 or more HCP.
• If the notrump bidder bids a major suit in which the responder does not have at least four cards, the responder may bid 2NT (invitational) with 8-9 HCP or 3NT (game) with 10 or more HCP. However, if responder has 5 cards in the unnamed major, he may bid it at a convenient level in an attempt to find a 5-3 fit.
• If the notrump bidder bids 2♦, denying a 4-card major, responder may bid his 5 card major with a call of 2 of his major with 8-9 HCP, or with a call of 3 of his major with 10 HCP. This allows notrump bidder to find game in a major with a 5-3 split. Otherwise, opener has the option to retreat to the appropriate notrump contract.

Over these bids, the notrump bidder (1) with a maximum hand (17 HCP), goes to game over an invitational bid and (2) with four (or more) cards in each major suit, corrects to the previously unbid major suit.

In the standard form of Stayman over 2NT, the responder has only two normal rebids.

• If the notrump bidder names a major suit and the responder has four cards in that suit, the responder bids four of the notrump bidder's suit (game).
• If the notrump bidder names a major suit in which the responder does not have at least four cards or bids diamonds to deny a major suit, the responder bids 3NT (game). If the notrump bidder has four cards in each major suit, the notrump bidder corrects to the previously unbid major suit.

In either case, a responder who rebids notrump over a response in a major suit promises four cards of the other major suit. Thus, a notrump opener who holds at least four cards in each major suit should "correct" by bidding the other major suit at the lowest level.

Of course, once a fit is found, responder who has sufficient strength also may bid 4♣ (Gerber) or 4NT (Blackwood), or cue bid aces, depending upon partnership agreement, to explore slam in any of the above sequences. Some partnerships also admit responder's rebids of a major suit that the notrump bidder did not name.

A bid of 4♣ over an opening bid of 3NT may be either Stayman or Gerber, depending upon the partnership agreement.

If an adverse minor suit bid is inserted immediately after a 1 NT opening, Stayman may be employed via a double or a cue bid, depending on the strength of his hand. The cue bid is completely artificial and means nothing other than invoking Stayman. For example, if South opens 1 NT, and West overcalls 2 Diamonds, North, if he has adequate values, may call 3 Diamonds, invoking Stayman. South would then show his major or bid game in NT. Alternatively, North, of his hand lacks the values for game in NT, may double, which by partnership agreement employs Stayman. This keeps the Stayman bidding at level 2.

Partnerships who had not used Stayman but choose to adopt Stayman will need to adjust their use of normal level 2 responses after a 1 NT opening, because the availability of this convention changes the nature of what had been normal 1 NT responses. When the notrump bidder's partner does not invoke Stayman but instead calls 2 Hearts or 2 Spades, it is a sign of relative weakness (since if responder held 8 HCP or more, he'd have invoked Stayman). These bids are commonly referred to as "drop dead bids", as the opening NT bidder is requested to withdraw from the auction. If opener has maximum values, a fit, and strong support, he may raise to level 3, but under no circumstances may he take any other action. This provides the partnership with an advantage that the non-Stayman partnership doesn't enjoy. For example, a responder may have no honors at all; that is, a total of zero HCP. His partner is likely to be set if he passes. A non-Stayman responder would have to pass, because to bid would provoke a rebid. But a Stayman responder can respond to his partner's 1 NT opening at level 2 if he has a 6 card non-club suit. The responder with 3 HCP and a singleton can make a similar call with a 5 card non-club suit. This gives the partnership a better than even chance of success in making the contract, whereas without a response (and without Stayman), the contract would likely be set.

Similarly, a response of 2 Diamonds indicates less than 8 hcps and should usually be passed. In rare cases, when the opener has maximum values and a fit in Diamonds with at least two of the top three honors, he may raise Diamonds, and responder may see a chance for game in notrump.

There are many variations on this basic theme, and partnership agreement may alter the details of its use. It is one of the most widely used conventions in bridge.