Presented by Mike Savage

The basics of Minor Suit Stayman are very simple. After opener bids 1NT, a 2S bid by the responder asks him if he has a four-card minor. It can also be used over an opening 2NT or 2C followed by a 2NT rebid but now Minor Suit Stayman is 3S. In either case, if he has a minor, he bids it; if he doesn’t, he simply re-bids no-trump.

After 1NT-2S and a response by opener, what do the rebids by responder mean? It all depends on your structure of responses to 1NT. If, in your responses to 1NT: #1. You jump to 3C or 3D with an invitational hand with a six-card minor and #2. When you have a club bust, you bid 2NT, artificial – forcing a 3C response and # 3. When you have a diamond bust, you bid 2S (Minor Suit Stayman) and then correct a 2NT or 3C response to 3D; or just simply pass a 3D response, then, the standard rebids and responses shown below are the best ones for you and they are used in most experienced partnerships.

When should you use Minor Suit Stayman? You should use it when you have slam interest in the minors or have a shapely hand that might play better in a minor game than in 3NT. The only time Minor Suit Stayman is not game forcing is if you have a weak 2-suiter in the minors or have a diamond bust and your partnership method to show this is to begin with 2S and then sign off in 3D.

After using Minor Suit Stayman, any control asking bids should be six-key Roman Key-card, counting both minor suit kings as controls, as they are of almost equal importance in deciding whether to bid a slam or not. The responses are exactly the same as always; there’s just an extra control to count. Some partnerships include the queen of the “other” minor as a king, if asked for kings.

1NT-2S = Asks opener to bid a 4-card or longer minor; game forcing unless you sign off in 3C or 3D.

Responses by opener:

2NT = Denies a four-card or longer minor.

Rebids by responder (the 2S Bidder):

3C = Shows a weak 5-5 in the minors; offers a choice of minor part-score – 3C or 3D.

3D = Shows a weak hand with six diamonds and forces opener to pass.

3H or 3S = Shows a singleton with 5-4 or longer in the minors.

Over a 3NT response by opener:

4C or 4D = Shows a 6-card minor (maybe five) with continued slam interest.

3NT = To play with 2-2-5-4 or 2-2-4-5 distribution and no slam interest without a fit.

4C = Six-key Roman Key-card with clubs as trumps (both minor kings are controls).

4D = Six-key Roman Key-card with diamonds as trumps (both minor kings are controls).

4H or 4S = Shows 5-5 in the minors with a void in the suit bid and is slam invitational.

4NT = Shows 2-2-5-4 or 2-2-4-5 distribution and is slam invitational.

3C or 3D = Shows a 4-card minor; with both, bid 3D in case partner has a weak diamond bust.

Rebids by responder (the 2S bidder):

3H or 3S = Shows a singleton or a void.

3NT = Shows a minimum with very good stoppers in the bid major.

4 of the minor bid = Six-key Roman Key-card Gerber.

3NT = Can be passed; should have 2-2-5-4 or 2-2-4-5 and only mild slam interest.

4 of the minor bid = Six-key Roman Key-card Gerber.