StaymanPuPpEt                

 

 

                  A La ROMEX (Smolen 5/4 Majors Included)

with 3S/3NT Inversions

Presented by Mike Savage

 

     This step response method will ensure that all major suit 8-card or better fits will be found and that the 2NT opener will always be declarer in any major suit contract as well (usually right-siding the play).

     For those partnerships that the memory strain in remembering my added 3S/3NT inversions shown in red below is too heavy, you can reverse them and have 3S actually show spades (imagine that J!) and have bidding 3NT mean that you just want to play 3NT. If you do so, you will occasionally have the responding hand declaring 4S instead of the big hand, which will sometimes wrong-side the play.                 

2NT (a 2NT opener or a 2NT rebid after having opened 2C) showing a very big, balanced hand:

3C = Asks if opener has a four or a 5-card major and can eventually show five spades and four hearts

            3D = Denies five spades, five hearts – or four hearts

                        3H = Asks if opener has four spades

                                 3S = Shows four spades

                                 3NT = Denies four spades

                        3S = Relay to 3NT

                        3NT = Shows five spades and four hearts (so if you play in 4S, the big hand plays it)

                                    Pass = Shows two spades

                                    4S = Shows at least three spades

            3H = Shows five or four hearts

                     3S = Asks if opener has five or four hearts.

                              3NT = Shows four hearts

                              4H = Shows five hearts

            3S = Shows five spades

            3NT = Shows two four-card majors

                        4D = Transfer to hearts (responder has four hearts)

                        4H = Transfer to spades (responder has four spades)

3D = Transfer to hearts

          3H = Accepting the transfer

                   3S = Relay to 3NT with five hearts

                            3NT = Shows two hearts

                            4H = Shows at least three hearts

                   3NT = Shows four spades as well as five hearts (so if you play 4S, the big hand plays it)

                               Pass = Less than four spades and only two hearts

                               4H = Shows three or more hearts

                               4S = Shows four spades

3H = Transfer to spades

          3S = Accepting the transfer

                   3NT = Shows five spades

                               Pass = Shows two spades

                               4S = Shows at least three spades

3S = Not part of Puppet Stayman and needs partnership agreement. It could be used for either of these:

         #1. Minor Suit Stayman – asking if opener has a four-card minor.

         #2. Artificial relay to 3NT in order to next show a one-suited minor hand with slam interest.