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Stayman Bridge Convention

Stayman Convention - One of the most popular conventions used by Bridge players, using a 2C response to partner's 1 Notrump or 2 Notrump opening bid to locate a major suit fit.

Sam Stayman's tournament partner George Rapee introduced the artificial 2 Club response to partner's 1 Notrump opener.  However, George was less interested in popularizing the conventional treatment than enjoying the benefits of its use, generously allowing Stayman its namesake in 1945.  Throughout the years, the Stayman convention has been one of the top three conventions in the card game of Bridge.

Over Opener's 1 Notrump opening bid, the responder generally uses the 2C response with invitational or better values (3C when opener bid 2N, etc).


Picture of Sam Stayman

Note 1: Stayman is not recommended with a 4-3-3-3 distribution since the dummy then has no ruffing power.  With a completely balanced hand, consider using Stayman only when the super-balanced hand containing a 4 card major is headed by Ace, King, and Queen.

Note 2: This discussion assumes the partners are also playing Jacoby Transfers, which affects the treatment of certain Stayman bids.  See comments.

Note 3: Most of the treatments below do not apply to Puppet Stayman.

Note 4: This discussion covers the Non Forcing Stayman, with examples assuming opener's 1 Notrump range is 15-17 points (also see Doublebarrel Stayman).

1 Notrump
Opener

Game Points
    Needed

Responder's Minimum Invitational  Points to use  Stayman

10-12 (weak)

25

13-14 points

12-14 (weak)

25

11-12 points

15-17 (strong)
Most commonly used range

25

8-9 points

16-18 (strong)

25

7-8 points

Any

Does not apply

0 points,Garbage Stayman
with shortage in Clubs


2 Notrump
Opener

20-21

25

3-4 points


In response to the 1N - 2C Stayman bid, opener must make one of 3 rebids:

Case Example Description
A. 1N - 2C;
2D          

No 4 card major

B. 1N - 2C;
2H          

Promising a 4 card Heart fit; with both 4 card majors, first bid 2H "up the line"; Note - alternative methods are to play "down the line" or to simply first bid the stronger 4 card suit

C. 1N - 2C;
2S
         

Promising a 4 card Spade fit, denying 4 Hearts


Case A. 
After 1N - 2C; 2D   responder's rebids are:

Auction Description
1N - 2C;
2 any - Pass   

With a sub-minimum hand and a shortage in Clubs, simply pass.  This technique is known as a "Garbage Stayman" indicating responder wishes to place the contract in any suit other than Notrump or Clubs.

If opener rebids 2D:

1N - 2C;
2D - P;   

Pass with a sub-minimum hand and a shortage in Clubs
(if Responder's intentions shows a "Garbage Stayman")

1N - 2C;
2D - 2H

Bid 2H with an invitational hand, 5 Hearts and 4 Spades (although some play this says nothing about Spades) ; Note - others play an alternative "Crawling Stayman", showing 0-7 points and require opener to either pass or correct to 2S holding 3 Spades.

1N - 2C;
2D - 2S;
 

Bid 2S with an invitational hand, 5 Spades and 4 Hearts (although some play this says nothing about Hearts); Note - others play an alternative "Crawling Stayman", showing 0-7 points and require opener to pass.


1N - 2C;
2D - 2N
 

Bid 2N with an invitational hand and less than 5 cards in a major (8-9 points by responder, assuming 15-17 point opener).

1N - 2C;
2D - 3C;
 

Bid 3C/3D to show a slam invitational hand in the respective minor.  Note: some players (that do not play Jacoby Transfers to the minors) prefer to play 3C/3D as a weak signoff bid with a long minor suit; further, some players play this as showing game invitational values; Note: an advanced treatment uses this bid to show a 4 card major and 5+ cards in the minor.

1N - 2C;
2D - 3H;

Bid 3H/S to show a game forcing hand with 5 in the major;  Note: some play this as showing the other major (Smolen Convention).

1N - 2C;
2D - 3N;
 

Bid 3N with a game promising hand, just above the invitational range but less than slam range (10-14 points by responder, assuming 15-17 point opener)


1N - 2C;
2D - 4N;
 

Bid 4N (Quantitative Slam try) with a slam invitational hand (15-16 points by responder, assuming 15-17 point opener).


1N - 2C;
2D - 5N;
 

Bid 5N (Quantitative Grandslam try) with a grandslam invitational hand (19-20 points by responder, assuming 15-17 point opener).


1N - 2C;
2D - 6N;
 

Bid 6N with a slam promising hand, (17-18 points by responder, assuming 15-17 point opener)


Case B. 
After 1N - 2C; 2H by opener promises a 4+ card Heart suit:

1N - 2C;
2H          

2H by opener promises 4+Hearts, may have 4+ Spades
(bidding "up the line") with both 4 card majors, first bid 2H; Note - alternative methods are to play "down the line" or to simply first bid the stronger 4 card suit

1N - 2C;
2H - 2N;

Bid 2N with an invitational hand and no 4 card Heart suit (8-9 points by responder, assuming 15-17 point opener)

1N - 2C;
2H - 2S:

Bid 2S with an invitational hand and a 5 card Spade suit (8-9 points by responder, assuming 15-17 point opener)

1N - 2C;
2H - 3C;
 

Bid 3C to show a slam invitational hand in the respective minor.  Note: some players (that do not play Jacoby Transfers to the minors) prefer to play 3C/3D as a weak signoff bid with a long minor suit; further, some players play this as showing game invitational values

1N - 2C;
2H - 3H;

Bid 3H to show a 4+ card Heart fit and an invitational hand (8-9 points by responder, assuming 15-17 point opener)

1N - 2C;
2H - 3S;

Bid 3S with a game forcing hand and a 5 card Spade suit (10-14 points by responder, assuming 15-17 point opener); Note - an advanced treatment uses this as a slam try in Spades (remember the acronym "ST TOMAS" Stayman Then The Other Major Asks Slam")

1N - 2C;
2H - 3N;

Bid 3N with a game forcing hand and no 4 card Heart suit (10-14 points by responder, assuming 15-17 point opener)

1N - 2C;
2H - 4C;

Bid Blackwood asking 4C with a slam invitational hand and 4+ card Heart suit (16+ points by responder, assuming 15-17 point opener); Note - an advanced treatment uses this as a Splinter bid in Clubs/Diamonds

1N - 2C;
2H - 4H;

Bid 4H with a game forcing hand and a 4+ card Heart suit (10-14 points by responder, assuming 15-17 point opener)

1N - 2C;
2H - 4N;

Bid Quantitative Slam asking 4N with a slam invitational hand and no 4 card Heart suit (15-16 points by responder, assuming 15-17 point opener)


Case C. 
After 1N - 2C; 2S by opener promises a 4+ card Spade suit:

1N - 2C;
2S          

2S by opener promises 4+Spades, denying 4+ Hearts
(bidding "up the line"); Note - alternative methods are to play "down the line" or to simply first bid the stronger 4 card suit

1N - 2C;
2S - 2N;

Bid 2N with an invitational hand and no 4 card Spade suit (8-9 points by responder, assuming 15-17 point opener)

1N - 2C;
2S - 3C;
 

Bid 3C to show a slam invitational hand in the respective minor.  Note: some players (that do not play Jacoby Transfers to the minors) prefer to play 3C/3D as a weak signoff bid with a long minor suit; further, some players play this as showing game invitational values

1N - 2C;
2S - 3H;

Bid 3H to show a 5+ card Heart suit and a game forcing hand (10-14 points by responder, assuming 15-17 point opener); Note - an advanced treatment uses this as a slam try in Spades (remember the acronym "ST TOMAS" Stayman Then The Other Major Asks Slam")

1N - 2C;
2S - 3S;

Bid 3S to show a 4+ card Spade fit and an invitational hand (8-9 points by responder, assuming 15-17 point opener)

1N - 2C;
2S - 3N;

Bid 3N with a game forcing hand and no 4 card Spade suit (10-14 points by responder, assuming 15-17 point opener)

1N - 2C;
2S - 4C;

Bid Blackwood asking 4C with a slam invitational hand and 4+ card Spade suit (16+ points by responder, assuming 15-17 point opener); Note - an advanced treatment uses this as a Splinter bid in Clubs/Diamonds

1N - 2C;
2S - 4N;

Bid Quantitative Slam asking 4N with a slam invitational hand and no 4 card Spade suit (15-16 points by responder, assuming 15-17 point opener)


If opponent interferes:

i.

A cuebid by responder in opponent's suit is "Stayman", implying 4 cards in the other major

ii.

Some play a Double of opponent's 2C bid is also a "Stayman" bid by partner

iii.

A penalty Double of opener's 1N bid by the opponent does not affect the Stayman conventional bids; 1N - (X) - 2C still conveys a Stayman bid.  Note: some others play 2C as natural, showing Clubs

iv.

See Lebensohl for further uses of Stayman over opponent's 2 level overcall

Other:

i.

If 1 Notrump opener has a 5 card major, opener may rebid the major if responder makes a Notrump response

ii.

If the 1 Notrump opener has 4 cards in both majors and the auction begins:

    1N - 2C;
     2H - 2N/3N;   
Opener may infer responder has 4 Spades and rebid 4S

iii.

Stayman may also be used in alternative auctions, as:

 1 minor - 1 major;          2C - 2D;                (1 any) - 1N - (P) - 2C;
  2N         - 3C;                   2N - 3C;              "Systems on after overcall"

iv.

When 3N is played as a natural 25 point opening hand, some play 4C as Gerber while others play 4C as Stayman; either way, 4D may be used to show the "other" convention - a preferred treatment is to use 4C as Gerber (to preserve space) and 4D as Stayman.

Also see: Forcing Stayman, Minor Suit Stayman, Puppet Stayman, Crawling Stayman, Garbage Stayman (Drop Dead Stayman), and Doublebarrel Stayman

Also see Books on Stayman

The ACBL nominated Sam (Samuel) Stayman to the "Hall of Fame", providing the following testimonial:

Sam Stayman was a leading bridge administrator, an innovator, an author and a successful business man.

Stayman's name became a household word in bridge circles when he described ( The Bridge World , June 1945) a convention developed by his partner George Repée. In response to a 1NT opening bid, 2? asks for a major suit. This became known as the Stayman Convention – familiar to bridge players throughout the world.

He contributed to the Official Encyclopedia of Bridge and wrote three books: Expert Bidding, The Complete Stayman System of Contract Bridge and Do you Play Stayman?

His contributions to bridge theory include Namyats (Stayman spelled backwards) which used an opening 4? bid to show a strong hand with a long hearts suit and 4? to show a strong hand with a long spade suit.

Stayman (1909-1993) won his first major NABC titles in 1942 when he took both the Vanderbilt and the Spingold, and his last (the Reisinger) more than four decades later in 1984. In all he captured 20 North American championships and was runner-up 14 times.

A World Bridge Federation Brand Maste, he and George Repée, Charles Goren, Howard Schenken, John Crawford and Sidney Silodor won the inaugural Bermuda Bowl in 1950. The January-February 1951 Bulletin reported.

All the close of the eighth and final session of the grueling battle of brains the American led England by 3660 points and were ahead of the Europeans by 4720 points.

Dr. Einar Werner, captain of the European team, said: “The American made few mistakes and had the advantage of a team composed of six good players, familiar with each other's play.”

The following year, Stayman and Crawford, Schenken, Repée and B. Jay Becker represented America in the World Team Championship in Rome .

They defeated Italy , winner of a European round-robin tournament, in a 320 board match played over a period of one week. Julius Rosenblum, 1951 ACBL president and non-playing captain of the team, reported in the January-February 1952 Bulletin .

It gives me great happiness to say that the members of the American team distinguished themselves by their courtesy as well as by their bridge skill. It was a friendly, enjoyable match, and it will build for future international goodwill in bridge

The same team – with Theodore Lightner as a sixth member – defended their title successfully in 1953. In all, Stayman represented the ACBL six times in international competition. He won the silver in the 1964 World Team Olympiad.

As a bridge administrator, Stayman served several years as ACBL Treasurer and was trustee of the ACBL Charity Foundation. He was named ACBL Honorary Member in 1969 and American Bridge Teachers' Association Honorary Member in 1979. He was president of the Cavendish Club in Manhattan from 1958 to 1972.

Born in Worcester MA in 1909, he took his A.B. degree from Dartmouth College in 1930 and his M.B.A. from Tuck Business College in 1931.

He was president of Stayman & Stayman until the mid-Sixties when he sold the business and became a portfolio and investments manager.

His wife Josephine, known as “Tubby”, is a tireless worker for her favorite charity, bridge games which contribute to the United Jewish Appeal.


 

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