What is Stayman? ---------------- Stayman is a "non-natural" convention that can be used by replyer after partner has opened with 1 NT. Stayman can ONLY be started by replyer. Stayman can ONLY be started as first bid after 1 NT opening. Starting Stayman means: "Hey partner, I liked your opening, I have at least 8 points so we may have enough for a game, but I would prefer to play it in a major suit rather than NT - please tell me what you have in your major suits". Why Stayman? ------------ The logic of Stayman is this: Opener has 16-18 points and NT distribution (one point could be distribution point), answer hand has 8 or more points. The best contract would be a major contract, the second best an NT contract. There is NO INTEREST AT ALL in looking for a minor fit. If there are 29 points and minor fit, then the correct contract would still be 3 NT rather than 5 in a minor. A part contract in 2 minor gives 40 on the score, but so does 1 NT. As a result of this, there is no real use for the two minor bids 2 Cl and 2 Di, they would be almost pointless. Since they are so to speak "free bids" you can then decide to use them for something else, which is what Stayman did. How to use Stayman ------------------ Partner has opened 1 NT, you look at your hand. If you find 8 points or more, and 4 or more cards in one or both of the two majors then you bid 2 Cl. This starts Stayman (with the exact meaning that I gave above). Opener MUST now obey which means that he/she has 3 possibilities to answer. (1) 2 Di means: "Sorry, I have neither 4 He nor 4 Sp". (2) 2 He means: "Great, I have 4 (or 5) He - and I may even have 4 Sp". (3) 2 Sp means: "Great, I have 4 (or 5) Sp - I do not have 4 He". Even if opener bids "2 Di" thereby denying any 4 card fit, he certainly has at least 2 and likely 3 in the major suits (NT distribution). The power of Stayman is that replyer can now ask for 5-3 fits while staying at the 2 level. So, e.g. this sequence: 1 NT - 2 Cl - 2 Di - 2 Sp means: "OK, I know you don't have 4 spades, but since I have 5 - please tell me if you have 3". If a fit is found (in either He or Sp) then opener will place it in 3 with a minimum opening (16p) and in 4 (game) with a maximum (18p), with 17 he/she will have to decide, I would typically pretend that I actually have 18 points in that case. For now, think about who will have to play the contract - where you are (vulnerable or not - do you have a part-game score etc), then decide. If (when) it is up to replyer then he/she will have to decide between game or not. 8-9 points: invite for game, 10 points: place in game (4 major). And if it didn't work --------------------- If it turns out that there was no fit in major suits (can happen), then the power of Stayman is again that all this information has been exchanged at the 2 bid level. The "safe way out" is then 2 NT. It is quite often that the final contract is 2 NT which is why it is important that replyer must have the 8 points. With the 16-18 of opener this means 24-26 points. Some of those (typically 2-3) are distribution points, but you still have at minimum 21-23 HCPs. If replyer has enough HCPs in hand (8-9) the correct contract may still be 3 NT - with 10 HCP in replyers hand the final contract MUST be 3 NT (if no major fit was found). Final words on Stayman ---------------------- Stayman was one of the first (if not the first) non-natural conventions to be invented. In the meantime many (virtually hundreds) different versions of Stayman have been developed, some slightly different, some VERY different. For now we shall use the simple version I described above, later you can make your own choices. Please read and make sure you understand all the above. Ask me if you are in doubt about anything. REMEMBER: If you answer 2 Cl after your partner opened 1 NT you start Stayman - you NO LONGER HAVE A WAY OF SHOWING 2 CL!!! For now 2 Di are still natural for replyer (should you want to use it), but since it requires 10 points (2 level answer bid), 2 NT is the natural answer. 2 Di would therefore typically mean "I do have 10 points, but a lot of them are distribution points". Typically this would then mean a very long Diamond suit (6 or more) and 2 voids/singletons. In such a case Diamonds may be the best final contract, but this is a rare situation.