Some New Ideas For Puppet Stayman

Source: www.acblunit559.com Some New Ideas For Puppet Stayman     Presented by Mike Savage

This is a basic version of Puppet Stayman.

2NT	20-21 HCP Balanced, but may have a 5 card major
	3	Asks if opener has a five-card major
3		Shows no five-card major but at least one four-card major
	3 /3	Shows 4-cards in the other major so the big hand will always be declarer
	3NT	Denies a four card major
	4	Gerber (some partnerships play 4 as 4-4 in the majors with slam interest)
	4	Shows two four-card majors
3 /3		Shows five cards in the bid major
3NT		Denies either a five card or four-card major and is to play
	3/3	Jacoby Transfer to hearts/spades
	3	Minor Suit Stayman
	3NT	To play

This is a newer version of Puppet Stayman.

2NT	20-21 HCP Balanced, but may have a 5 card major
	3	Asks if opener has a five-card major
3		No five-card major (minimum hand,
		regardless of a four-card major)
	3 /3	Shows 4-cards in the other major so
		the big hand will always be declarer
	3NT	To play
	4/4	Shows at least a five-card minor (often longer)
		with slam interest
	4/4	Shows a stiff or void in the bid major
		with both minors and slam interest
3 /3		Shows five cards in the bid major
	4/4	Shows at least a five-card minor
		(often longer) with slam interest
3NT		Shows a maximum and no four-card major
	3/3	Jacoby Transfer to hearts/spades
	3	Relay to 3NT, to play (but over 3NT
		your partnership can assign meanings to 4, 4, 4 & 4)
	3NT	Bid with two four-card majors
		(some 5-4s) & asks opener to bid a 4-card major or pass

Playing both of these versions of Puppet Stayman, the downside is you may miss 4-4 heart fits when responder has five spades and four hearts. The advantage of playing this newer version of Puppet Stayman is that the big hand does not disclose if it has a 4-card major, unless there is a guaranteed 4-4 fit.

With 5-4 in the majors, there is no perfect solution. With five hearts and four spades, it’s usually best to transfer to hearts and then bid 3S but with five spades and four hearts, responder has a choice of flawed options. He can bid Stayman (3NT) and perhaps miss a 5-3 spade fit or transfer to spades and then bid 3NT (not showing the heart suit) and occasionally the partnership will miss finding a 4-4 heart fit.

Handling 5-4 in the majors at the 3-level, allows 4C & 4D to be natural bids after bidding 3C first.

Finally here’s a very simple modern version of Puppet Stayman that’s probably the best of the three.
It finds all 8 and 9-card major suit fits at the 3-level while still allowing the 2NT opener to be declarer.

2NT	20-21 HCP Balanced, but may have a 5 card major
	3	Asks if opener has a five-card major or four hearts
3		Denies having a five-card major or four hearts
	3	asks if opener has four spades
		(3 shows four spades, 3NT denies four spades)
3		Shows either four or five hearts
	3	Asks how many hearts opener has
		(3NT shows four hearts, 4 shows five hearts)
3		Shows five spades
3NT		Shows 4-4 in the majors and responder
		will pass or correct (transfers can be used)