March 31, 2015
Source: http://www.abfevents.com.au/youth/bulletins/
Read More on Simple Stayman – Part 1
In Part I, a suggestion was made on how to handle quantitative bids and suit setting bids after a Simple Stayman auction, as below:
1NT | 2![]() |
|
2![]() |
3 minor | 5+m, 4![]() |
3![]() |
Artificial, sets hearts as trumps | |
4![]() ![]() |
Splinter | |
4NT | Quantitative |
1NT | 2![]() |
|
2![]() |
3 minor | 5+m, 4![]() |
3![]() |
Artificial, sets spades as trumps | |
4![]() ![]() ![]() |
Splinter | |
4NT | Quantitative |
A slightly different variation of this (AKA “Baze”) can be played that will allow you to keep all of the splinters, but requires a bit of artificiality:
1NT | 2![]() |
|
2![]() |
3 minor | 5+m, 4![]() |
3![]() |
Artificial, an unknown splinter raise in hearts | |
4![]() |
Artificial, sets hearts, slam try (usually balanced) | |
4![]() |
Artificial, RKCB in hearts | |
4NT | Quantitative |
1NT | 2![]() |
|
2![]() |
3 minor | 5+m, 4![]() |
3![]() |
Artificial, , an unknown splinter raise in spades | |
4![]() |
Artificial, sets spades, slam try (usually balanced) | |
4![]() |
Artificial, RKCB in spades | |
4![]() |
? May be void splinter? | |
4NT | Quantitative |
Over the 3 and 3
unknown splinter raises, opener now bids the next step (3NT over 3
, and 3
over 3
) to ‘ask’ where the splinter is, and you can respond however you want (via agreement). One way is, you can ‘respond’ your shortages up-the-line: So 1NT-2
| 2
-3
* | 3NT*-? 4
=Low (
) shortage, 4
=Middle (
) shortage, and 4
=High (
) shortage. Similarly, 1NT-2
| 2
-3
* | 3
*-? 3NT=Low (
) shortage, 4
=Middle (
) shortage, and 4
=High (
) shortage. The gains: You no longer need to give up the ‘natural’ spade splinter 1NT-2
-2
-3
. Plus, you can keycard and still might be able to stop at the 4-level.
The losses: When setting the major with 4, you don’t have as much room for cuebids, whereas the previous 3-other-major allowed you to cuebid all of the suits.