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 (Simple Stayman) |
|
2 |
3 minor | 5+m, 4 , Game-force |
| 3 |
Artificial, sets hearts as trumps | |
4/4 |
Splinter | |
| 4NT | Quantitative |
| 1NT | 2 (Simple Stayman) |
|
| 2 |
3 minor | 5+m, 4, Game-force |
| 3 |
Artificial, sets spades as trumps | |
| 4/4/4 |
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 (Simple Stayman) |
|
| 2 |
3 minor | 5+m, 4, Game-force |
| 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 (Simple Stayman) |
|
| 2 |
3 minor | 5+m, 4, Game-force |
| 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.