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) |
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| 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) |
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| 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) |
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| 3 |
Shows either four or five hearts | |||
| 3 |
Asks how many hearts opener has | |||
| (3NT shows four hearts, 4 shows five hearts) |
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| 3 |
Shows five spades | |||
| 3NT | Shows 4-4 in the majors and responder | |||
| will pass or correct (transfers can be used) | ||||