Stayman or Jacoby?

Of course you know that with a 4-card major you respond 2♣ and with a 5+ card major use Jacoby.
What about a hand with a 4 and a 5-card major? Look at East:

1.     West                       East
        ♠ K J 10                 ♠ Q 9 8 6
        ♥ Q 10                   ♥ K J 8 6 5
        ♦ Q J 10 6 5           ♦ A 8 7
        ♣ A K 7                 ♣ 5

        West                      East
        1 NT                     2♣
        2♦                         3♥
        3 NT                     Pass

Agonizing Bids

When partner opens 1 NT and you have a three-suited hand with a singleton or void, depending on your point count, you need to make a decision:

♠ 8   ♥ K 8 6 4   ♦ K J 9 7   ♣ J 10 8 7

You have enough to invite a game, but if your Stayman 2♣ bid does not reveal a heart fit with partner, you must go back to 2 NT - this is not too savory, but you have no other good choice. Just hope partner can cover you singleton, or the opponents won't lead a spade, or if they do, they may block their own suit…….be brave!

But what if you are very weak?

♠  8 6 4 3   ♥ 9   ♦ Q J 6 5   ♣ J 10 8 3

Pass. This is an awful hand to put on the table, but you have no safe place to run. If you bid 2♣ and partner bids 2♥, you are stuck.

But there is an exception to passing with a weak hand and no long suit:

♠ 8 5 4 3   ♥ 8 6 2   ♦ J 10 9 6 5   ♣ 4

With this assortment of junk, still bid 2♣! You will PASS any bid by partner, even 2♦. This is the only distribution (very short in clubs, long in everything else) that you can use Stayman. It's known as "Garbage Stayman".

© 2013 Roberta Salob