5 card stayman opposite 1 no trump

[mycroft]

in case it wasn't clear from mgoetze, "necroed" = (re-)starting a long-dormant thread, as a necromancer "raises the dead".

 

Unless you have 3 Black and want to pay 1 life per card.</offtopic>

[mgoetze]

All my swamps are tapped. :(

[Zelandakh]

Crack your Mox and Ritual.

[joeytd]

I am playing 4 suit transfers which means than 1NT-2C does not promise a 4 card major.

This seems to lead very well into playing puppet stayman as 1NT-2C.

Further, by allowing the 1NT opener to respond ONLY with the 5 card major or 2D showing NO 5 card major, seems to have very little downside.

 

I would really appreciate some advanced or expert opinion on this.

[Kungsgeten]

As wacko intimates, nothing is perfect. Eg Partner opens 1NT, you hold five hearts, three spades, game forcing values. Suppose 3♣ is puppet. It could be right to check for five spades but surely most would transfer to hearts and bid 3NT, which will be right in the more frequent case that partner has three hearts.

 

If you play 3C as Puppet Stayman you could also use it with GF hands with one four card major (but not both). With this agreement you could use regular 2C Stayman with a GF hand with 5-3 majors:

 

1NT--2C;

2D = No major

...3M = Smolen, but may have 5-3 majors instead of the regular 5-4

2H = 4 hearts, not 4 spades

...3NT = Choice of games with 5 spades and 3 hearts

2S = 4 spades, not 4 hearts

...3NT = Choice of games with 5 hearts and 3 spades

2NT = 4-4 majors, minimum

3C = 4-4 majors, maximum

 

Over a 2NT/3C response to Stayman you use transfers at the three-level.

[Trumpace]

I am playing 4 suit transfers which means than 1NT-2C does not promise a 4 card major.

This seems to lead very well into playing puppet stayman as 1NT-2C.

Further, by allowing the 1NT opener to respond ONLY with the 5 card major or 2D showing NO 5 card major, seems to have very little downside.

 

I would really appreciate some advanced or expert opinion on this.

 

Something like this is definitely playable.

 

I first encountered it on pavlicek's site: http://www.rpbridge.net/7g19.htm#4

 

Seems a bit strange that no one seems to have mentioned this...

[Zelandakh]

This seems to lead very well into playing puppet stayman as 1NT-2C.

Hello Joey - welcome to the BBO forums. I am not one of the experts you want opinions from but I do play a method based on 2♣ Puppet Stayman, albeit in combination with 3-suit transfers rather than 4. Some of the diamond-based hands are pulled into the 2♣ response instead.

 

The main issue with 4 suit transfers is dealing with the 5♠4♥ invitational hand. I use a 2NT response for this (hence not 4-suit transfers). What you do not want to do is, for example, use 1NT - 2♣; 2♦ - 2♠ (or 2♥) for this hand type. You really need both 2M rebids to be forcing here.

 

Also, as pointed out earlier in the thread, you do get less space here than in a regular Stayman structure so you have to make some sacrifices somewhere. My structure does not have bids for invitational minor 1-suiters, is a little more cramped when Responder has 4 hearts and <4 spades, and also lacks a sequence for weak with both majors at the 2 level. Perhaps you can do better.

[fromageGB]

I would really appreciate some advanced or expert opinion on this.

Joey - As you will discover, Zel (Zelandakh) is indeed an expert in bridge theory. You will find over time that his ideas and comments are well worth exploration.

[Wayne_LV]

Puppet Stayman after 1NT is not popular because you lose stayman with weak hands.

However whith 10+ some play 3♣ as puppet stayman.

 

Don't lose anything if you use 3♣ as puppet over 1NT. This leaves 2♣ for Garbage / Crawling Stayman and for Smolen.