Better Bridge in Barry County March 27 2014

Better Bridge in Barry County

By Gerald Stein

 

 

	North ♠  8 4 2 ♥  A J 8 5  ♦  Q 9 5   ♣  A 10 9
West ♠  K 10 7 3 ♥  7 6 4 ♦  J 8 2 ♣  8 4 3		East ♠  Q J 9 ♥  Q 3 ♦  7 6 4 3 ♣  Q J 7 6
	South ♠  A 6 5 ♥  K 10 9 2 ♦  A K 10 ♣  K 5 2

 

 

Dealer: Vulnerable: Lead:

South Neither 4♥

 

North   2♣ 4♥	East   Pass Pass	South 1NT 2♥ Pass	West Pass Pass Pass

Today’s column revisits one of my favorite bridge conventions: The Stayman Convention, one of the most popular of bridge conventions. Once you have gained mastery over this convention, you will wonder how you ever survived without it. Let’s take a look at the three parts of today’s hand: the bidding, the play of the hand, and the scoring.

South as today’s dealer counted the high card points and found that he had 17 high card points. With a balanced hand, South used the Standard American System’s range of 15-17 high-card points as his opening range for all one no trump bids. This is a slight variation from the former years of Charles Goren when most partnerships used the range of 16-18 high card points. No matter what the range, just be sure that you and your partner for today have the same understanding of what one no trump means to each of you.

With a balanced hand, no singletons and no voids, South was confident that he was providing an accurate description of his hand to partner North. West, with only four high card points, passed smoothly, and North’s bid of 2♣ was by partnership agreement the Stayman Convention. The Stayman Convention is an artificial bid and the 2♣ bid says nothing about the club suit. It basically asks South this question: “Do you have a four-card major suit? I have at least one, and I also have at least 8 total points in my hand.” Those are the two keys components for the Stayman Convention: one four-card major and at least 8 total points.

Because it is such a well-known convention, most opponents know what the 2♣ bid means. If you are not sure, you may always ask your opponents what it means. They are obliged to tell you. South has three possible choices to answer the question that North has posed. A 2♦ bid is also artificial and says this: “Partner, I do not have a four-card major. Please bid again.”

If South has a four-card major, the appropriate bid is to name the major by bidding 2♥ if you have a four-card heart suit, or 2♠ if you have a 4-card spade suit. The purpose of the Stayman Convention is straightforward: as a partnership, you are looking for a Golden Fit in a major suit. A Golden Fit is a minimum of eight cards in the trump suit. Most players prefer playing in a trump suit if they know there is an eight-card trump fit rather than in a no trump contract.

In today’s hand, the bidding was easy to see and understand: South bid the 1NT, North used the Stayman Convention to ask if South had a 4-card major. South had a four-card heart suit and bid it, and North, with plenty of points beyond the eight needed, placed the contract at 4♥.

The play of the hand was also straightforward. West’s lead of a small trump, probably not the best of leads, helped South find the Q♥ on the first trick as East played third-hand high. South won the first trick, drew two more rounds of trump, and then took the three diamond winners.

The K♣ and the A♣ came next for tricks seven and eight. The A♠ became trick number nine, and the last trump trick gave South their tenth and final trick. East/West took three tricks out of the thirteen. Scoring the hand was also straightforward with 120 points for game plus a bonus of 300 for the non-vulnerable game giving North/South a 420 point gain.

The interesting thing about this hand is that the contract plays well in No trump as well, making ten tricks and gaining an extra ten points. There is a need for caution in the spade suit, however, with South needing to holdup his A♠ for a round or two. Finding the Q♥ in the East  hand helped just as it did with the 4♥ contract.

The takeaways for today’s hand? Learn and use the Stayman Convention for finding that fit in a major following a no trump opener. Contracts in a trump suit are generally easier for those who are just learning the game of bridge. No matter your level of bridge skills, it is important to review your basic bridge conventions from time to time. You and your partner will be happy when you both play the Stayman Convention together.

 

Gerald Stein

March 23, 2014

Number of words: 905

 

Bridge Notes: Another mini-bridge class will be offered this Saturday at the Hastings Community Education building from 10 AM until noon. This class is the Jacoby Transfer Convention, another way to use a convention following no trump opening bids. Call the office and register for the class. The fee is $5.00 for handouts and lots of practice time. Call 948-4414 to register.