VA - No Trump Opening

The traditional range of 15 - 17 points is used for opening 1 No Trump.
Stayman is used to inquire for a 4-card major.
This may be the start of a sequence forcing to game or responder may simply want to play in a suit at the two level (trash).
Transfer bids are used to let the No Trump opener (the stronger hand) declare. This often gains a trick or a tempo.
4-way transfers with "super-acceptance" of majors and minor are used. Smolen too.
The details are in the tables below.

Stayman

Open	Resp	Rebid	Description

1N	2C		Stayman; asking for a 4-card major
		2D	No 4-card major; Responder bids as follows: Pass: weak hand and at least 4 diamonds 2H: weak hand, 5 card hearts, 4 card spades 2S: weak hand, 5 card spades, 4 card hearts 2N: invite to 3 NT 3H: 4 card hearts, 5 card spades and game force 3S: 4 card spades, 5 card hearts and game force 4D: Transfer; 6 card hearts, 4 card spades 4H: Transfer; 6 card spades, 4 card hearts	2 2
		2H	4 card hearts; may have 4 card spades ; Responder bids as follows: Pass: weak hand and 3 or 4 hearts 2S: to search for a 4-4 spade fit; opener will bid 3S with 4 cards 2NT: invite partner to bid 3NT 3C: 6 card (or good 5-card) suit; game force 3D: 6 card (or good 5-card) suit; game force 3H: invitation to 4H 3S, 4C, 4D: splinter, agreeing hearts 4H: 4 card hearts and game values
		2S	4 card spades; no 4 card hearts; Responder bids as follows: Pass: weak hand and 3 or 4 spades 2NT: invite partner to bid 3NT 3C, 3D, 3H: 6 card (or good 5-card) suit; game force 3S: invitation to 4S 4C, 4D, 4H: splinter, agreeing spades 4S: 4 card spades and game values

*1 The Staymen convention was devised by Sam Stayman ..
*2 This convention is called Smolen; it should be marked on the convention card and alerted

Transfers

Transfers are used to make the stronger hand the declarer. Consequently, they are beneficial with a strong No Trump opening.

Open	Resp	Rebid	Description

1N			balanced 15 - 17 points
	2D		Transfer to Hearts; could be weak or strong
		2H	2 or 3 card hearts (if 2D is doubled, pass=2 card hearts; 2H=3 card hearts)	*3
		2N	max pts, 4 card hearts; 3D=Retransfer
		3H	15-16 pts, 4 card hearts
			Responder will pass or make minimum response with a weak hand

	2H		Transfer to Spades; could be weak or strong
		2S	2 or 3 card spades (if 2H is doubled, pass=2 card spades; 2S=3 card spades)	*3
		2N	max pts, 4 card spades
		3S	15-16 pts, 4 card spades

	2S		Transfer to Clubs
		2N	Preacceptance of the transfer; better than xxxx, Qxx, Kx or Ax in clubs
		3C	Jx, xxx or less support in clubs

	2N		Transfer to Diamonds
		3C	Preacceptance of the transfer; better than xxxx, Qxx, Kx or Ax in diamonds
		3D	Jx, xxx or less support in diamonds


	4D		Transfer to 4H (Texas transfer)
		4H

	4H		Transfer to 4S (Texas transfer)
		4S

*3 An improvement to the transfers by Marty Bergen published in the Bridge Bulletin.

A helpful hint on Texas transfers: If you are not sure if you are playing Texas transfers with a new partner,
bid 4D with hearts and 4S with spades. Partner will figure it out.
When opponents intervene, we use lebensohl.

3C - 3S responses are used to describe specialized hands as follows:

3 C	5-5 in the minors; inviting to game
3 D	5-5 in the minors; forcing to game
3 H	5-5 in the majors; inviting to game
3 S	5-5 in the majors; forcing to game

Consequently, a transfer to a spades and then bidding hearts will imply 5-5 shape with slam aspirations.

2 No Trump is opened with a balanced hand containing a 5 card major.
So, Puppet Stayman to discover a major fit.
Over an opening of 2 No Trump, Jacoby and Texas transfers for majors are used.
3S is a Minor suit Stayman to discover minor suit fits for game or slam -
Responder guarantees 4 cards in both minors when asking with 3S
Opener bids 3N with no minor.
If opener bids a minor, the next higher bid is RKC; 4N is Quantitative

Runout over 1 NT doubled

If an 1 No Trump opening is doubled for penalties, responder bids as follows:
   Re-double to show a good hand (7+ points) - it is to play;
   Pass to deny a five card suit
   bid 5-card suit, if any

After a responder has passed, opener bids as follows:
   Re-double to show no 5-card suit
     (Responder will now bid the lowest 4-card suit.)
   bid 5-card suit

For ease of memory, we can never play in 1N doubled

More on Transfers

1. After the sequence 1N - 2H - 2S, Mau recommends the following
     2N: Game invitation with 5 card spades
     3S: Game invitation with 6 card spades
     3N: To play; partner may correct to 4S with 3 cards
     4m: Splinter
     4S: 6 card spades; mild slam try; Opener may proceed with maximum
       (Contrast this with 1N - 4H - 4S: No slam aspirations)

2. After the sequence 1N - 4H - 4S, 4N is RKCB for spades (responder has 6 or more spades)

3. After the sequence 1N - 2H - 2S, 4N is Quantitative

	Pass	Enough!! (all other bids accept the invitation)
	5C - 5H	Answer aces (!?) - revise later
	5N	Asks responder to bid a 4 card minor; opener will pass, or bid 6S with 3 spades, or bid 6N
	6C - 6D	Opener's 5 card suit; responder will pass or bid 6S; opener will now pass or bid 6N
	6S	3 card spades, not 4-3-3-3
	6N	Just do it!!

Additional agreement with Jay

Extended Puppet Stayman

After opener bids 2N, the extended version of Puppet Stayman is as follows:

Resp	Rebid	Resp	Description

3C			Asks for a 5-card major
	3D		No 5-card major; at least one 4 card 4 card major
		3H	4 card spades
		3S	4 card hearts
		3N	To play; implies no 4 card major
		4C	4 card hearts and 4 card spades; extras; Opener bids: 4D: agrees hearts as trumps 4H: To play 4S: To play 4N: RKCB for spades
		4D	4 card hearts and 4 card spades; No extras Opener bids the 4 card major and plays there
	3H		No 4 or 5 card major
		3S	responder shows 5 card spades (and 4 card hearts)
		3N	To play
	3S		5-card suit
	3N		5 card hearts
		4C	responder accepts hearts as trumps; shows extras
		4D	responder transfers to hearts; minimum

3D			Transfer to hearts
	3H		Accepts the transfer
		3S	Responder shows 5 card hearts and 4 card spades
	4H		Accepts the transfer; guarantees 4 card hearts
3H			Transfer to spades
	3S		Accepts the transfer; 2 or 3 cards in spades
	4S		Accepts the transfer; 4 card spades

3S			Minor suit Stayman; responder guarantees at least 4 cards in both minors
	3N		No 4 card minor
3N			To play
4C			Gerber
4D,4H			Texas Transfers
4S			Minor suit Stayman; slammish

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No Trump

Major

Minor

Weak 2s

Other

Slam

Competitive - We , They