Thursday, April 19, 2007 11:37 PM

Re-Stayman 4-3-3-3

PITBULLS:

Partner bids Stayman followed by Re-Stayman and you give the most disappointing response possible of 3NT. This of course shows the 4-3-3-3 hand. If you responded a major first to the Stayman bid , of course you have identified your 4 card suit with the 4-3-3-3 pattern. If you respond 2♦ to Stayman & 3NT to the subsequent Re-Stayman , partner knows you have a 4 card minor but which one ? The possibility of a minor slam is diminished with the “death response” of 3NT but slam could still be possible.

BJ Trelford recommends that 4♠ by responder be defined as Baron in these auctions and this bid would be a slam try. You bid you 4 card minor if not interested or you can leap to 6 of your minor if you are rich in controls. 4♣ or 4♦ by responder sets the suit and is KCB . A leap to 5 of a minor by responder is fast arrival which means pass or correct to your 4 card minor.

You open 1NT with ♠Axx ♥K10x ♦Axx ♣AJ98 and partner holds ♠void ♥AJxx ♦Kxxx ♣KQxxx & bids Stayman. You answer 2♦ & partner bids 3♣ Re-Stayman to which you reply 3NT. Partner bids 4♠ Baron and you now leap to 6♣ with your nice controls. With some really soft hands with many HCP’s stacked in the majors you could bid 4NT to play. Most of the time you would just bid your minor at the 5 level which will get passed.

We also play Re-Stayman after a 2NT opener & Stayman or Puppet Stayman. You lack room in these auctions but some understandings after 4♣ re-Stayman and the 4NT reply showing a 4-3-3-3 . Again 5♠ is Baron forcing to slam obviously. 5♣ would be pass or correct to your 4 card minor.