SAYC
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Preface

  SAYC (Standard American Yellow Card)
  1. Introduction
  2. Bidding Hierarchy
  3. Determine Opening Bid
  4. Opening Bid Options
  5. Scoring Structure
  6. Bidding Strategy

  Statistics
×

Open 1 Level

Open 1 Level
   Open  1 ♠ 
   Open  1 ♥ 
       Open  1 NT 
           Open Better Minor
               Open  1 ♦ 
               Open  1 ♣ 

Opening Bid & Table Position
×

Respond to 1 Suit Openings

   Guidelines for Responses
         Support Suit (Distribution Points)
         Propose Suit (1-over-1 Restriction)
  • Respond to  1 ♠ 
  • Respond to  1 ♥ 
  • Respond to  1 ♦ 
  • Respond to  1 ♣ 
Opener's Next Bid (Bid 3)
   Responder Supports the Bid Suit
   Responder Proposes a New Suit
×

Respond to  1 NT 

Respond to  1 NT 
    Transfers (1NT)
       Stayman (1NT)
          No 4-card Major (1NT)
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Transfer Convention
Stayman Convention
×

Weak Bids

Weak Opening Bids
 • 6-card suit            2 ♦   2 ♥   2 ♠ 
 • 7-card suit   3 ♣   3 ♦   3 ♥   3 ♠ 
 • 8-card suit                    4 ♥   4 ♠ 
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Respond to Weak Openings
  • Respond to          2 ♦   2 ♥   2 ♠ 
  • Respond to  3 ♣   3 ♦   3 ♥   3 ♠ 
  • Respond to                   4 ♥   4 ♠ 
×

Strong  2 ♣ 

Open  2 ♣ 
Respond to  2 ♣ 
  • 2-Diamond Waiting (SAYC)
  • 3-Point Step (Social Bridge)
  • 2-Diamond Bust (Social Bridge)
×

Strong  NT  Bids

Open  2 NT  or  3 NT 

Responses

Respond to  2 NT 
    Transfers (2NT)
       Stayman (2NT)
          4-card Major (2NT)
Respond to  3 NT 
    Transfers (3NT)
       Stayman (3NT)
          No 4-card Major (3NT)
×

Other Bids

 • Jacoby  2 NT 
 • Slam (Blackwood & Gerber)
 • Overcalls
 • Doubles
 • Balancing
×

Taking Tricks

Leads on Defense
Leads on Offense
    • Finessing a Tenace
×

Practice

Open 1 Level
Responses to 1 Suit Openings
Open 1 NT (14 Examples)
Open 1 NT (16 Examples)
Responses to  2 ♣  Opening
Overcalls

Practice Websites

   • SAYC Bidding Practice
   • Trickster
   • Bridge Base On Line
×

Duplicate

Duplicate Protocol
Duplicate Scoring
1. Contract Points Scoring
2. Match Points Scoring
×

Downloads

SAYC Summary
Open 1-Level Bids
Respond 1-Suit Opening
1 NT Openings & Responses
Responses to Weak Openings
Responses to 2 Club Openings
Handout Duplicate Bridge Contract Points
Front Door

Initial Response to an Opening Bid of  1 ♥ 

Yellow Card Bidding System
    ● The partnerships want to play contracts in the following priority:
           1) play a MAJOR suit contract first; or if not possible
           2) play a NO TRUMP contract second; or as a last result
           3) play a MINOR suit contract.
    ● After the suit or no trump is known, then determine the contract level to play.
The opener's bid of  1 ♥  indicates:
• 12 to 21 HCPs
• 5+card heart suit
• more hearts than spades
The responder's bid is based upon:
Points in the responder's hand (the location of the points does not matter)
Suit Length of each suit
For bid selection purposes:
• responder must have 6+ pts
• responder assumes the opener has at least 12 HCPs

Summary Response Table

Responses to 1 Heart Opening Bid
Priority Suit Length Responder's Points and Bid
0 to 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
Pass Weak (1 over 1) Moderate Game Level Major & NT Jump-Shift Slam
#1 Support  Hearts 
(use distribution points)
3-hearts  PASS   2 ♥   3 ♥   4 ♥   3 NT   4 ♣ Gerber 
Explore Slam
4+hearts  2 NT (Jacoby) 
5+hearts *  4 ♥  * 
#2 Propose  Spades 
(no dist points)
4+spades  1 ♠   2 ♠ 
#3 Propose
 Better Minor 
(no dist points)
4+cards
Better Minor
 1 NT   2♣  or  2♦   3♣  or  3♦ 
2/5/2025 12 to 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35
Minimum PARTNERSHIP Points     (assume opener has 12 HCPs)
* Special Condition (5+hearts and outside singleton Ace)

If the responder's hand has:
   • 0 to 5 pts - bid PASS - there are not enough points to respond.
   • 6 to 20 pts (in order of priorities):
      
Response to  1 ♥  opening - Responder has 6-20 HCPs and 3+Hearts - Support the Hearts ×
Support raises are not subject to the 1-over-1 restriction. If the responder has:
     6-9 pts:  responder has 2 options:
        • Bid  2 ♥  - a single raise indicating the point count range. There are not enough combined partnership points for a game.
        • Bid  4 ♥ *  - a special situation where there is a 5+card heart suit with a singleton Ace in another suit. The opener will consider this bid as a close-out bid, and will PASS. The partnership with a 10+card heart fit and outside singleton Ace will likely succeed in making the game contract.
     10-12 pts:  responder has 2 options:
        • Bid  3 ♥  - a double raise indicating the point count range. There are not quite enough combined partnership points for a game.
        • Bid  4 ♥ *  - a special situation where there is a 5+card heart suit with a singleton Ace in another suit. The opener will consider this bid as a close-out bid, and will PASS. The partnership with a 10+card heart fit and an outside singleton Ace will likely succeed in making the game contract.
     13-16 pts:  There are enough partnership points for a game in hearts. responder has 2 options:
        • Bid  4 ♥  with only a 3-card heart suit. This triple raise indicates both point count range and suit length. The opener will consider this bid as a close-out bid, and will PASS.
        • Bid the  Jacoby 2 NT  - a special situation where there is opening count and a 4+card heart suit. This provides the opener the opportunity to explore a slam contract.
     17-20 pts:  There are enough partnership points for a game in hearts.
        • Bid  3 NT  - This jump-shift raise indicates the responder's point count range, support in hearts,and provides the opener the options to play the contract in No Trump, play the contract in 4-Hearts, or explore a slam contract.
Hier Resp 1H support

      
Response to  1 ♥  opening - Responder has 6-20 HCPs and no heart support - but has a 4+card spade suit ×
If the opener also has a 4-card spade suit, an 8-card fit in spades may still be possible so the partnership can play a contract in a major suit.
Proposing a new 4+card spade suit at the 1-level is not restricted by the 1-over-1 restriction. When introducing a new suit, keep the bidding level as low as possible. If the responder has:

    • 6-16 pts:  Propose  1 ♠  - The 1-over-1 restriction allows bidding a new 4+card spade suit at the 1-level. This bid indicates no heart support, 6-16 points, and a 4+card spade suit. Since this bid is a new suit, the opener must respond.

    • 17-20 pts:  Propose  2 ♠  - This jump-shift indicates the responder's point count range and a 4+card spade suit at a low level. Since this bid is a new suit, the opener must respond.
Hier Resp 1H propose spades

      
Response to  1 ♥  opening - Responder has 6-20 HCPs, no heart support and no 4+card spade suit. ×
Propose the better minor. One of the minor suits will have at least 4-cards or more. When introducing a new suit, keep the bidding level as low as possible. If the responder has:
    • 6-9 pts:  Propose  1 NT  - The 1-over-1 restriction prohibits bidding a new suit at the 2-level. This bid indicates the point count range, no heart support, and no 4+card spade suit. However, there isa 4+card minor suit that cannot be mentioned. This keeps the bidding open for the opener. The responder cannot PASS.
    • 10-16 pts:  Propose the Better Minor suit  2 ♣  or  2 ♦  - This bid indicates 10-16 points, no heart support, and no 4+card spade suit. The mentioned minor suit will have at least 4-cards or more. Since this bid is a new suit, the opener must respond.
    • 17-20 pts:  Propose the Better Minor suit  3 ♣  or  3 ♦  - This jump-shift indicates the responder's point count range, no heart support, and no 4+card spade suit. The bid minor suit will have at least 4-cards or more. This bid provides the opener the options to play the contract in No Trump, play the contract in the proposed minor, or explore a slam contract. Since this bid is a new suit, the opener must respond.
Hier Resp 1H propose better minor

   • 21+ pts:
      
Response to  1 ♥  opening - Responder has 21+ HCPs - half the HCPs in the deck. ×
There are enough points for a slam. Bid  4 ♣  (Gerber) to ask the opener for the number of aces the opener holds.


2/2/2025
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