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
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Open 1 Level

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

Opening Bid & Table Position
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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
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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
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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 ♠ 
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Strong  2 ♣ 

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

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

Leads on Defense
Leads on Offense
    • Finessing a Tenace
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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
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Duplicate

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

Transfers after  3 NT  Opening

If the partner has a 5+card major suit, the partnership can play a contract in that 5+card major suit. The opener will have at least 2-cards in that suit (and most likely 3 or 4 cards). The partnership has a 7 or 8-card fit (most likely an 8-card filt), so the partnership can play a contract in that major suit. The Transfer process creates the opportunity for the opener to mention the desired major suit first, so that the opener will be the declarer.
Partner's Requirements
Suit Length: The only requirement is a 5+card suit in a major (hearts or spades). If the number of hearts and spades are equal, bid the higher ranking spades. Ignore a long suit in a minor.
Point Count: There are NO point requirements. The partner does not need points in the 5+card suit, nor does the partner require any points in hand. A "bust hand" with zero points and 5+cards in a major is all that is required for a transfer response to a  3 NT  opening bid.

Path 1 - Transfer Responses to  3 NT  Opening


Transfer Process (4 Steps)
Step 1: Opener bids  3 NT .
Step 2: The partner's initial bid is an artificial bid steering the opener toward the suit that will become the trump suit. All the partner needs is a 5+card major in hearts or spades - NO points are required.
    •  The artificial bid of  4 ♦  (one heirarchy step below hearts) asks the opener to bid hearts.
    •  The artificial bid of  4 ♥  (one heirarchy step below hearts) asks the opener to bid spades.
Step 3: The opener bids  4 ♥  or  4 ♠  and will play the game as the declarer.
Step 4: The partner bids PASS and will be the dummy.


2/24/2024
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