SAYC
× Introduction:
  1. Introduction
  2. Evaluate an Opening Hand
  3. Bidding Process / Hierarchy Chart
  4. Bidding Strategy

  SAYC (Standard American Yellow Card)
  Statistics
× Opening Bids
       Opening Bid Options
Open 1 Level
   Open  1 ♠ 
   Open  1 ♥ 
       Open  1 NT 
           Open Better Minor
           Open  1 ♦ 
           Open  1 ♣ 
Weak Opening Bids
 •          2 ♦   2 ♥   2 ♠  (6-card suit)
 •  3 ♣   3 ♦   3 ♥   3 ♠  (7-card suit)
 •                  4 ♥   4 ♠  (8-card suit)
Strong Opening Bids
      • Open  2 ♣ 
      • Open  2 NT 
      • Open  3 NT 
Opening vs Table Position
× Bid 2: Respond to Suit Openings
   Guidelines for Responses
         1-over-1 Restriction
         Distribution Points
   Respond to  1 ♠ 
   Respond to  1 ♥ 
         (Jacoby  2 NT )
   Respond to  1 ♦ 
   Respond to  1 ♣ 
Bid 3: Opener's Next Bid
   Responder Supports the Bid Suit
       (Response to Jacoby  2 NT )
   Responder Proposes a New Suit
Respond to Weak Openings
  • Respond to  2 ♠   2 ♥   2 ♦ 
  • Respond to  3 ♠   3 ♥   3 ♦   3 ♣ 
  • Respond to  4 ♠   4 ♥ 
Respond to Strong Openings
  • Respond to  2 ♣  using:
      • 2-Diamond Waiting
      • 3-Point Step
      • 2-Diamond Bust
  • Respond to Strong 2
× Respond to NT Openings
Respond to  1 NT 
    Transfers (1NT)
       Stayman (1NT)
          No 4-card Major (1NT)
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:
 • Slam (Blackwood & Gerber)
 • Overcalls
 • Doubles
 • Balancing
× Practice Bidding:
   • Open 1 Level
   • Responses to 1 Suit Openings
   • Open 1 NT & 14 Responses
   • Open 1 NT & 16 Responses
   • Responses to 2 Club Opening
   • Overcalls
Practice Websites:
   • SAYC Bidding Practice
   • Trickster
× Taking Tricks:
• Leads on Defense
• Leads on Offense
    • Finessing a Tenace
× Keeping Score:
1. Contract Points Scoring
2. Match Points Scoring
× Downloads:
• SAYC Summary
• Open 1-Level
• Responses to 1-Suit Opening Bids
• 1 NT Openings & Responses
• Responses to Weak Openings
• Responses to 2 Club Openings

Transfers after  2 NT  Opening

A transfer is an ARTIFICIAL BID by a partner that tells the opener what suit to bid next.

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 fit) which is normally enough to make a contract in that suit. The partnership can play a contract in that major suit.

The partner wants the opener to bid the desired trump suit first. The player that bids a suit first becomes the "Declarer" when that suit becomes trump. The declarer's partner, holding a weaker hand, becomes the "Dummy" and lays its hand face up on the table for all to see. The declarer's hand, which is stronger, remains hidden from the opponents.

The partner uses the "Transfer Convention" (a secret, coded instruction) to tell the opener which suit to bid. The transfer is an artificial bid (a secret, coded instruction) that is one hierarchy step lower than the desired trump suit. The opener's next bid will be one hieracrchy step above the partner's bid so that the opener will bid the trump suit first. In this way, the opener will mention the desired trump suit first in order to be the declarer so that the partner's weaker hand will be exposed in the dummy.

Examples of Transfers:
     • If the partner wants hearts to be the trump suit, the partner will bid  3 ♦ , one hierarchy step below hearts. This bid asks the opener to "transfer the bidding" to hearts. The partner does not want to play diamonds, the partner wants the opener to bid hearts so the opener will be the declarer of the heart trump suit. The opener accepts the request to transfer the bidding to hearts and bids  3 ♥ . The opener is the declarer of the hearts trump suit and will keep its hand hidden from the opponents.
     • If the partner wants spades to be the trump suit, the partner will bid  3 ♥ , one hierarchy step below spades. This bid asks the opener to "transfer the bidding" to spades. The partner does not want to play hearts, the partner wants the opener to bid spades so the opener will be the declarer of the spade trump suit. The opener accepts the request to transfer the bidding to spades and bids  3 ♠ . The opener is the declarer of the spades trump suit and will keep its hand hidden from the opponents.
Partner's Requirements:
    • Suit Length: The only requirement is a 5+card major suit (hearts or spades). If the number of hearts and spades are equal, bid the higher ranking spades. Ignore both minor suits, even if one of them is longer.
    • Point Count: There is NO point count requirement. The partner can have zero points in the hand with a 5+card major suit, and can still make a transfer bid to a major suit.
Transfer Strategy:
The opener's 2 NT hand is stronger than the partner's hand. If the partnership wins the contract, the weaker hand should be the "dummy" where it is exposed face-up on the table. The stronger hand of the declarer remains hidden from the opponents. The strategy is to encourage the 2 NT opener to be the first player to bid the eventual trump suit so that the stronger hand is hidden from the opponents.

Path 1 - Transfer Responses for  2 NT  Opening

Partner's Initial
Response to 2 NT Opening		 Partner's Point Count (HCPs only)
0-4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
PartScore Game Major Game Minor
Path 1
5+card
Major		 5+ hearts  3 ♦  Transfer to hearts
5+ spades  3 ♥  Transfer to spades
2/24/2024 20-24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32
Minimum PARTNERSHIP Point Count    (Opener holds 20 HCPs)
Step 1:   Opener bids  2 NT .

Step 2:   The partner's initial bid is an artificial bid steering the opener toward the suit that will become the trump suit. These artificial bids of  3 ♦  or  3 ♥  are one hierarchy step below the desired trump suit, hearts or spades respectively. All the partner needs is a 5+card major in hearts or spades - NO points in the hand are required.

Step 3:   The opener must trust the partner, and must accept the transfer and bid the major suit the partner wants, even if the opener only has 2-cards in that suit. The opener bids  3♥  or  3♠ , the suit that is one hierarchy step above the partner's bid suit in Step 2. The opener will mention the trump suit first, and will be the declarer.


FC 2NT Xfr to Hearts
Step 4:   Now that the trump suit has been established with the opener as the declarer, the partner makes a bid that reveals the partner's point count and sets the final contract level.
   • 0 to 4 pts:   Bid PASS. There are not enough combined points for a game, so play the contract at 3 hearts or 3 spades.
   • 5 to 12 pts:   There are enough combined points for a game, so bid  4 ♥  or  4 ♠ .

2/21/2024
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