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Puppet Stayman Is it worth it?

#201 User is offline   RGranville 

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Posted 2013-August-23, 05:06

In most systems you need to be able to open 2NT with a 5 card major, so Puppet Stayman is pretty much essential after a 2NT opening.

Whether to open 1NT with a 5 card major is more debatable, but using Puppet Stayman means that you can't use Stayman on weak hands, which is a particular drawback playing weak NT.

But it is possible to employ some fairly unused sequences after regular Stayman to find most 5-3 major suit fits.

I'm assuming a fairly standard scheme of responses, i.e. direct 3C/3D invitational, direct 3H/3S slam try, 3C/3D via Stayman GF, 3H/3S after Stayman and a 2D rebid 5-4 in the majors - perhaps Smolen.

With interest in a 5-3 major suit fit, you use regular Stayman as usual. If opener rebids 2D, then there are no further problems.

If opener shows a major suit, this may be 4 or 5 cards. Responder can make use of the rarely used bids in the other major, as follows:


Rebids after 1NT – 2♣ – 2♥
2♠ 4+ card spade suit. If responder has enough for game, he might have interest in a 5-3 heart fit.
2NT Denies 4 spades, therefore invitational with interest in a 5-3 heart fit.
3NT Denies 4 spades, therefore interest in a 5-3 heart fit.

Rebids after 1NT – 2♣ – 2♥ – 2♠
2NT Minimum, not 4 spades, 4 or 5 hearts. Responder bids 3♥ if he wants to play in a 5-3 heart fit.
3♣ Maximum, not 4 spades, 4 or 5 hearts. Responder bids 3♥ if he wants to play in a 5-3 heart fit.
3♠ Minimum, 4 spades.
4♠ Maximum, 4 spades.

Rebids after 1NT – 2♣ – 2♠
2NT Invitational with 4 hearts.
3♥ Interest in a 5-3 heart fit.
3NT No interest in a 5-3 heart fit.

I've devised this fairly recently and haven't yet had a chance to play it, but it seems to address the main issues.
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#202 User is offline   gnasher 

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Posted 2013-August-23, 06:01

View PostRGranville, on 2013-August-23, 05:06, said:

In most systems you need to be able to open 2NT with a 5 card major, so Puppet Stayman is pretty much essential after a 2NT opening.

That's a non-sequitur. For Puppet Stayman to be beneficial, let alone essential, two other conditions would have to be met:
- Being able to find a 5-3 major-suit fit gains overall.
- The cost of playing Puppet Stayman on other deals doesn't outweigh this gain.
... that would still not be conclusive proof, before someone wants to explain that to me as well as if I was a 5 year-old. - gwnn
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#203 User is offline   Zelandakh 

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Posted 2013-August-23, 06:25

More than this, the next line was wrong too.

View PostRGranville, on 2013-August-23, 05:06, said:

using Puppet Stayman means that you can't use Stayman on weak hands, which is a particular drawback playing weak NT.

Playing regular Stayman you use Exit Stayman with a weak hand and (roughly) 3+ hearts, 3+ spades, 4+ diamonds. Playing Puppet Stayman you use Exit Stayman with (roughly) 2+ hearts, 2+ spades, 5+ diamonds. Moreover, if you are clever and run your weak diamond takeouts through 2, you get to stop in 2 considerably more often playing Puppet than regular Stayman. So to say that Puppet cannot be used on weak hands is just wrong. Better to say that it is used on a slightly different set of weak hands.

As for your new sequences, as far as I can see you have no strong raise after a 2 response when using 3 in this way. That is a major loss. Perhaps you can improve this by using an "unused" sequence after a 2 transfer to check back for a 3-5 spade fit instead.
(-: Zel :-)
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#204 User is offline   rhm 

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Posted 2013-August-23, 06:31

View Postgnasher, on 2013-August-23, 06:01, said:

That's a non-sequitur. For Puppet Stayman to be beneficial, let alone essential, two other conditions would have to be met:
- Being able to find a 5-3 major-suit fit gains overall.
- The cost of playing Puppet Stayman on other deals doesn't outweigh this gain.

+1

Rainer Herrmann
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#205 User is offline   32519 

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Posted 2013-August-23, 07:43

View PostZelandakh, on 2013-August-23, 06:25, said:

Playing regular Stayman you use Exit Stayman with a weak hand and (roughly) 3+ hearts, 3+ spades, 4+ diamonds. Playing Puppet Stayman you use Exit Stayman with (roughly) 2+ hearts, 2+ spades, 5+ diamonds. Moreover, if you are clever and run your weak diamond takeouts through 2, you get to stop in 2 considerably more often playing Puppet than regular Stayman. So to say that Puppet cannot be used on weak hands is just wrong. Better to say that it is used on a slightly different set of weak hands.

Amazing, after 203 replies since this thread was started we have a REAL SECOND BENEFIT in playing Puppet Stayman, you can stop in 2 with a bust. :P
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#206 User is offline   Zelandakh 

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Posted 2013-August-23, 08:01

View Post32519, on 2013-August-23, 07:43, said:

Amazing, after 203 replies since this thread was started we have a REAL SECOND BENEFIT in playing Puppet Stayman, you can stop in 2 with a bust. :P

Proof positive that my posts are not being read. See #164, #41 and #6. That is the 5th reply and it took until #205 to register!
(-: Zel :-)
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#207 User is offline   mgoetze 

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Posted 2013-August-23, 16:24

View PostRGranville, on 2013-August-23, 05:06, said:

I'm assuming a fairly standard scheme of responses, i.e. direct 3C/3D invitational, direct 3H/3S slam try, 3C/3D via Stayman GF, 3H/3S after Stayman and a 2D rebid 5-4 in the majors - perhaps Smolen.

Standard in which decade?
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#208 User is offline   32519 

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Posted 2013-August-23, 22:40

View Postmgoetze, on 2013-August-23, 16:24, said:

Standard in which decade?

That's pretty much how SAYC plays it.
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#209 User is offline   Trinidad 

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Posted 2013-August-24, 00:07

View PostZelandakh, on 2013-August-23, 08:01, said:

Proof positive that my posts are not being read.

I wouldn't generalize. I think your posts are very well read, but there are "numerous" exceptions to every rule.

Rik
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#210 User is offline   32519 

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Posted 2013-December-09, 00:10

Here is one of Edgar Kaplan's quotes from TBW. Anyone know if he changed his mind?

"I do not guarantee I'll never open one notrump holding a five-card major, but so far in a long bridge career I have never found the occasion to do so."

"Vanderbilt in Philly, III", TBW 10/1996, p. 9
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