[jillybean]

Has anyone come across this?


1NT pass 2♣? The opener’s responses are: 2♥/2♠ = minimum hand (12/14/15) with a 5-card
suit. 3♥/3♠ = maximum hand (14/16/17) with a 5-card suit.

To deny a 5-card major, the opener responds: 2♦ = minimum hand with no 5-card suit. 2NT =
maximum hand no 5-card suit.

With enough for game interest, to find a 4-4 major suit fit, responder just repeats the inquiry by
bidding 3♣.

Note that responder may also bid 3♥/3♠ which is Smolen showing four cards in the bid major
suit and five cards in the other suit, then alert. Smolen does not interfere with the 5-card Major
Stayman bids.

After the three club responder bid, opener can show a 4-card major by bidding 3♥, the
cheapest major suit, identical to the 2♣ non-forcing Stayman bid.

Without game interest and hearing opener’s two diamond minimum response, responder does
not bid three clubs, but 2♥ = four hearts, 2♠ = four spades, or 2NT= no 4-card major.

[thepossum]

I don't know if this is relevant but I remember hearing somewhere (likely here) that 4-4 fits are better than 5-3 fits
or stay in NT

Everyone also knows for me KISS rules

[jdiana]

Above my pay grade. I did have 1NT-3♣ as Puppet Stayman on my "to do" list but had not heard of using 2♣. However, through the magic of Google, I did find this discussion - https://bridgewinner...puppet-stayman/

Thanks for posting - I've been bored today.

[mike777]

So 1NT is 12-17 or 10- 19?
Why such a narrow range?
Off shape 1NT openings allowed also?

[jillybean]

1nt 3C puppet is fine.

I have no knowledge or experience with this, it looks like 12-17nt

[jdiana]

I don't know what you're looking at, but I think they're giving examples of three different ranges, 12-14, 14-16, and 15-17. If your range is 12-14, then min = 12, max = 14, etc.

12-17 wouldn't make much sense for a NT range IMO and wouldn't even be legal under ACBL rules, which limit the range to 5 HCP.

[jillybean]

My 12-17 reply was in response to Mike's question, personally I'd be in favour of 10-19.

I have never seen this before but from the link you posted, players have been talking about it since 2014.
It has been suggested I play it this weekend in a sectional - NO!

[paulg]

David Burn thinks that all forms of 5-card Stayman over both 1NT and 2NT are works of the devil: they give away information about the opener's hand in most auctions and the upside is small. I agree with this but much of the professional world plays Puppet, Muppet or some form of 5-card Stayman over a 2NT opener.

Over 1NT, I play Justin Lall's response structure which I believe has become quite popular in American circles:

1NT - 2♠ = range ask without a major or a weak/strong hand with 6+ clubs (2NT shows minimum, 3♣ is maximum)

1NT - 2NT = 5-card Stayman (3♣ is no major and now 3M shows 4-cards in the other major, 3M=five-card major)

1NT - 3♣ = 6+ diamonds, weak or strong

You can use the 2NT response whenever you have a game forcing hand with one four-card major that you would normally use Stayman for: the advantage is that the opener never shows their major holding. The disadvantage of this method is that you lose invitational responses with a six-card minor: you can certainly live without these playing a strong no trump.

The disadvantage of using 2♣ as 5-card Stayman, as shown previously in this thread, is that you must have at least invitational values to use it. You cannot use it on a 3-4-5-1 hand with 3HCP because you will often get too high. This is too much of a sacrifice for me.

[Cyberyeti]

mike777, on 2025-January-21, 20:03, said:

So 1NT is 12-17 or 10- 19?
Why such a narrow range?
Off shape 1NT openings allowed also?

I have played 10-15 1/2 14-19 3/4 in serious competition (The EBU outlawed artificial responses if your 1N range was >6) but you need serious artificiality to deal with that