Puppet Stayman

 

Puppet Stayman is a variety that allows Opener to distinguish between 4-card and 5-card majors.  It's mostly used opposite a 2NT opening bid.

 

22nd November, 2006       Board 3      Dealer South       E-W Vul

 

 

What version of Stayman do you play opposite a 2NT opening?  If it’s regular Stayman then, with this hand, you have no practical alternative to bidding 3NT here, hoping that the Spade suit does not prove to be a fatal weakness.  However, if you play Puppet Stayman, Opener is able to show not only 4-card majors but also a 5-card major.  Puppet Stayman over a 2NT opening is fairly common on the tournament circuit, and recommended for those pairs who wish to invest some time in improving their methods.

 

If Puppet Stayman is such hot stuff, then why not use 2♣ for that purpose opposite a 1NT opening?  Well, you could, and a few partnerships do.  But that interferes with certain other sequences and our own preference (far from universal, we hasten to add) is for 1NT 2♣ to be regular Stayman, and 1NT 3♣ to be Puppet Stayman.  Please check the links and make your own choice.
 

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