1NT Openings & Suit responses - Facts sheet 5

Responding with a new Suit after a 1NT Opening

  1. With 5332 shape and a 5-card major (♥ or ♠) prefer to bid the major.

  2. With semi-balanced or unbalanced shape and a 5+card major (♥ or ♠) always bid the major.

  3. With an unbalanced hand and a 5+card minor (♣ or ♥), bid the minor suit.

  4. With a 5332 or semi-balanced hand and a 5+card minor (♣ or ♥) prefer to bid NT (Provided that the HCP are spread over the four suits)

Suit responses to a 1NT Opening are :

  1. 1NT - 2♣   =   8+ HCP, with a 4-card major : Stayman Convention

  2. 1NT - 2♦ ♥ ♠   =   0-7 HCP, unbalanced hand : Rescue bid
    • Opener must Pass !

  3. 1NT - 3♣ ♦ ♥ ♠   =   8+ HCP, 5-card suit : Forcing to Game
    1. with 3-card support : Opener bids Game in Responder's suit
    2. with 2-card support : Opener bids 3NT

  4. 1NT - 4♥ 4♠ 5♣ 5♦   =   8+ HCP, 6+card suit

The Stayman Convention
A 2♣ response to a 1NT Opening is the Stayman Convention. It asks Opener to show his 4-card major suit(s).
Opener's replies are :

  1. 1NT - 2♣ - 2♦   =   No 4-card major

  2. 1NT - 2♣ - 2♥   =   4 ♥s   or   both 4-card majors

  3. 1NT - 2♣ - 2♠   =   4 ♠s

    (2NT - 3♣   is also used as Stayman Conventions)

The Gerber 4♣ Convention
The Blackwood Convention is not used after a NT Opening bid, because the 4NT bid can be ambiguous in such situation. The Gerber 4♣ Convention is used instead.

1NT - 4♣ (or 2NT - 4♣) asks for Partner's Aces. Replies are :

4♦ = 0 or 4 Aces     4♥ = 1 Ace     4♠ = 2 Aces     4NT = 3 Aces

A following bid of 5♣ asks for the Kings :

5♦ = 0 or 4 Kings     5♥ = 1 King     5♠ = 2 Kings     5NT = 3 Kings