BRIDGE MASTERCLASS

What do you respond on this hand after partner opens 1NT?

This is the hand opposite yesterday’s opening 1NT — ( ♠ KJ64 ♥ A8 ♦ 862 ♣ KQJ4). I would never consider responding anything but 3NT at any form of bridge, but especially at Pairs. however, the diktat of Standard english is always to use Stayman to seek a major-suit fit. I feel it’s incongruous for a bidding method which advocates opening 1NT on such random distribution of values to be so ‘technical’.

Statistically, a 4-4 fit will generally play for a trick more in the suit than in NTs. But what the textbooks don’t tell you is that whenever the response to Stayman is negative, the defence has benefited more than declarer from its use.

As the odds are against having a major-suit fit, the defence will gain more often than declarer from hearing the Stayman inquiry. even when a fit is found, there is still the 32 per cent chance of meeting a bad trump break in 4 ♥ or 4 ♠ .

I prefer to rely on the evidence of practice, rather than theory. From many years’ experience of Pairs play, I can assure newcomers to duplicate that for every poor result received from spurning Stayman, I’ve gained at least three ‘tops’ by playing in an ‘undisclosed’ 3NT.

On the above hand, 3NT would have gone down on a diamond lead, with 4 ♠ making an overtrick. however, if opener had started with bidding 1 ♣ , instead of 1NT, there would have been no risk of missing 4 ♠ . (See tomorrow).