SAYC Bidding Practice

From the ACBL SAYC booklet (rev. 1/2006):

• Five-card majors. Higher of two equal long suits. 4-4 minors → 1♦, 3-3 → 1♣ (4♠-4♥-3♦-2♣ opens 1♦).
• Notrump: balanced, five-card major or minor allowed. 1NT 15–17 · 2NT 20–21 · 3NT 25–27.
• 2♣: 22+ points or the playing equivalent.
• Weak two (2♦/2♥/2♠): six-card suit of reasonable quality, 5–11 HCP.
• 3- and 4-level preempts: within 2 tricks of your bid vulnerable against not, 3 at equal vulnerability, 4 at favorable.
• An occasional four-card major in third seat is acceptable judgment.

How the trainer applies it (the booklet doesn’t say):

• Points = HCP + 1 per card beyond four in a suit. One of a suit opens with 13+ points, the bottom of opener’s 13–15 rebid range.
• Balanced = 4-3-3-3, 4-4-3-2, 5-3-3-2. “Reasonable” weak-two suit = two of the top five honors, one of them the A, K or Q.
• Fourth seat: no weak preempts, since passing ends the deal.

Hand evaluation (common teaching; when it argues for another bid, that bid also counts as correct):

• Rule of 20, honors in long suits, short honors (singleton K/Q/J, doubleton Qx/Jx), quick tricks, losing-trick count, semi-balanced notrump, weak-two suit quality and side majors.
• Light third-seat openings and preempts; the Rule of 15 in fourth seat.

Deals are fully random: the dealer and vulnerability follow the standard duplicate-board cycle, and the other players call by plain SAYC until it’s your turn. So each situation comes up about as often as it would at the table.

From the ACBL SAYC booklet (rev. 1/2006):

• Over 1♥/1♠: new suit at the one level 4+ cards, 6+ points · 1NT 6–9, not forcing · single raise 3+ support, 6–10 dummy points · limit raise 10–11 · Jacoby 2NT game-forcing raise, 13+ · 3NT 15–17 balanced with two-card support · 4M usually 5+ support, a singleton or void, under 10 HCP · two-level new suit 10+ points, 4+ cards, forcing · jump shifts strong.
• Over 1♣/1♦: up the line in principle · raise 1♦ with four, 1♣ with five · 2NT 13–15 game forcing · 3NT 16–18 · no forcing minor raise.
• Over 1NT: 2♣ non-forcing Stayman · 2♦/2♥ Jacoby transfers · 2♠ forces 3♣ (weak minor) · 3♣/3♦ six-card suit inviting 3NT · 3♥/3♠ six-card suit, slam interest · 4♣ Gerber · 4NT invites 6NT. Over 2NT and 3NT: Stayman and transfers one level higher.
• Over 2♣: 2♦ waiting · 2♥/2♠/3♣/3♦ five-card suit, 8+ points, game forcing · 2NT balanced 8 HCP.
• Over weak twos: 2NT forcing, asks · raises to play, may be preemptive · new suit forcing, 5+ cards · 3NT to play.

How the trainer applies it (the booklet doesn’t say):

• With a fit, strength is in dummy points: HCP + 5/3/1 for a void/singleton/doubleton with four trumps, 3/2/1 with three. Limit raise taken as 10–12.
• 2♥ over 1♠ shows five hearts. 1NT over a minor is 6–10. With 10+ and no four-card suit for a two-level response, bid a three-card minor.
• 1NT responses: Stayman with 8+ HCP and a four-card major; 2NT invitational 8–9; 3NT 10–15; 6NT 18–19. Five-four in the majors with 8+: Stayman first.
• Passed hand: no Jacoby 2NT or jump shifts; 2NT is natural 11–12.
• Weak twos: game tries start around 14 HCP. Preempts (not in the booklet): raise a 3-level major with three trumps and about 2½ quick tricks.

Hand evaluation: up-the-line versus showing a major first, weak “garbage” Stayman, skipping Stayman with 4-3-3-3, the Law of Total Tricks for raises, and stretching or upgrading at range boundaries.

Deals are fully random. Everyone before North passes by plain SAYC, North opens, and East passes because East’s hand isn’t right for an overcall or double (East’s choices follow the booklet’s defensive bidding). Partner’s openings come up as often as they do at the table.

From the ACBL SAYC booklet (rev. 1/2006):

• Overcalls 8–16 points; with more, double and then bid your suit. 1NT overcall 15–18, balanced, preferably with a stopper. Reopening (balancing) 1NT 10–15, and reopening bids can be lighter.
• Jump overcalls are preemptive, like an opening at that level. 2NT jump overcall: 5–5 in the two lowest unbid suits. Cuebid = Michaels: 5–5 majors (8+) over a minor; the other major and a minor (10+) over a major.
• Double is for takeout over partscore openings (4♦ or lower), penalty over game openings. A below-game jump response to a takeout double is invitational; to force, cuebid.
• After partner’s overcall the only forcing call is a cuebid of opener’s suit. After partner’s 1NT overcall only 2♣ (Stayman) is conventional. 2NT asks for the minor after a major-suit Michaels.
• When they interfere with partner’s opening: bids keep their meaning; negative doubles through 2♠ promise four in an unbid major; a major at the two level shows 11+ and five; a cuebid of their suit shows game values.
• After their takeout double: redouble 10+; one-level new suit forcing; two-level new suit non-forcing (6–10, usually six cards); jump shift to play; 2NT limit raise or better; jump raise preemptive.

How the trainer applies it (the booklet doesn’t say):

• Takeout double: about 12+ HCP over a one-level opening (13+ higher), at most two of their suit, three or more of each unbid suit.
• Overcall suit: two of the top five honors (with the A, K or Q) at the one level; a good suit and about 10+ HCP at the two level; opening values at the three level.
• Defense to 1NT: natural two-level overcalls and a penalty double (15+). The booklet doesn’t give one.
• Advancing a double: 0–8 cheapest, 9–11 jump, 12+ game or cuebid; prefer a four-card major. Advancing an overcall: simple raise 6–9, cuebid 10+ with support, notrump with a stopper.
• Responder after an overcall: 1NT 6–10, 2NT 11–12, 3NT 13–15 with a stopper; jump raise 11–12.

Hand evaluation: balancing about a king lighter, light overcalls and doubles, preferring a double with a minor and both majors, trap passes, preemptive raises with four trumps.

Deals are fully random, and every robot calls by these same rules, so each situation comes up as often as it would at the table. For now the trainer skips deals where both opponents bid, and doubles that are for penalties.