10-12 notrumps, Ed Davis style: I. Requirements for opening 1NT: A. 10-12 HCP, at least one A or K, but not 3 aces. B. Any 4333, 4432, or 5332. 5422 or 6322 with long minor. C. Only 10 or 11 HCP with a five-card major. II. Responses A. 2C - Puppet Stayman. Used with either a diamond signoff, interest in a major, or some type of invitational hand. B. 2D - Relay Stayman. Forcing to game. C. 2H, 2S - to play D. 2NT, 3C, 3D, 3H - transfers. Either preemptive in next higher suit or void in that suit. E. 3S - 10+ minor suit cards, preemptive through game invitational range. F. 3NT - to play G. 4C - Gerber H. 4D - transfer to 4H, responder will signoff after that in any suit. Responder is weak. I. 4H, 4S, 5C, 5D - to play, says it is our hand. J. 4NT - invitational III. 1NT-2C Sequences A. 2M by opener shows 5-card major and 10-11 HCP. Responder signs off by bidding 2NT, 3C, or 3D and invites game with 3H or 3S. B. 2D by opener denies a 5-card major. Responder now invites game by bidding 3 of a suit which shows a one-suiter or 2NT which is invitational without a 4-card major. If responder bis 2H or 2S it shows a four card suit and 0-14+ HCP. Opener passes with a fit and a minimum (could be 3-card support and a ruffing value.) Otherwise, oepner bids 2S over 2H with four spades (and not four hearts,) 2NT with a minimum, 3C with a maximum and no 4-card support for partner's major, and 3 of partner's major with a max and 4-card support. After any of opener's responses to 2H or 2S, responder places the contract with one exception: if the auction is 1NT-2C-2D-2H-2S, a bid of 2NT or 3S is invitational. Recapping: 1NT-2C; 2D-? 1NT-2C; 2D-2H = 4H, 0-14+, opener raises with fit and max 1NT-2C; 2D-2S = 4S, 0-14+, opener raises with fit and max 1NT-2C; 2D-2N = invitational, no major 1NT-2C; 2D-2M; ? 1NT-2C; 2D-2M; 2S = 4S, not 4H 1NT-2C; 2D-2M; 2N = no major, min (could have 4H if 2M = 2S) 1NT-2C; 2D-2M; 3C = no major, max (could have 4H if 2M = 2S) 1NT-2C; 2D-2M; 3M = support, max 1NT-2C; 2D-2H; 2S-? 2NT or 3S is invitational. Almost all other sequeces after responder bids 2M are to play. 1NT-2C; 2D-3M = 6-card suit, invitational 1NT-2C; 2D-2M; any-3M = 5-card suit, invitational 1NT-2C; 2M-3OM = invitational (the exception) 1NT-2C; any-3m = 6-card suit, invitational IV. 1NT-2D sequences (Relay Stayman) A. General. This creates a game force and is artificial. It begins a series of relay bids by responder to discover opener's distribution and high card placement. All relays below 3NT by responder inquire about opener's distribution. Opener's first response (to 2D) shows a specific distributional pattern or the primary suit in opener's hand. If responder relays again, opener shows his length in clubs. (Note: there are 40 possible distributions and 34 possible sequences beginning with 2D that do not carry beyond 3NT. 33 of these sequences are used to show all but seven of opener's possible distributions, but in every case opener's longest suit and major suit distribution are known. B. Specific sequences to show distribution following 1NT-2D: i. relay structure 1NT-2D; 2H = usually 4 or 5 spades 1NT-2D; 2S = always 4 or 5 hearts 1NT-2D; 2N = long clubs 1NT-2D; 3C = long diamonds 1NT-2D; 3D = long diamonds and 3-3 in majors 1NT-2D; 3H = 3244 1NT-2D; 3S = 2344 1NT-2D; 3N = 4432 or 4423 (note 2) 1NT-2D; 2H-2S; ? 2N = 4-2 in majors 3C relays: 3D = 2 clubs 3H = 3 clubs 3S = 4 clubs 3N = 5 clubs 3C = 4-3 in majors 3D relays: 3H = 2 clubs 3S = 3 clubs 3N = 4 clubs 3D = 5-3 in majors 3H relays: 3S = 2 clubs 3N = 3 clubs 3H = 2452 (note 1) 3S = 2443 (note 1) 3N = 5233 1NT-2D; 2S-2NT; ? 3C = 3-4 in majors 3D relays 3H = 2 clubs 3S = 3 clubs 3N = 4 clubs 3D = 3-5 in majors 3H relays 3S = 2 clubs 3N = 3 clubs 3H = 2434 (note 1) 3S = 2425 (note 1) 3N = 2533 1NT-2D; 2NT-3C; ? 3D = 3-3 in majors 3H relays 3S = 4 clubs 3N = 5 clubs 3H = 3-2 in majors (note 2) 3S = 2-3 in majors (note 2) 3N = 2-2 in majors (note 2) 1NT-2D; 3C-3D; ? 3H = 3-2 in majors (note 2) 3S = 2-3 in majors (note 2) 3N = 2-2 in majors (note 2) 1NT-2D; 3D-3H; ? 3S = 2 clubs 3N = 3 clubs Note 1: 2 of a major followed by 3 of a major (all by responder) shows 2 spades and 4 hearts and the number of clubs held is lowest when hearts is bid. Note 2: Opener's exact distribution is not known. Mnemonics: [Jeff wrote this.] The first response is usually either showing a four-card major in the other major (you bid hearts to show spades and spades to show hearts) or a transfer to your long minor. In general, the relays aim to make responder the declarer by having the next relay be opener's long suit, or by having opener bid short suits to show shape. The exceptions to the first bid rule are 3D and up. 3D shows diamonds and 3-3 in the majors. Normally, 3D will show 3-3 in the majors in later auctions, too. The second response shows exact major suit distribution, with lower steps usually showing fewer major suit cards. 3D shows 3-3 in the majors, or 5-3 rarely; remember that 3D shows an odd number of each major. The third response is simply stepped showing club length, starting at 2, usually, and counting up. One major and confusing class of exceptions is hands with 2 spades and 4 hearts. Because there are more sequences beginning with 2H than with 2S, some of those hands got shifted from a normal 2S response to a 2H response. There's a pattern, however, about all 24xx shapes. The four possibilities are ordered by number of clubs, and the lowest of the four auctions shows 2, then next 3, and so on. They are: 2H, followed by 3H = 2452 2H, followed by 3S = 2443 2S, followed by 3H = 2434 2S, followed by 3S = 2425 This causes a complication in the major suit relays; a 2S initial response "denies" 2-4 for the stepped relays; those hands are shown via the previous pattern. When in doubt: try to figure out how many patterns will be left by the bid you made. If there are too many patterns for the remaining room, you probably have it wrong. There is the set of exceptions whereby the minor suit shape cannot be shown with hands with long minors, so this is helpful only for the major-suit relays; when we start with 2H or 2S, we can always show the whole shape; the only possible ambiguities are the immediate 3NT response, and sequences starting with 2NT or 3C, in which case it is sometimes not possible to distinguish between five- and six-card minors. ii. further bidding During or immediately following the relay sequence, the responder may signoff by bidding game or higher with the exception that a jump to 4NT is invitational. C. Keycard asking bids These occur if 1) responder breaks the distribution relay sequence (i.e. does not make the relay bid when there is more information available about opener's distribution) and makes a non-game bid, or 2) if responder makes a non-game non-4C bid after the distributional relay sequence has been completed (this can only be a bid of 4D, or, when possible, 3S.) The suit bid is the keycard suit. Responses are: 1st step = no keys, no queen 2nd step = no keys, queen 3rd step = 1 key, no queen 4th step = 1 key, queen 5th step = 2 keys, no queen 6th step = 2 keys, queen 7th step = 3 keys, no queen Other suits now are asking bids in other suits: 1st step = no king or queen 2nd step = queen 3rd step = king 4th step = king and queen. Responder may continue to make asking bids by non-jump bidding of new suits (i.e. suits not previously asked in with either keycard or asking bids.) Responder signs off by bidding any suit previously asked in, any cheapest NT, any jump in a suit, or any bid of 6H or higher. Jumps to 4NT and 5NT are invitational. D. 4C asking bid. After the distributional relay sequence has been completed, a 4C bid is aksing about opener's high cards. Opener's initial response shows his combination of aces and kings; if room is still available for queens in opener's hand, responder bids the relay suit (not 4NT) and opener responds with his number of queens in steps. After responder has completed asking about aces, kings, and queens or if responder does not relay asking about queens when the opener has room to hold one or more queens, responder's next bid is signoff. The responses to the 4C asking bid are: 4C-? 4D = one ace or king 4C; 4D-4H relays; ? 4S = KQQ 4N = AQ or AQQ 5C relays 5D = AQ 5H = AQQ 5C = KQQQ 5D = AQQQ 5H = KQQQQ 5S = AQQQQ 4H = two kings 4C-4H; 4S relays; ? 4N = no queens 5C = one 5D = two 5H = three 4S = one ace and one king 4C-4S; 5C relays; ? 5D = no queen 5H = one 5S = two 4N = two aces 4C-4NT; 5C relays; ? 5D = no queen 5H = one 5S = two 5C = three kings 4C-5C; 5D relays; ? 5H = no queen 5S = one 5D = one ace and two kings 4C-5D; 5H relays; ? 5S = no queen 5N = one 5H = two aces and one king 5S = four kings E. Summary of signoffs by responder 1. Before or immediately after completing distributional relay---by bidding game or higher in any suit or 3NT. 2. At any time following a keycard asking bid: a. by bidding the keycard suit or any suit in which an asking bid was made b. by bidding cheapest NT c. by jumping in a suit d. by bidding 6H or higher 3. Following the 4C asking bid: a. by not making the relay bid b. any bid after opener's queen count is known V. 1NT-2NT, 3C, 3D, or 3H sequences A. This is a transfer to the next higher suit. Responder holds one of three types of hands: a) a weak hand containing a six- or seven-card suit in the suit transferred to, b) a game-forcing hand containing a void in the tranferred-to suit, or c) a hand containing a good six-or-seven card minor with a void or singleton in the transferred-to suit and a desire to play 3NT if opener has a stopper in the short suit. B. Opener accepts the transfer unless he holds KQx or better in the transferred-to suit, in which case he bids 3NT. C. Responder passes the acceptance of the transfer and corrects or passes opener's 3NT bid with the weak one-suiter. If responder has a void or singleton in the transferred-to suit, he may pass opener's 3NT bid; otherwise, responder bids: 1) 3NT by responder says he probably has a singleton rather than a void and wants to play 3NT if opener has a stopper. Opener generally passes 3NT with a stopper although he may bid a five-card major or a good four-card major to try for a 4-3 major suit fit. Without a stopper, opener may bid 4C (4D if opener is short in clubs) with a minimum hand, four of a major to try for a 4-3 fit when opener has a good four card major, 4D (except when responder's short suit is clubs) to give responder a chance to bid a good three-card major, cue bid with 11 or 12 working HCP, or 4NT to play game in reponder's minor. If opener bid 4C over 3NT showing a minimum hand, responder may pass 4C or correct to 4D to play, bid a good three card major, or bid five of his minor. [all sic] 2) Immediate game bids by responder are invitational if responder [sic] has accepted the transfer. If responder [sic] has bid 3NT, four of a minor is natural and forcing, four of a major and five of a minor is to play, and five of a major is invitational. 3) Responder's bid of 4NT over opener's acceptance of the transfer or 3NT bid is invitational showing a singleton in the transferred-to suit and slam interest. Opener may pass, bid five or six of responder's minor, bid five of a major with a five-card suit (forcing) or 5NT to transfer to six of responder's minor. 4) Below game suit bids are natural and forcing looking for 1) the best trump suit, and 2) how well opener's hand fits responder's void. Responder's first suit bid is at least five cards in length. Over responder's suit bid, opener bids a four or five card major at the three level if possible; otherwise he bids 3NT with 5 to 7 working HCP, raises responder's three level bid with three card support and 8 to 10 working HCP, bids his cheapest four card suit at the four level with 8-10 working HCP, or cue bids the void with 11 or 12 working HCP. Subsequent suit bids by responder are four cards in length if they are new suits not bypassing a NT bid or are raises of partner's suit, five cards in length if they are new suits bypassing a NT bid, and six or more cards in length if they are rebids of responder's original suit. Responder's NT bid denies support for opener's suit or another five card suit of his own and continues the exploration for the best trump fit. Responder's cue bid says a fit has been found or that his first bid suit is very strong and that opener should signoff with a minimum (bid the cheapest of opener's or responder's suits) in the range that has already been shown. Unless the range of opener's hand has been established (i.e. 5-7, 8-10, 11-12) opener must bid NT before raising responder's second suit if opener's hand is 5 to 7 working HCP since the direct raise would show 8-10 working HCP. Opener must cue bid at some point in the auction with 11 to 12 working HCP and must not pass responder's four of a major bid with 9 or 10 working HCP and reasonable support. In general, responder's NT bids are an investigation for the best trump fit and responder's cue bids are investigating how high to bid once a fit has been found. (Note that the term "cue bid" refers only to the bids of responder's void suit. There is not any cue bidding of controls in any suits.) 5) Responder's immediate cue bid of his void suit invokes the responses by opener to the 4C asking bid described in IV D with the following exceptions: a) Only picture cards outside the void suit are counted. b) The 4D response followed by 4S over reponder's 4H relay shows KQQ or less. c) Over the 4S reponse, 4NT is the relay, not 5C. VI. 1NT-3S sequences A. This shows 5-5 or longer in the minors and ranges in strength from 0 HCP to an invitational hand. B. Opener bids 3NT if he does not like hand for a minor suit game; otherwise, he bids his longer minor. C. If responder wants to play four of a minor he passes opener's 4C or 4D bid or bids 4C over 3NT> If responder wants to play five of a minor, he bids 4NT over reponder's 3NT to get opener to bid his longer minor or he raises opener's 4C or 4D bid to game. D. If opponents bid immediately over 3S, 1) Over double, opener redoubles to show the Ace of hearts. If opener's LHO passes, responder bids 4C to invite game and 3NT to play opener's longer minor. If LHO bids, responder doubles to invite game. Otherwise, responder passes. Without the Ace of hearts, opener passes to discourage a minor suit sacrifice, bids 3NT to suggest a minor suit sacrifice, and bids 4C or 4D to accept a minor suit game. Over opener's pass, responder bids 4C to invite game and 3NT to play opener's longer minor. 2) Over a suit bid, opener says double to encourage a minor suit sacrifice. Othewise, opener passes. 3) Whenever responder doubles 4H or 4S by the opponents, he is saying he has a game invitational hand. Appendix: Summary of distributional sequences over 1NT-2D 1NT-2D; 2H-2S; 2N-3C; 3D = 4252 1NT-2D; 2H-2S; 2N-3C; 3H = 4243 1NT-2D; 2H-2S; 2N-3C; 3S = 4234 1NT-2D; 2H-2S; 2N-3C; 3N = 4225 1NT-2D; 2H-2S; 3C-3D; 3H = 4342 1NT-2D; 2H-2S; 3C-3D; 3S = 4333 1NT-2D; 2H-2S; 3C-3D; 3N = 4324 1NT-2D; 2H-2S; 3D-3H; 3S = 5332 1NT-2D; 2H-2S; 3D-3H; 3N = 5323 1NT-2D; 2H-2S; 3H = 2452 1NT-2D; 2H-2S; 3S = 2443 1NT-2D; 2H-2S; 3N = 5233 1NT-2D; 2S-2N; 3C-3D; 3H = 3442 1NT-2D; 2S-2N; 3C-3D; 3S = 3433 1NT-2D; 2S-2N; 3C-3D; 3N = 3424 1NT-2D; 2S-2N; 3D-3H; 3S = 3532 1NT-2D; 2S-2N; 3D-3H; 3N = 3523 1NT-2D; 2S-2N; 3H = 2434 1NT-2D; 2S-2N; 3S = 2425 1NT-2D; 2S-2N; 3N = 2533 1NT-2D; 2N-3C; 3D-3H; 3S = 3334 1NT-2D; 2N-3C; 3D-3H; 3N = 3325 1NT-2D; 2N-3C; 3H = 3235 or 3226 1NT-2D; 2N-3C; 3S = 2335 or 2326 1NT-2D; 2N-3C; 3N = 2245 or 2236 1NT-2D; 3C-3D; 3H = 3253 or 3262 1NT-2D; 3C-3D; 3S = 2353 or 2362 1NT-2D; 3C-3D; 3N = 2254 or 2263 1NT-2D; 3D-3H; 3S = 3352 1NT-2D; 3D-3H; 3S = 3343 1NT-2D; 3H = 3244 1NT-2D; 3S = 2344 1NT-2D; 3N = 4423 or 4432 Modifications: Once relays are completed, 4D is a relay to 4H to sign off in some game. All game bids are Key Card in that suit. Responses and continuations are the same as relay break key card auctions. Direct 4-level responses to 1NT are South African Texas. Opener bids the intermediate suit unless his hand has tenaces suggesting that he ought to be declarer. 1NT-2C; any-4C is Roman Gerber (not key card) (0/3, 1/4, 2).