Full SAYC Convention Card: Standard American Yellow Card (SAYC) Opening Characteristics Response Meaning Continuation

This is a very concise summary. More info on SAYC:ACBL SAYC System Booklet(PDF format).
See also:Full SAYC convention card by Michel Heger.
Standard American Yellow Card (SAYC)
opening characteristics response meaning continuation
2NT 13–15, GF
1♣ 3+ cards
3NT 16–17
1♦ 4+ cards or 4432 as to 1♣
4+ spades, 6+
1♠ pts, usu. no ♥
support
6–9; denies 4
1 NT spades or 3 may be passed
hearts
promises another bid unless

2 ♣/♦ 10+, 4+ cards
passed hand or game bid
Jacoby: raise, 3♣/♦/♠ shortness, 4♥ min,

2NT !
13+ 3NT med, 3♥ max
1♥ 5+ cards
limit, 10–12,
3+ hearts
3♥
(preempt over
X)
15–17 hcp,
3NT balanced, 2
card support
usu. 5+ hearts,
4♥ shortness, <10
hcp
1♠ 5+ cards cf. to 1 ♥
non-forcing 2 ♦/♥/♠ (2♥ with both
2♣ Stayman, usu. majors); responder’s 3♣/♦
8+ hcp slam interest
Jacoby
2♦ ! transfer to 2 ♥, or 3 ♥ with max.
hearts
Jacoby
2♥ ! transfer to 2 ♠, or 3 ♠ with max.
spades
15–17 hcp
balanced(may contain 2♠ ! transfer to 3♣ resp. rebid 3 ♦ signoff
1NT
a 5-card suit, even a
major)
inv. to 3NT
3♣/♦ ! with 6+ card
suit
6+ card suit,
3♥/♠
slam interest
Gerber, asking
4♣ 4♦ = 0 or 4, 4♥ = 1, etc
for aces
natural, invites
4NT
6NT
opener’s suit rebid forcing to

artif., may be 3 of his major or 4 of his
2♦
waiting minor; after 2 NT rebid:
Stayman, Jacoby, Gerber
strong artificial,22+ or
2♣
playing equiv. 2♥/♠, natural, GF, 5+

3♣/♦ cards, 8+ pts
balanced, 8
2NT
hcp
2♦/♥/♠ 6+ (or 5) cards, 5–11 2NT forcing, game with min. (5–8 p):rebidthe
hcp; usuallyno major interest suit;with max.: new suit
(shows A/K) or 3NT or 4 of
minor(shows 4–5 cards with
side suit at least Q)
any raise to play
3♣ Stayman
Jacoby
3♦/♥ ! 3♥/♠
20–21 hcp balanced, transfer
2NT may contain 5-card
suit 4♣ ! Gerber
inviting to
4NT
slam in NT
4♣ ! Stayman
3NT 25–27 hcp balanced
Jacoby
4♦/♥ ! 4♥/♠
transfer
3/4 of pre-empt, rule of

suit 2/3/4
Choosing the opening
 open the higher of long (at least 5 cards) suits of equal length
 with 4–4 minors, open 1 ♦
 notrump openings show a balanced hand but may contain a five-card suit (minor or
major)
 occasional 4-card major opening in 3rd seat
Continuation
 fourth suit may be artificial (“4th suit forcing”), except in1♣–1♦–1♥–1♠, which is
natural
 after opener’s rebid in a suit, a new suit by responder is forcing
 after opener’s rebid of 1 NT (e.g., 1♥–1♠–1NT), responder’s simple non-reverse
rebid in a new suit(e.g., 2♣/♦) is non-forcing
 in that situation, a reverse rebid (e.g. 1♣–1♥–1NT–2♠) or a jump shift into a new suit
is game-forcing
Slam conventions
 regular Blackwood: 4 NT asks for aces,5♣ = 0 or 4; 5 ♦ = 1;5 ♥ = 2; 5 ♠ = 3;then 5 NT

asks for kings similarly
 Grand Slam Force: jump to 5 NT asks partner to bid grand slamin agreed suit with
two of three top honors in it
Effect of interference
 usually interference cancels conventions(e.g., after major suit opening and

interference, a response of 2 NTis natural, 12–14 hcp, not Jacoby)
 double of 1 NT does not affect conventions
 after 1 NT and interfering bid, bid in opponent suitis game-forcing and substitute for
Stayman
Defensive bidding
 D for takeout over opening partscore, penalty opening game bid

 simple overcall 8–16 points; only forcing response isopp. suit
 1 NT overcall 15–18 hcp (10–15 when reopening), balanced, preferably a stopper
inopp. suit; 2♣ response Stayman, otherwise natural
 jump 2 NT is “unusual”, i.e. 5–5 lowest unbid suits
 jump overcall in suit preemptive
 a bid in opp. suit is
o Michaels when opps have bid one suit only (Michaels:5–5 in majors and 8+
pts when opening was in a minor,otherwise the other major and a minor and 10+
pts)
o natural when opps have bid 2 suits
Competitive bidding
 neg. D up to 2♠
 RD 10+ pts
 responders jump shift over D is to play
 cuebid in right-hand opp. forcing to game
 RD of a D of conventional bid is for business
 RD is SOS when suit contract of 3 or lower is doubled for penalty
 D of conventional bid like Michaels or unusual 2 NT shows 10+ pts
Leads and signals
 top of touching honors (even A from AKx)

 top of interior sequence
 Xxxx(…), i.e. 4th best (rule of 11)if headed by an honor
 xxxx(…), i.e. 2nd best from 4 or more when no honor
 against suit contract: xxx, i.e. lowest from 3 small
 against NT contract: xxx, i.e. highest from 3 small
 high encourages, low discourages
 high–low is even when giving count
Last modified: 2010-03-28.

Also available in Finnish: SAYC-tiivistelmä .
Jukka “Yucca” Korpela.

Full SAYC Convention Card: Standard American Yellow Card (SAYC) Opening Characteristics Response Meaning Continuation

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Full SAYC Convention Card: Standard American Yellow Card (SAYC) Opening Characteristics Response Meaning Continuation

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Full SAYC Convention Card: Standard American Yellow Card (SAYC) Opening Characteristics Response Meaning Continuation

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

This is a very concise summary. More info on SAYC:ACBL SAYC System Booklet(PDF format).

See also:Full SAYC convention card by Michel Heger.

Standard American Yellow Card (SAYC)

opening characteristics response meaning continuation

promises another bid unless

Jacoby: raise, 3♣/♦/♠ shortness, 4♥ min,

opener’s suit rebid forcing to

any raise to play

3/4 of pre-empt, rule of

Choosing the opening

 regular Blackwood: 4 NT asks for aces,5♣ = 0 or 4; 5 ♦ = 1;5 ♥ = 2; 5 ♠ = 3;then 5 NT

 usually interference cancels conventions(e.g., after major suit opening and

 D for takeout over opening partscore, penalty opening game bid

Leads and signals

 top of touching honors (even A from AKx)

Last modified: 2010-03-28.

You might also like