Standard American Yellow Card/suit auction

Major suit openings in SAYC show a five-card or longer suit. The following conventions are on for responding and the subsequent bidding:

• Jacoby 2NT

``Responses

 

Summary

1NT

Responses to one of a major suit opening

	0-5	6-9	10-12	13-14	15-17	slam interest
5-card support	game (with shape)		limit raise	Jacoby 2NT
4-card support	Pass	single raise
3-card support				1/1 or 2/1, then rebid at 3-level
4 card suit		1/1				jump shift
		2/1
		other response			others

Responses to one of a minor suit opening

	6-9	10-12	13-15	16-18	slam interest
fit without 4-card major	single raise	limit raise
4 card suit	1/1				jump shift
	1NT	2/1
balanced			2NT	3NT

Fit responses

Fit is 3 cards in a major, 4 diamonds, or 5 (good 4) clubs. Fit responses to minor suit openings deny a four-card major.

• Single raise to two level shows 6-10 points and fit.
• Limit raise to three level shows 10-11 points and fit.
• After a major suit opening 1♥/♠
  • 2NT is Jacoby, showing game-forcing (13 point) four-card support and asking for a short suit.
  • Game in the opened major shows a distributional hand, typically 5+ trump, a singleton or void, and less than 10 points. This is a preemptive bid.

Nonfit responses

• new suit at the one-level (1/1) shows four cards and 6+ points, denies a major suit fit.
• 1NT shows 6-9 points and no biddable suit at the one-level.
• new suit at the two-level (non-jump, 2/1) shows four cards and 10+ points.
• Jump shift is strong, inviting a slam (17+ points).

Balanced responses

• After a major suit opening 1♥/♠
  • 3NT shows 15-17 points, balanced, and two-card support for partner.
• After a minor suit opening 1♣/♦
  • 2NT shows 13-15 points, balanced.
  • 3NT shows 16-18 points, balanced.

Opener's Rebids

After one-level response

Because both partners are very much unlimited after a 1/1 response, it is critical for opener to narrow his point range as much as possible. Any new suit or double jump bid is forcing.

Rebids after 1/1 (SAYC)

	13-14	15	16-17	18	19	20-22
Balanced	1NT			2NT
4-card support	single raise		jump raise		double jump raise
6-card opening suit	nonjump rebid		jump rebid		double jump rebid
New 4-card suit	non-reverse or 1-level				jump shift if 5 or 6 cards
			reverse

With a minimum opening (13-15 points)

• Rebid notrump with a balanced hand
• Single raise in responder's suit with 4-card (or good 3-card) support
• Nonjump rebid of opened suit with a six-card suit
• New suit at the one-level, or non-reverse at the two-level (note range 13-18 points)

With a medium opening (16-18 points)

• Jump raise of responder's suit with four-card support
• Jump rebid of opened suit with a six-card suit
• Reverse in a new suit with a four-card suit that is shorter than opened suit
• New suit at the one-level, or non-reverse at the two-level (note range 13-18 points)

With a maximum opening (19-22 points)

All these rebids are forcing.

• Jump in notrump with a balanced hand
• Double jump raise of responder's suit
• Double jump rebid of own suit
• Jump shift in a new suit

Responder's rebids

After non-reverse new suit

While the other rebids are all limit bids, a non-reverse new suit still has a wide range of 13-18 points, and therefore responder must continue to narrow his own point range to make opener captain.

Responder rebids after 1/1 and non-reverse rebid

6-9	10-11	12+
Pass or 1NT	2NT	Game
Prev. suit at 2-level		Prev. suit at 3-level
	New suit

With a minimum response (6-9 points)

• Pass without anything more to say
• Bid 1NT
• Bid a previously-bid suit at the two-level. This typically does not include opener's second suit.

With an invitational response (10-11 points)

• Bid 2NT
• Bid a previously-bid suit at the three-level.

With a game-forcing response (12+ points)

• Bid game, if the contract is clear
• Bid a new suit (see Fourth suit forcing or New minor forcing)

After a 1NT rebid

These are similar to the rebids after a non-reverse, except that two-level non-reverse new suits are not forcing. To force in a new suit, t must be a reverse or a jump shift.

After a jump shift

Typically if opener jump shifts then he has a good idea what the contract should be. Bid anything weak-sounding with nothing else to say, or give more information with slam interest.