Most people these days play a short club with a strong no trump and five card majors, therefore opening 1 club is quite often a weak no trump holding.
The Landik conventional 2♣ bid describes a 5-4 or 5-5 holding in the majors up to about 9 points after the bidding has gone… 1♣ from partner and a strong 1NT overcall from the opposition. Now you bid 2♣ hoping to find a fit in the majors.
Very simply you can open 4NT which asks partner if they hold an ace.
| Response | Meaning |
| 5♣ | No aces |
| 5♦ | The ace of Diamonds |
| 5♥ | The ace of Hearts |
| 5♠ | The ace of spades |
| 5NT | 2 aces |
| 6♣ | The ace of clubs |
| 6♦ | Three aces!? |
Alternatively you can play a step response:-
| Response | Meaning |
| 5♣ | No aces |
| 5♦ | The ace of Clubs |
| 5♥ | The ace of Diamonds |
| 5♠ | The ace of Hearts |
| 5NT | The ace of spades |
| 6♣ | Two aces |
| 6♦ | Three Aces!? |
Again the most important thing is make sure you agree what you are playing with partner…as the specific ace convention doesn’t arise very often I would suggest you play the first alternative described here.
Please make sure you can handle any response…if you hold:-
Now the opposition are bound to lead a red suit and take you one off in 6♠.
Whereas if you have this you can cater for any response:-
I decided to cover the topic of transfers – the focus of this tutorial was just on red suit transfers…mainly getting used to the idea of showing a 5 card suit and then bidding no trumps and then getting the opening 1NT bidder to choose the final contract based on their hand…
Exit transfers in bridge are a way of escaping from a poor 1NT doubled contract. This convention can be played with a weak or a strong no trump.
You can play this after 1NT – Double – ? and also after 1x – 1NT – Double – ?
Let’s look at the responses after the 1NT has been doubled…
| Bid | Meaning |
| Pass | Asks partner to Redouble |
| RD | Asks partner to bid clubs |
| 2♣ | 4 Card Stayman |
| 2♦ | Asks partner to bid hearts |
| 2♥ | Asks partner to bid spades |
Apart from pass…the responses are straightforward.
So after Redouble (RD) partner bids 2♣…if the redoubler now bids diamonds they are now showing a 5+ diamond suit.
Alternatively you can drop the Stayman element of this system and use 2C as a transfer to diamonds. It’s your partnerships choice!
What about 1NT – X – P – P – RD
So the whole purpose of this is we can get partner to RD if we think 1NT is making or if we bid on we are now denying holding a 5 card suit and are now trying to find a 4-4 fit if possible.
Let’s look at the responses:
| Bid | Meaning |
| Pass | Happy to play in 1NT doubled and RD |
| 2♣ | I have a 4 card club suit |
| 2♦ | I have a 4 card diamond suit |
| 2♥ | I have a 4 card heart suit and don’t have 4 spades |
The original 1NT opener or overcaller can now pass or bid their 4/5 card suit up the line. Bidding continues like this until you find a 4-4 suit or you have to settle in a 4-3 fit. If you bid correctly you will always at least find a 4-3 fit and maybe, if opener has a 5 card suit you might even get lucky and find a 5-4 fit.
If you play a weak NT then this convention is really useful to learn and master.
I’ve also done an exit transfers video.
In this video we look at how to defend a hand using GIB in the handviewer. This is a brilliant tool in improving your game. This is a must tool for any bridge player who wants to improve their defence. Remember you defend roughly 50% of the time so this is actually the most important aspect of the game.
Examining all the information to analyse a hand.
In this hand we can work out whether to play to drop a card or finesse…
This video shows you how to register on the popular Bridgebase website including receiving an e-mail confirmation and what that looks like.
This bid is used after an opening bid of 2NT showing 20-22 points where it can contain a 5 card major. It’s used to find a 5-3 or 4-4 fit in the majors and also to get the strong hand to play out the contract.
After reading these notes…take a look at the muppet stayman video to further reinforce your understanding of the subject (19 hands included).
3♣ is muppet Stayman with the following responses.
| Bid | Meaning |
| 3♦ | I have at least one 4 card major |
| 3♥ | I don’t have a 4 or 5 card major |
| 3♠ | I have a 5 card spade suit |
| 3NT | I have a 5 card heart suit |
So this is the interesting thing about Muppet Stayman compared to Puppet Stayman – the 3♥ and 3NT bid are switched around.
The responses are similar to puppet stayman.
| Bid | Meaning |
| 3♥ | Asks how many spades |
| 3♠ | I have a 4 card heart suit |
| 3NT | To play |
| 4♣ | Both majors with slam interest |
| 4♦ | Both majors no slam interest |
| 4♥ | Slam interest in clubs |
| 4♠ | Slam interest in diamonds |
The 3♥ is an ask just in case partner (the hand opposite the 2NT opener) had started with 5 spades and 3 hearts. Rather than transfer to spades and give up on finding a 5-3 heart you will go through muppet stayman.
| Bid | Meaning |
| 3♠ | I have a 3 card spade suit (4 hearts and 3 spades) |
| 3NT | I have a 2 card spade suit (4 hearts and 2 spades) |
| 4♣ | I have 4 spades and potential slam interest |
| 4♠ | 4 spades no slam interest |
After 4♣, suit bids are cue bids apart from 4♥ which is a relay to 4♠ and 4NT is RKCB…5♥ and 6♥ would be further relays to spades if need be.
| Bid | Meaning |
| 3♠ | Relay to 3NT |
| 3NT | Shows a 5 card spade suit (very easy to forget!) |
| 4♣ | 5-5 Both majors slam interest |
| 4♦ | 5-5 Both majors no slam interest |
| 4♥ | Slam interest in clubs (6+ card suit) |
| 4♠ | Slam interest in diamonds (6+ card suit) |
So after 2NT – 3♣ – 3♥ – 4♣ or 2NT – 3♣ – 3♦ – 4♣
| Bid | Meaning |
| 4♦ | RKCB in hearts |
| 4♥ | To play – bottom end of your hand |
| 4♠ | To play – bottom end of your hand |
| 4NT | RKCB in spades |
| Bid | Meaning |
| Pass | To Play |
| 4♣ | Undisclosed minor (or diamonds?) |
| 4♦ | Puppet to 4♥ then 4NT is RKCB |
| 4♥ | ? Could be used as a slam try in clubs |
| 4♠ | Cue Bid |
| 4NT | Quantitative no hearts |
Because 4♦ is a puppet you cannot bid that to show diamonds.
| Bid | Meaning |
| 3NT | To play |
| 4♣ | Constructive natural (could show diamonds) |
| 4♦ | Constructive natural (could show clubs) |
| 4♥ | Slam try in spades |
| 4♠ | To Play |
| 4NT | Quantitative |
So after 2NT – 3♣ – 3♥ – 3♠ – 3NT – ?
| Bid | Meaning |
| 4♣ | Natural Slam try in Diamonds (5 card suit) |
| 4♦ | Natural Slam try in Clubs (5 card suit) |
| 5NT | Pick a slam – looking for a 4-4 minor fit |
By playing it this way opener can play a slam in diamonds which might be more advantageous.
Opener bids 4NT to sign off or bids the next suit up to agree a slam in the agreed minor.
It’s really critical you discuss this as a lot of people play this the wrong way and as soon as they here 4NT they start answering RKCB…you shouldn’t play it this way in the minors…use a suit bid to agree a minor slam interest.
Next suit up can then be RKCB (4130) or you can cue bid. Again make sure you agree.
So after 2NT – 3♣ – 3♥ – 4♥
| Bid | Meaning |
| 4♠ | RKCB agreeing clubs (4130) |
| 4NT | To play |
So after 2NT – 3♣ – 3♥ – 4♠
| Bid | Meaning |
| 4NT | To play |
| 5♣ | RKCB in diamonds (3041) |
So if you have 5 spades and 4 hearts you can bid 3♣ where you can find a major fit – don’t use transfers with this holding like you normally would.
But! When you hold 5 hearts and 4 spades transfer to hearts first and then bid 3NT to show this hand with no interest in slam.
If you find muppet stayman too difficult (understandable) for you…or you think you might forget it then take a look at puppet stayman instead.
This bid is used after an opening bid of 2NT showing 20-22 points where it can have a 5 card major. It’s used to find a 5-3 or 4-4 fit in the majors.
3♣ is puppet Stayman with the following responses.
| Bid | Meaning |
| 3♦ | I have at least one 4 card Major |
| 3♥ | I have a 5 card heart suit |
| 3♠ | I have a 5 card spade suit |
| 3NT | I don’t have a 4 or 5 card major. |
| Bid | Meaning |
| 3♥ | I have a 4 card spade suit (this is not a mis-print) |
| 3♠ | I have a 4 card heart suit |
| 3NT | To play |
| 4♣ | Both majors with slam interest |
| 4♦ | Both majors no slam interest |
| 4♥ | Slam Try in Clubs |
| 4♠ | Slam Try in Diamonds |
For most people that’s enough information for you to use the system to find the right game contract. If you want to know more then read on…
Let’s look at the continuations to possible slam…
| Bid | Meaning |
| 4♦ | RKCB in hearts |
| 4♥ | To play – bottom end of your hand |
| 4♠ | To play – bottom end of your hand |
| 4NT | RKCB in spades |
| Bid | Meaning |
| 3♠ | Slam try in hearts (Could play this as RKCB in hearts!) |
| 4♣ | Natural Slam try in Clubs |
| 4♦ | Natural Slam try in diamonds |
| 4♥ | To play |
| 4♠ | Splinter |
| 4NT | RKCB for hearts or quantitative in hearts (make sure you agree) |
| Bid | Meaning |
| 3NT | To Play |
| 4♣ | Natural Slam try in Clubs |
| 4♦ | Natural Slam try in diamonds |
| 4♥ | Slam try in spades (Could play this as RKCB in spades) |
| 4♠ | To play |
| 4NT | RKCB for spades or quantitative in spades (make sure you agree) |
| Bid | Meaning |
| 4♣ | Natural Slam try in Clubs |
| 4♦ | Natural Slam try in diamonds |
| 4♥ | 5/5 in the majors no slam try |
| 4♠ | 5/5 in the majors slam try? |
Opener bids 4NT to sign off or bids 4♦ over 4♣ to look for slam in clubs. Responder bids a major to show interest in slam in diamonds or bids 4NT to sign off.
It’s really critical you discuss this as a lot of people play this the wrong way and as soon as they hear 4NT they start answering RKCB. You shouldn’t play it this way in the minors…use the majors to agree a minor slam interest.
Take a look at this puppet stayman video to see it in action.
Also when you’ve mastered puppet stayman….take a look at muppet stayman which is a more advanced system.
So in this video I’m going to analyse bridge hands from a teams match from the lockdown league…As apart of the analysis I’ll be using GIB.
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