Revised January 2006
Website by Preben Ellebye
The ACBL Standard American Yellow Card (SAYC) was created to be the required system to be used in a Standard Yellow Card event. The object was to provide a simple, modern method that will lead to a good, solid understanding in a partnership when both players have read this booklet.
Because this system was to be used by each pair, the game was free of a wide variety of possibly complex systems. There was no necessity to Alert or ask questions since everyone was playing the same method.
When play began on the Internet, players needing a quick way to establish the method to be used in a relatively casual partnership adopted the SAYC. It is also used by players who meet at the partnership desk a few minutes before the game starts.
Players may still exercise bridge judgment, such as opening a four-card major in third seat. SAYC ?gnormally five-card majors?h approach can withstand an occasional deviation.
While there are no choices in the present day SAYC, except for an SAYC event in which everyone must play the method as written, a pair could use the SAYC as a base and make one or two modifications. If you do make a modification or two in an open game, you should announce that fact to the opponents . if they think you are playing straight SAYC and they know SAYC, they would not know about your modifications.
2♣ is non-forcing Stayman, meaning that the bidding may stop in two of a suit. Opener rebids 2♥ with 4-4 in the majors. If responder rebids three of either minor, he shows Slam interest and at least a five-card suit.
The Jacoby transfer shows a five-card suit and is used for the majors: 2 ♦ is a transfer to hearts, 2♥ is a transfer to spades. Opener accepts the transfer, though he can jump to the three level with 17 points and four-card support for responder's major. For example:
If, after the transfer is accepted, responder bids a new suit, that is natural and game forcing. Possible calls after the accepted transfer are:
A 2♠ response requires the 1NT bidder to rebid 3♣, which may be passed with a club bust, or responder may rebid 3♦ with a diamond bust. Example:
Other responses to 1NT:
4♣ IS GERBER OVER ANY 1NT OR 2NT BY PARTNER, INCLUDING A REBID OF 1NT OR 2NT. Responses show the number of aces, by steps, just as over a Blackwood 4NT. 5♣ is used to ask for kings.
If the player using Gerber makes any bid other than 5 ? , that is to play (including 4NT). Asking for kings guarantees that the partnership holds all the aces.
A direct raise of 1NT to 4NT is natural and invites 6NT. 4NT is Slam invitational only because 4 ? is available as Gerber (to ask about aces).
If an opponent doubles, all conventional responses are "on". For example:
If an opponent bids over your 1NT opener, conventional responses like Stayman and transfers are "off". Bids are natural except for a cuebid, which may be used with game forcing strength as a substitute for Stayman the opponents intervene over a conventional response, bids carry the same meaning as if there were no intervention. A bid says, "I'm bidding voluntarily, so I have a real fit with you".
Stayman and Jacoby transfer for the majors are used.
1♥ and 1♠ openings show a five-card or longer suit. Responses:
Opener's rebids are natural and standard.
Rebids with a minimum hand (13.15 points):
Rebids with a medium hand (16.18 points):
With a maximum hand (19.21 or 22 points) opener must make a very strong rebid:
* If responder jumps to 2NT over a 1♥ or 1♠ opening, that is Jacoby 2NT, asking opener to show a singleton or void. If opener has no short suit, he shows his hand strength;
Responder follows up by attempting to sign off in game, bidding 4NT Blackwood, or cuebidding if still interested in trying to cooperate with opener in making the Slam decision
If responder has bid a suit at the one level, he next determines whether he wishes to sign off in a partscore, invite game, sign off in game, or force to game and get more information about opener's hand.
Bids available for a sign-off in partscore: Pass, 1NT, 2 of a previously bid suit.
Bids available for inviting game: 2NT, 3 of a previously bid suit:
After opener Rebids in a suit, a new suit by responder is forcing. If the new suit is the fourth suit, the bid may be artificial/conventional.
However, after a 1NT rebid by opener, bids of a new suit at the next higher level are non-forcing.
Second-round forcing bids following a 1NT rebid by opener: a reverse or jump shift into a new suit is a game force.
Bids available for signing off in game: 3NT, 4♥, 4♠, 5♣, 5♦.
If responder initially bids a new suit at the two level, the same rules apply EXCEPT that a subsequent jump raise of opener's first suit to the THREE LEVEL is game forcing . responder should make a Limit raise directly over the opening with 10.11 points and at least three-card support:
NOTE: Responder promises to bid again if he responded with a new suit at the two level unless opener's rebid is at the game level. This applies when responder is an unpassed hand.
A 1♦ opener suggests a four-card or longer suit, since 1♣ is preferred on hands where a three-card minor suit must be opened. The exception is a hand with 4.4.3.2 shape: four spades, four hearts, three diamonds, and two clubs, which is opened 1♦.
Responses and later bidding generally follow the ideas set down in the previous section. Bidding at the one level is up-the-line in principle. Responder needs more support to raise (four to raise 1♦; five to raise 1♣, though one fewer will do in a pinch in a competitive sequence). Responses of 2NT and 3NT are standard:
There is no forcing minor-suit raise.
A 2♣ opening shows at least 22+ points, or the playing equivalent. Responses:
If opener Rebids 2NT after a 2♦ response (showing 22-24 points), the same responses are used as over a 2NT opening:
If opener Rebids a suit over a 2 ? response, the bidding is forcing to 3 of opener's major or 4 of opener's minor.
A weak two-bid shows a six-card suit of reasonable quality and 5-11 HCP. On rare occasions it may be a very good five-card suit. It is possible to open a weak two with a poor seven-card suit (not good enough to open with at the three level). Responses:
A 2NT response is forcing, showing game interest. (This applies also if the opponents intervene with a double or a bid.) Opener Rebids his suit with a minimum weak two (5-8 points). With a maximum hand opener bids another suit to show a "feature" (ace or king in that suit); lacking a feature, he raises to 3NT and lets responder place the contract.
Any raise of opener's suit is to play and could be preemptive (weak). A 3NT response is also to play.
"RONF" on the card means "Raise Only Non-Force". A new-suit response is forcing one round and shows at least a five-card suit. Opener should raise a major suit response with a three-card fit, or perhaps with a doubleton honor. With no fit for responder's suit, opener Rebids:
Opposite an unpassed partner, an opening 3 or 4-level call in a suit tends toward sound at equal or unfavorable vulnerability. Vulnerable against not, you should be within two tricks of your bid (i.e. with likely distribution of the remaining cards in your suit). When the vulnerability is equal, you should be within three tricks of your bid. At favorable vulnerability, the preempt tends to be lighter, so you should be within four tricks of your bid.
Blackwood 4NT is used to ask for aces. Responses show the number of aces by steps. 5NT is then used to ask for kings; 5NT guarantees that the partnership holds all four aces.
A jump to 5NT (and some 5NT bids when the auction is at the five level) is "Grand Slam Force, asking partner to bid a grand slam with two of the three top honors in the agreed suit;
Overcall show 8-16 points (double and bid the long suit with a stronger hand). The only forcing response is a cuebid of opener's suit, asking the Overcall about the quality of his Overcall:
A 1NT overcall shows 15-18 points and a balanced hand (preferably a stopper in opener's suit). No conventional responses are used by the responder to the 1NT overcall except 2 ? , which is Stayman jump Overcall of 2NT shows at least 5-5 in the lowest two unbid suits.
Jump Overcall are preemptive, showing the same value as an opening bid at the same level:
A cuebid Overcall when the opponents have bid two suits is natural in either suit.
A cuebid Overcall when the opponents have bid only one suit is a Michaels cuebid, showing a 5-5 two-suiter (or more distributional). If the opening is in a minor suit, the cuebid shows the majors; if the opening is in a major, the cuebid shows the other major and an unspecified minor.
Responder may bid 2NT over a major suit cuebid to ask for partner's minor.
A reopening bid means much the same as a direct seat bid, though it can be lighter at the minimum end. A reopening 1NT after an opponent has opened shows 10-15 points. This is a wide range, but there will not usually be a game on for you.
A double is for takeout over an opening partscore bid (4♦ or lower); penalty over opening game bids (4♥ or higher). A below-game jump response to a takeout double is invitational. To force, responder cuebids opener's suit.
Versus an opening preempt, an Overcall in a suit or notrump is natural; a cuebid is Michaels.
There is almost an endless variety of possible sequences, so it pays to have simple guidelines to prevent bidding misunderstandings.
Bids mean the same things they meant without the intervening bid. Still, it is sometimes necessary to pick a bid that would normally have been a second choice without the Overcall:
Cuebidding right-hand opponent's suit shows values for game without clear direction for the moment. This is often used to show a game-forcing raise:
The Negative double is used through 2 ? , promising four cards (at least) in an unbid major. Bidding a major at the two level or higher shows 11 or more points and a five-card or longer suit.
If RHO makes a takeout double:
A responder's jump shift after a double is to play:
A redouble can have one of three meanings:
Unless otherwise noted elsewhere, any bid or double by an opponent cancels a convention intended for non-competitive sequences:
If the opponents use a convention (such as Michaels or the unusual notrump), you can double to show at least 10 points, or you can cuebid one of their shown suits to force to game.
Defensive signals when following suit or discarding are "high encourages, low discourages."?And "High-low is an even number, low-high is odd when count is given.".
Leads are fourth best. From three low cards against a suit contract lead low; against a notrump contract lead high. From four cards or longer lead fourth best. The one systemic exception is leading from a suit of four or more cards without an honor. In this instance lead the second highest card.
Leads are top of touching honors and top from an interior sequence. Against suits, the ace is led from A K x.
NOTE: When playing the ACBL SAYC:
You may add defenses to the opponents' conventions (e.g., unusual vs. unusual, and Mathe over big club). Put these convention-defenses in the section "Defenses vs. Opp's Conventions" on the left-hand side of the convention card.
