Romex Stayman over 2NT

Romex Stayman Over 2 NT

Mr. Marshall Miles, Mr. George Rosenkranz, the developer of the Romex Bidding System, and others developed this alternative to Puppet Stayman, five-card and Fiskforsk Stayman for discovering a 5-card Major suit after a 2 No Trump opening. This method can also be used after systemic 2 No Trump rebids when no suit has been bid naturally. The idea behind employing this method serves several purposes, which include:

Generally places the declarership in the strong hand.

Deals nicely with responder's otherwise awkward 5-4-x-x hand.

Does not disclose excessive information to the opponents.

This method is relatively natural and is easy to learn.

2 NT Auctions

The Romex Bidding System uses 3 Diamonds and 3 Hearts responses as Jacoby Transfer bids in the standard way. If the responder holds a distribution of 4-5-x-x, the responder first bids 3 Clubs. The application of the 3 Spades responses as possible transfers to the Minor suits has not been maturely developed or devised or explained and has been left to the individual partnership to determine. The 3 Clubs first response to a 2 No Trump opening is employed when the distribution is 4-4-x-x or 5-3-x-x and the responder is searching for a Major suit fit. However, the responder will also employ the same bidding sequence when holding a distributional Minor suit of at least a 5-card suit and has slam ambition. The bidding sequences are outlined in the schematics below with corresponding clarifications and explanations.

Auctions after: 2NT - 3, 3: May have a 4-card Spade suit but otherwise denies any Major suit interest.

Responder bids:

3 A relay bid asking if the opener has four Spades.

3 Promises four Spades.
3NT This response denies four Spades.

3 Shows 5-4-x-x distribution. The responder is informed that the opener does not have 4 Hearts or a 5-5-x-x distribtuion with any slam interest. Slam interest is indicated by first transfering to Spades and then rebidding four or more Hearts.

3NT This rebid denies any interest in responder's Spades.
- 4 This rebid shows 5-5-x-x distribution and no slam interest.
4,, These are cuebids showing Spade support.
4 To play.

3NT To play.

4 This rebid shows a 5-card suit and slam interest.

Auctions after: 2 NT - 3, 3: Shows a 4/5-card Heart suit and denies a 4-card Spade suit.

3 Relay asking if opener has 4 or 5 Hearts. Responder must have at least 3 Hearts support to ask.

3NT Only four hearts.
- 4/ Shows a 5-card suit and slam interest.
4 Shows a 5-card Heart suit. Optionally the opener could rebid 4 of a Minor suit to show 3-5-3-2 or 3-5-2-3 by bidding the doubleton. Then 4 would show 2-5-3-3. A disadvantage to this sequence is that the wrong player woud declare.

3NT To play. The assumption is that the responder was, most likely, interested in Spades.

4/ Shows a 5-card suit and slam interest.

4 To play.

4 Roman Keycard Blackwood with Hearts as the agreed trump suit. This is partnership agreement.

4NT Quantitative.

Auctions after: 2 NT - 3, 3: Shows a 5-card Spade suit.

3NT To Play.

4/ Shows a 5-card suit and slam interest.

4 Roman Keycard Blackwood with Spades as the agreed trump suit. This is partnership agreement.

4 To Play.

4NT Quantitative.

Auctions after: 2NT - 3, 3NT: Distribution: 4-4-x-x

4/ This rebid can be employed by partnership understanding that the continued auction showing a 5-card plus Minor suit is not seeking a Minor suit slam, but rather to place the declarership in the stronger hand. Therefore, the understanding could be that a rebid of 4 establishes Hearts where as 4 establishes Spades. The opener is now in the position to bid the suit and if the responder has slam ambitions, can continue the search for slam.

4/ This rebid is natural and is to play.

4NT This rebid is natural and is to play. It also shows no interest in the Minor suit of the responder.
other By partnership agreement, other rebids are cuebids with mutual agreement that the Minor suit of the responder is the better contract.

4NT Quantitative.

Auctions after: 2NT - 3, 3NT forced:

In the Romex Bidding System, the first response of 3 Spades is employed with holdings, where the contract should be played in No Trump, but also with holdings by the responder, which contain slam or slam-possible holdings containing a 6-card or better Minor suit. After a first response of 3 Spades, the opener is required to bid 3 No Trump, whereupon the responder has the opportunity to further explore for slam, either in No Trump or in a Minor suit. These second responses are outlined in the schematic below.

Responder
Pass		To play.
4/		This shows a 6-card plus suit and slam interest. The opener can now cuebid or sign off in 4 NT or 5 of the Minor suit.
4/		This shows a Minor two-suiter with singleton or void in the suit bid. Slam interest. The opener can now bid 4 NT to play or chooses one of Minor suits of the responder.
4NT		This shows a strong x-x-4-4, 2-2-5-4 or 2-2-4-5 distributional hand. Although this bid is non-forcing, it is slam-inviting.
5/		To play.
5NT		This shows a strong x-x-5-5 or better hand. The opener is required to select a Minor suit.

After a 2 No Trump opening, any first response on the Four Level is considered conventional:

Opener	Responder
2NT	4	Gerber
	4	Texas Transfer
	4	Texas Transfer

If you wish to include this feature, or any other feature, of the game of bridge in your partnership agreement, then please make certain that the concept is understood by both partners. Be aware whether or not the feature is alertable or not and whether an announcement should or must be made. Check with the governing body and/or the bridge district and/or the bridge unit prior to the game to establish the guidelines applied. Please include the particular feature on your convention card in order that your opponents are also aware of this feature during the bidding process, since this information must be made known to them according to the Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge. We do not always include the procedure regarding Alerts and/or Announcements, since these regulations are changed and revised during time by the governing body. It is our intention only to present the information as concisely and as accurately as possible.