4.  Standard American Yellow Convention (SAYC) Card Roadmap

The Standard American Yellow Card (SAYC) defines the set of conventions that you should learn to become a good intermediate player.  The diagram below shows the components of this roadmap.  The number in the lower right-hand corner indicates the sequence that we recommend the components be learned. Included are:


Each lesson video is 45-60 minutes.  Print and review the lesson handout before the lesson; take notes.  If you enjoy a lesson, click on:


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Standard American Yellow Convention (SAYC) Card Components

The diagram is color-coded.  Non-yellow blocks are also components in other Roadmaps.

7.01  Overcall.  The Overcall is the most common competitive bid. Overcalls generally show a 5+ card suit with 8-17 LPt.  We advocate using Mike Lawrence’s Advancer overcall response system to show 3 versus 4 card fits.

7.02  Takeout X:  The Takeout X is used when your hand is strong enough to open but those pesky opponents bid first and you do not have a 5+ card suit in which to overcall.  It is also used when you have a one-suited hand or balanced hand that is too strong for a normal overcall. We play the Takeout X up to and including 4♠.

7.03  Jump Overcall: The jump overcall is an obstructive preemptive bid at any level. Remember the goal is to obstruct the opponents, not your Partner or yourself.  2-Level jump overcalls are generally done with 5-11 (or12 bad) points in the 2nd Seat.  In 3rd and 4th Seats or a previously PASSed hand, the Jump overcall is used when the bidder has decided that the partnership has no possibility to make game, which is generally 6+ losers and less than about 14 points. If you do jump overcalls with 5-card suits (an advanced technique), you will need to use Modified Ogust so that your Partner, the Advancer, can determine whether you have a 5-card or 6+ card suit.

8.01 Responder Negative X is used when the Responder has no fit for the Opener’s suit after the direct-seat opponent Overcalls with 6+ points and one of three hand types: (1) 4+ cards in the two unbid suits, (2) 4 ♠’s if the Opponent overcalled 1♥, and (3) with a 5+ card suit that cannot be bid a because the Responder does not have enough points to bid the suit at the 2-Level and cannot bid it at the 1-Level. This convention is a must to understand and use!

7.04  Michaels Cue Bid: Convention to show two-suited hands with both majors or one major and one minor. We recommend using the Mini (≤ 10 HPt)-Max (16+ HPt) version of the convention.  The Mini (0-10 points) component is obstructive. With 11-15 HPt, overcall in the higher rank suit then bid the lower rank suit.  How many cards are required in which suit is defined in your Partnership Agreement.

7.05  Unusual NT:  Convention that allows you to show a two-suited hand that you cannot be shown with the Michaels Cue bid.  Generally, Unusual NT is used to show 5+ cards in the two lowest unbid suits. Again, we recommend using the Mini (≤ 10 HPt)-Max (16+ HPt) version of the convention.  Be aware that some players may use it with as few as 4 cards in the two suits when they are trying to obstruct the opponents’ bidding.

7.06  After Opponents Open 1NT: With a shapely hand, there will be many times when you can compete in the auction after an opponent opens 1NT. There are many different conventional approaches.  We like our version of the Blooman Convention the best. The criteria we used to make this decision were: (1) ability to show strong as well as distributional hands, (2) ability to show both one and two-suited hands, (3) ease of use against both Strong 1NT and Weak 1NT systems, (4) ability to use the same convention in both the direct and indirect overcall seats, and (5) not looking for fits with only 4-card suits (we leave that to the pros!)

13.01  Stayman:  How to find a 4-4 major suit fit. Do you know to use Stayman with 4 ♠/♥ and 5+♦/♣  How about with 5♠ and 4♥?  If you don’t know, don’t skip this lesson!

13.02  Jacoby Transfer:  Jacoby is the second fundamental building block in the 1NT Response System.  If you are new or not sure about the JACOBY Transfer basics, this is a must-take lesson! Do you know to use Jacoby to bid hands with 5♠ and 5♥ or 6♠ and 6♥?

13.03  2S Transfer to Minors: A commonly misunderstood and misused convention.  When do you use it? When do you opt for NT? How is it used to show mild slam interest?  Do you know what mild slam interest is?  Don’t miss this lesson.

13.04  Quantitative and Gerber:  Quantitative is used after your partner opens 1NT and you have 15 HPt, 4♣-333 or 4♦-333 shaped hand.  It asks Opener to bid 6NT with a max NT open.  Gerber is used after NT open or 3NT is pretty straightforward,  It is used to ask your partner how many Aces and Kings he has to investigate slam.

4.1.01  3rd and 4th Seat Opens:  The requirements for making an opening bid in the 3rd and 4th seats are different because your Partner and right-hand-opponent did not open denying having 13+ points.  In the 3rd seat, if you have 10-12 points and assume that both 1st and 2nd seats have 10 points, your total points with your partner will have about 1/2 half the points, about 20 points.  With 1/2 the total points you should open in the 3rd seat,  In the 4th seat, whether you should open is based on whether you can control the auction.  To answer this question, we use the Rule of 15 which is based on the number of points and the number of Spades in our hand.

4.1.02  Drury:  is a bridge convention used to show a game-invitational major suit raise by a passed hand to guard against a light opening by Partner in third or fourth seat. It is initiated by an artificial and forcing 2♣ response by the passed hand to a 1♥ or 1♠ opening by Partner. The 2♣ bid shows at least 3-card support for the Opener's suit with 10-12 support points and asks the Opener to clarify the strength of his opening hand.  

4.1.03  Walsh Bypassing 4+ D's:  The Responder uses the Walsh convention with less than 12+ points to prioritize showing a 4-card major over 4+ ♦'s to find a major suit fit. If the Responder does not have a 4+ card major, he/she will bid 1D.  After Responder bids 1♦, if Opener has a balanced/semi-balanced hand, he will bypass bidding a 4-card major and bid 1NT to obstruct the opponent's bidding.  He can do this because he knows that the Responder will bid a Responder Reverse after bidding 1♦ if he has a 4-card major and 12+ points.

4.1.04  New Minor Forcing is a Responder convention used to find a 5-3 or 4-4 major suit fit after a specific sequence of bids in which the Opener has rebid one notrump. The convention is triggered by the Responder at his second turn by an artificial bid of two in an unbid minor. It requires that he hold 5+ cards in the major he has previously bid and have 10+ points).

4.1.05  Fourth suit forcing is a convention that allows the Responder to create, at his second turn to bid, a forcing auction. A bid by the Responder in the fourth suit, the only remaining unbid suit, is artificial indicating that the Responder has no appropriate alternate bid, remains interested in the potential for a game contract, and asks the Opener to bid again to show additional features. 

4.1.06  Western Cue Bid is a convention that can be used by either the Responder or the Opener after the opponent bids a suit.  It is initiated by making a jump cue bid to the 3-level of the opponent bid suit.  It asks the partner of the Western Cue bidder to bid 3NT with a blocker in the opponent's bid suit or to bid the lowest available suit bid without a blocker.

4.2.01  Responder Splinter is a convention whereby the Responder makes a double jump response in a side-suit indicates excellent support (at least four cards if a major and six cards if a minor), a singleton or void in that side-suit (but preferably not the ace or king), and at least game-going (4-Level) strength. 

4.2.02  Opener Reverse is a bidding sequence designed to show additional strength without the need to make a jump bid; specifically, two suits are bid in the reverse order to that expected by the basic bidding system.  Opener Reverses show 5-6 cards in the 1st bid suit, 4-5 cards in the 2nd bid suit, and 16+ LPt.

4.2.03  Splinters in other Positions:  Splinter bids can be made by Opener to a Responder bid suit, Advancer to Overcaller's bid suit, and Overcaller to Advancer's bid suit.  While less common, these bids show a 9+ card fit by the partners and at least game invitational points.

4.2.04  Reverses in Other Positions: Reverses by the Responder, Overcaller, and Advancer show the same as the Opener Reverse but generally require only 12+ LPt.

4.2.05  Super Reverse: The Super Reverse occurs after the bidder's partner Passes denying enough points to bid.  The Super Reverse is used when the bidder has extra values (19+ for an Opener, and 15+ in the other positions) and is strong enough to bid again without his partner's support.

4.2.07  Lebensohl After a Reverse is a convention used by the partner of the person bidding the Reverse to show a weak, invitation, or game-forcing hand. In addition, 2NT is used as the pivot point to ask the reverse bidder to clarify (1) hand strength and (2) the exact shape of the hand.  It is used after Opener normal and super reverses and Responder and Overcaller reverses. 

14.02  Strong 2♣ with 2♦ Waiting:  Used to show a strong hand with near-game forcing points:  For a balanced hand it shows 22+ HPt.  For an unbalanced hand, it shows <= 4 losers.

12.01  Weak 2 and Preempts are bids meant to obstruct the opponents' bidding or to find the correct contract.  Understanding when not to preempt so that you are not preempting yourself or your partner is very important. If you preempt, you should bid at the maximum level possible on your first bid.  

14.01  1st and 2nd Round Controls:  Once you have agreed explicitly or implicitly on a suit to be trump, control bids are used to show 1st round control (Ace or void) or 2nd round control (King or singleton).  When and how to make meaningful control bids is extremely important in determining whether you can explore and bid slam.

14.03  Blackwood:  Convention used when exploring slam to ask your partner how many Aces and then how many Kings they have.