Notrump

Puppet Stayman

A 3♣ inquiry over 2NT (or 2♣–2♦–2NT) that uncovers 5-card majors before 4-card major fits.

What Is Puppet Stayman?

Origins and Purpose

Puppet Stayman is a specialized version of the Stayman convention designed for use after a 2NT opening (showing 20–21 HCP) or after the strong 2♣–2♦–2NT auction. While regular Stayman (2♣ over 1NT) simply asks "Do you have a 4-card major?", Puppet Stayman takes a two-stage approach: it first asks whether opener holds a 5-card major, and only then — if no 5-card major exists — probes for 4-card fits. This two-tier structure dramatically improves the partnership's ability to locate the best major-suit game after a strong 2NT opening.

The Two-Stage Mechanism

After 2NT – 3♣ (Puppet Stayman), opener's first duty is to announce a 5-card major by bidding 3♥ (five hearts) or 3♠ (five spades). If opener has no 5-card major but does hold one or more 4-card majors, they bid 3♦. If opener has neither a 5-card nor a 4-card major, they rebid 3NT, ending inquiry. This separation means the partnership can uncover a 5-3 major fit (critical when opener has a 20-21 HCP hand with a 5-card suit) in addition to the more familiar 4-4 fits. Regular Stayman would miss the 5-3 fit entirely because opener does not volunteer 5-card suits over a standard 2♣ inquiry.

The "Reversed" Relay After 3♦

The most distinctive — and frequently misunderstood — feature of Puppet Stayman is what happens after opener bids 3♦ (has a 4-card major). Responder now names the major they do not hold rather than the one they do: 3♥ says "I have 4 spades (not hearts)" and 3♠ says "I have 4 hearts (not spades)." This reversal exists for a very specific reason: it keeps the strong 2NT hand as declarer. Because the opening lead comes through declarer, having the 20-21 HCP hand protected behind its tenaces is worth a trick on many deals. If responder simply bid their own major, the weaker hand would become declarer and those valuable tenaces would be exposed on the opening lead.

When to Use Puppet Stayman

Responder should use Puppet Stayman whenever they hold 4 or more cards in a major and wish to locate either a 4-4 or 5-3 major fit, whether the hand is an invitational game try or a game-forcing (or even slam-interested) hand. Responder does not use Puppet with a 5-card major of their own — instead, transfers accomplish that. Puppet Stayman and transfers are complementary tools that together cover all major-suit possibilities after 2NT.

Core Rules

Applies after: 2NT opening (20–21 HCP) or 2♣ – 2♦ – 2NT. The 3♣ bid is Puppet Stayman — not natural clubs. Alert required.

Opener's Responses to 3♣ (Puppet Stayman)

Opener's Bid Meaning Notes
3♦No 5-card major; HAS one or more 4-card major(s)Responder now describes their major holding via relay
3♥5-card heart suitResponder raises with 2+ hearts, or bids 3NT with no fit
3♠5-card spade suitResponder raises with 2+ spades, or bids 3NT with no fit
3NTNo 5-card major AND no 4-card majorOpener is likely 4333 or 4432 with no major; to play

After 3♦ (Opener Has a 4-Card Major) — Responder's Rebids

Responder names the major they do not hold — the "reversed relay" that keeps opener as declarer.

Responder's Bid What Responder Holds Result
3♥4 SPADES (not hearts)Opener bids 4♠ if spades is the fit; otherwise 3NT
3♠4 HEARTS (not spades)Opener bids 4♥ if hearts is the fit; otherwise 3NT
4♣ / 4♦Both 4-card majors (hearts AND spades)Opener picks their 4-card major; 4♣ = both majors (agree in advance)
3NTNo 4-card major (or to play 3NT)Sign-off; can be used when responder sought a 5-card fit via 3♦ but opener showed only 4
Key alert: 3♥ by responder (after 2NT–3♣–3♦) does not show hearts — it shows 4 SPADES. Similarly, 3♠ shows 4 HEARTS. Both bids are alertable.

After 3♥ (Opener Has 5 Hearts)

Responder's BidMeaning
4♥Heart fit (2+ cards) — game in hearts. 5-3 Moysian acceptable if necessary; 3+ card fit typical
3NTNo heart fit (0–2 small); to play 3NT
4NTRKCB — hearts agreed, slam investigation
4♣ / 4♦Cue-bid / slam try agreeing hearts

After 3♠ (Opener Has 5 Spades)

Responder's BidMeaning
4♠Spade fit (2+ cards) — game in spades
3NTNo spade fit; to play 3NT
4NTRKCB — spades agreed, slam investigation
4♣ / 4♦Cue-bid / slam try agreeing spades

Quantitative 4NT vs. RKCB 4NT

AuctionMeaning of 4NT
2NT – 4NTQuantitative: "Partner, bid 6NT with a maximum, pass with minimum"
2NT – 3♣ – 3♥/3♠ – 4NTRKCB: a major suit is agreed, 4NT asks for keycards
2NT – 3♣ – 3♦ – 3♥ – 4♠ – 4NTRKCB: spades agreed, asking for keycards
Pro tip: After finding a 5-3 major fit, consider whether 3NT or the major game is better. With 20-21 opposite a balanced hand, 6NT may score better than 6♥ at duplicate — count your tricks before committing to the suit slam.

Decision Tree

Work through these branches after partner opens 2NT (20–21 HCP).

I have 4+ cards in a major and want to find a fit. ▶
Bid 3♣ — Puppet Stayman. Wait for opener's response to determine next step.
I have a 5-card major of my own. ▶
Use a transfer (3♦ = transfer to 3♥; 3♥ = transfer to 3♠). Puppet Stayman is NOT the tool here — transfers handle 5-card major suits for responder.
No major interest; I want to invite slam in notrump. ▶
Bid 4NT — quantitative. Opener bids 6NT with a maximum, passes with a minimum.
Opener responds 3♦ (has a 4-card major). I have 4 SPADES only (no 4-card heart suit). ▶
Bid 3♥ — showing 4 spades (reversed relay). Opener bids 4♠ if they hold 4 spades, or 3NT if their 4-card major is hearts.
Opener responds 3♦. I have 4 HEARTS only (no 4-card spade suit). ▶
Bid 3♠ — showing 4 hearts (reversed relay). Opener bids 4♥ if they hold 4 hearts, or 3NT if their 4-card major is spades.
Opener responds 3♦. I have BOTH 4-card majors. ▶
Bid 4♣ (or 4♦ — discuss with partner): shows both 4-card majors. Opener picks their 4-card major and plays there.
Opener responds 3♥ (5-card heart suit). I have 2+ hearts. ▶
Bid 4♥ — 5-3 or better heart fit found. With slam interest, cue-bid or bid 4NT (RKCB).
Opener responds 3♥ (5-card hearts). I have 0–1 hearts. ▶
Bid 3NT — no heart fit; play game in notrump. With 33+ combined HCP, 6NT is in range — quantitative 4NT is an option if values warrant.
Opener responds 3NT (no 4-card or 5-card major). ▶
Pass — 3NT is the right contract. Opener has denied all major length. No major game is possible.
Memory hook: After 3♦, think "I name the suit I LACK, so opener becomes declarer in the suit we BOTH have." This one sentence encodes the entire reversed-relay logic.

Quiz

Test your Puppet Stayman knowledge. Click an option to reveal the answer and explanation.

Q1. Partner opens 2NT (20–21 HCP). You hold:
♠ K Q 5 4    ♥ J 8 7 6    ♦ 5 4    ♣ K 6 5
8 HCP — 4-4 in the majors, game-forcing values facing 20-21
What is your best call?
Correct: 3♣ (Puppet Stayman). With 4-4 in the majors you want to find a fit. Puppet Stayman handles this perfectly: if opener bids 3♦ (has a 4-card major), you will bid 4♣ (or your partnership's "both majors" bid) to let opener pick their 4-card suit. A transfer only works when you have a 5-card suit, and 3NT ignores a potential 4-4 major fit that scores better at duplicate.
Q2. After 2NT – 3♣, opener bids 3♦ (has a 4-card major). You hold:
♠ K Q 5 4    ♥ 8 7 6    ♦ K 6 5    ♣ J 5 4
9 HCP — 4 spades, no 4-card heart suit
What do you bid now?
Correct: 3♥ (the reversed relay — showing 4 SPADES). This is the defining Puppet Stayman mechanism. 3♥ does not show hearts here; it announces "I have 4 spades" and asks opener to bid 4♠ if spades is their 4-card major, or 3NT if their major is hearts. The reversal keeps the strong 2NT opener as declarer, protecting their tenaces from the opening lead.
Q3. After 2NT – 3♣, opener bids 3♥ (5-card heart suit). You hold:
♠ A J 5 4    ♥ K 6 5    ♦ Q 4 3    ♣ K 7 6
13 HCP — 3-card heart support, game values
What do you bid now?
Correct: 4♥. You have 3-card support for opener's 5-card heart suit — a 5-3 fit that Puppet Stayman was specifically designed to find. With a combined ~33–34 HCP, 4♥ is the right game. 3NT would bypass a perfectly good major game. If you had slam interest you could cue-bid or try 4NT (RKCB) instead.
Q4. In Puppet Stayman, why does responder bid the major they DON'T hold (3♥ = 4 spades; 3♠ = 4 hearts)?
Conceptual question — think about declarer play and tenace protection.
Which answer best explains the reason?
Correct: tenace protection. The 2NT opener holds 20–21 HCP, often including AQ, KJ, or AJ tenace combinations. When the opening lead comes through declarer, those tenaces are vulnerable. By keeping opener as declarer, the strong hand sits behind the opening leader. Responder names the suit they lack (e.g., 3♥ = "I have spades, not hearts") so opener becomes declarer in the agreed major — the strong hand always sits to the right of the dangerous leader.

Hand Examples

Example 1: Finding a 5-3 Heart Fit via Puppet Stayman

Auction: 2NT – 3♣ – 3♥ – 4♥ – All Pass

NORTH (Opener)
♠ A K 4
♥ A Q J 8 5
♦ K Q 3
♣ A 7
20 HCP — opens 2NT
SOUTH (Responder)
♠ Q 7 6
♥ K 7 4
♦ J 8 5 4
♣ K 6 3
10 HCP — bids 3♣ (Puppet)

Auction explained: South bids 3♣ (Puppet Stayman) with 3-card heart support and values for game. Opener bids 3♥, announcing a 5-card heart suit. South, holding three hearts, raises directly to 4♥. The 5-3 fit is found — regular Stayman (2♣ over 1NT) would not have found this, as it only asks for 4-card majors. 4♥ makes easily on the 33-HCP combined count.

Example 2: Finding a 4-4 Spade Fit via the 3♦–3♥ Relay

Auction: 2NT – 3♣ – 3♦ – 3♥ – 4♠ – All Pass

NORTH (Opener)
♠ A J 8 5
♥ K Q 4
♦ A K 6
♣ K J 3
21 HCP — opens 2NT
SOUTH (Responder)
♠ K Q 6 4
♥ 8 7 3
♦ Q 9 5
♣ 9 7 4
8 HCP — 4 spades, no heart suit

Auction explained: South bids 3♣ (Puppet). Opener bids 3♦ — has a 4-card major but no 5-card major. South holds 4 spades but no 4-card heart suit, so bids 3♥ (the reversed relay: "I have spades, not hearts"). North holds 4 spades and confirms by bidding 4♠. North becomes declarer — the strong hand is protected. 4♠ makes on combined 29 HCP with good play.

Example 3: Avoiding a Bad Fit — Falling Back to 3NT

Auction: 2NT – 3♣ – 3♦ – 3♠ – 3NT – All Pass

NORTH (Opener)
♠ A Q 6 3
♥ K Q 7
♦ A K J
♣ K 9 4
21 HCP — opens 2NT
SOUTH (Responder)
♠ 8 5 2
♥ A J 8 4
♦ 9 7 5
♣ Q 7 3
9 HCP — 4 hearts, no spades

Auction explained: South bids 3♣ (Puppet). Opener bids 3♦ (has a 4-card major). South holds 4 hearts but no spades, so bids 3♠ (reversed relay: "I have hearts, not spades"). North's only 4-card major is spades, not hearts — no fit! North bids 3NT, settling in the natural notrump game. The Puppet Stayman mechanism correctly redirected the auction to 3NT rather than a misfit 4-3 heart contract.

Common Partnership Misunderstandings

1. "3♥ by responder shows a heart suit"

This is the single most dangerous misconception in Puppet Stayman. After 2NT – 3♣ – 3♦, a responder bid of 3♥ does not show hearts — it shows 4 SPADES and asks opener to bid 4♠ if they have spades. Similarly, 3♠ shows 4 HEARTS. The reversal trips up players who know regular Stayman or who play Puppet occasionally rather than regularly.

Fix: Drill the reversed relay until it is automatic. Write it on your convention card in bold: "3♦ – 3♥ = I have 4 SPADES (not hearts)." If you misremember mid-auction, you risk bidding a 4-3 fit on a 41-HCP hand.

2. "Puppet Stayman works after a 1NT opening"

No — after a 1NT opening (15–17 HCP), you use regular Stayman (2♣) with standard or modified responses. Puppet Stayman is specifically designed for the 2NT range because with a 20-21 HCP opening, the strong hand protection argument is compelling and the extra step of inquiry is affordable at the 3-level. Using Puppet after 1NT wastes space and confuses the auction.

Fix: Know your sequences: 1NT – 2♣ = regular Stayman; 2NT – 3♣ = Puppet Stayman. Note this on your convention card clearly to avoid mid-session confusion.

3. "If opener bids 3NT over 3♣, it shows a strength message"

After 2NT – 3♣, opener's 3NT rebid is purely descriptive, not strength-showing. It means opener has no 4-card major and no 5-card major — typically a 4333 or 4432 shape with the length in minors. It says nothing about whether opener is minimum or maximum within the 20-21 HCP range.

Fix: Treat 3NT as a simple "no major" denial. The 2NT opening already bounded opener's strength. If responder wants slam investigation after 3NT, they use quantitative tools (e.g., 4NT over 3NT = invites 6NT).

Practice Sequences

Study these 6 complete sequences after 2NT – 3♣ (Puppet Stayman). Each illustrates a different outcome.

Sequence 1 — 4-4 Spade Fit Found
WestNorthEastSouth
2NTP3♣*
P3♦†P3♥‡
P4♠PP
*Puppet Stayman. †Has a 4-card major. ‡Reversed relay: South has 4 SPADES (not hearts). North bids 4♠, confirming the spade fit. North is declarer.
Sequence 2 — 5-3 Heart Fit Found
WestNorthEastSouth
2NTP3♣*
P3♥†P4♥
PP
*Puppet Stayman. †Opener shows 5-card heart suit. South has 2+ hearts; raises to 4♥. Game in hearts found via the 5-card major path.
Sequence 3 — 4-4 Heart Fit Found
WestNorthEastSouth
2NTP3♣*
P3♦†P3♠‡
P4♥PP
*Puppet Stayman. †Has a 4-card major. ‡Reversed relay: South has 4 HEARTS (not spades). North bids 4♥, confirming the heart fit. North is declarer.
Sequence 4 — No Major Fit Found → 3NT
WestNorthEastSouth
2NTP3♣*
P3NT†PP
*Puppet Stayman. †Opener denies all major-suit holdings (no 4-card or 5-card major). South passes; 3NT is the final contract.
Sequence 5 — Slam Investigation After Puppet
WestNorthEastSouth
2NTP3♣*
P3♥†P4NT‡
P5♣/5♦P6♥/P
*Puppet Stayman. †5-card heart suit. ‡Once hearts are agreed, 4NT = RKCB. South invites slam; North responds with keycard count.
Sequence 6 — Puppet vs. Transfer: When to Use Each
WestNorthEastSouth (5-card suit)
2NTP3♦ (transfer to 3♥)
P3♥P4♥ (to play)
With a 5-card major, South uses a TRANSFER (3♦→3♥), not Puppet Stayman. Puppet is for locating a fit when responder holds a 4-card (not 5-card) major, or when seeking opener's 5-card major.

Expert Mistakes

Even experienced players make these errors with Puppet Stayman. Recognizing them is the first step to avoiding them.

Mistake 1: Forgetting the "Reversed" Meaning in the Critical Relay

After 2NT – 3♣ – 3♦, a player bids 3♥ intending to show a heart suit. Their partner, who knows Puppet, bids 4♠ — correctly inferring 3♥ = 4 spades. The result is a spade game on a 4-2 fit while a 4-4 heart fit goes unexplored. This is the most common Puppet Stayman disaster at experienced tables.

Fix: After 3♦, permanently lock in this memory: "3♥ names the suit I LACK, not the suit I have." If you have hearts, you bid 3♠. If you have spades, you bid 3♥. Write it on your convention card and review it before every session where you play 2NT.

Mistake 2: Using Puppet Stayman After a 1NT Opening

A player who has just learned Puppet Stayman applies it after a 1NT opening — bidding 2♣ but treating the auction as if it were Puppet. Or worse, they bid 3♣ over 1NT (which in many systems is an entirely different convention) intending Puppet. Partner, playing regular Stayman, is completely lost.

Fix: Puppet Stayman is exclusively for 2NT openings. After 1NT, use regular Stayman (2♣) with your normal responses. Some pairs play a modified Puppet-like structure over 1NT (e.g., in 2/1 systems), but this requires explicit discussion — not assumption.

Mistake 3: Neglecting Transfers as a Complement to Puppet

A player learns Puppet Stayman and uses it for every hand with a major over 2NT — including hands with 5-card major suits. They bid 3♣ with ♠AJ9765 ♥Q32 ♦K4 ♣J5 (6-card spade suit), which burns bidding space and invites confusion. Puppet Stayman cannot properly handle responder's own long major.

Fix: Transfers and Puppet Stayman are a team. Use a transfer (3♦ → 3♥; 3♥ → 3♠) when you have a 5-card+ major of your own. Use Puppet Stayman when you want to find opener's 5-card major OR a 4-4 fit. The two conventions cover different situations and must be played alongside each other.

Convention Card

Here is how to document Puppet Stayman on your ACBL convention card, in the "Notrump Openings" or "Special Conventions" section.

PUPPET STAYMAN (After 2NT)

Convention: Puppet Stayman ✓
Applies after: 2NT opening (20–21 HCP) and 2♣ – 2♦ – 2NT
3♣ by responder: Puppet Stayman — artificial, alertable
Opener's responses: 3♦ = has 4-card major (no 5-card); 3♥ = 5-card heart suit; 3♠ = 5-card spade suit; 3NT = no major (no 4-card, no 5-card)
After 3♦ (responder): 3♥ = has 4 SPADES (not hearts) — alertable; 3♠ = has 4 HEARTS (not spades) — alertable; 4♣ = both 4-card majors
Key principle: Responder names the suit they DON'T have — keeps strong opener as declarer
Transfers (complementary): 3♦ = transfer to 3♥ (5-card hearts); 3♥ = transfer to 3♠ (5-card spades)
4NT after 2NT: Quantitative (not Blackwood)
4NT after major agreed: RKCB (Roman Keycard Blackwood)
Alert reminder: Alert 3♣ (Puppet Stayman) and announce "Puppet Stayman." After 3♦, alert responder's 3♥ and announce "shows 4 spades, not hearts." Alert responder's 3♠ and announce "shows 4 hearts, not spades." These reversed meanings must be disclosed to opponents under ACBL alerting regulations.