[kenrexford]

A potentially useful method occurred to me in Boston. The basic idea is an extension of Muppet Stayman, where 3♥ shows no 4+ major (3NT = 5♥); allowing Responder to bid 3♠ with the problem 5♠/4♥.

Other permutations:

1. LHO overcalls 1NT or 2NT by bidding 3♦. If double is "negative," then Opener can bid 3NT to show four hearts and 3♥ to deny a four-card major, allowing a solution when Responder holds 5♠/4♥.

2. After a 3♣ overcall, instead, double can be treated as "Muppet Stayman without a club stopper" and 3♦ as Stayman (with the heart-notrump inversion) when Responder does have a stopper, with the cost of no transfers but with the gain of showing/denying a club stop.

3. If Opener bids 2♣...3♣, Responder can bid 3♦ as Stayman, inversion to handle when Responder has 5♠/4♥ again.

4. If Opener's 2♣...3M shows four of that major and longer diamonds (Bellandonna?), then 3♠ can show four spades but deny three hearts. With 4-3-6-0 or 4-3-5-1, Opener bids 3♦ and Responder, if not supporting diamonds, Muppet-izes his rebids (3NT = 5♥, 3♠=5♠, 3♥ = no 5-card major), allowing Opener to then bid his spades if Responder bids a denial 3♥.

5. 1♣-(3♦)-X(negative)-P-? Could have 3NT agree hearts; 3♥ denial, to again handle Responder with 5♠/4♥ better (cost of forcing game to play hearts).

6. 3♦ opening, doubled, to you. If 3NT = hearts (must play in game), then 3♥ shows either intention to bid 3NT or intention to bid 4♣; Doubler can insist 3NT or ask (3♠). This would help with the bid-3NT-or-4♣ problem.

[maggieb]

1) I actually like this.
2) Transfers seem much more useful to me than stopper showing. It seems like you could still invert the responses to the double as above, though.
3) I have no idea what this means. If you are saying to play 3♦ after opener shows a strong hand with clubs as stayman, I think this is a bad idea.
4) Even the most serious partnerships would do well to avoid this complicated an agreement after this rare an auction.
5) This sounds terrible, the gains from this are very modest, the loss (to be able to just play 3♥) is very large.
6) I seem to be sacrificing my natural 3♥ call for no reason.

[benlessard]

http://forums.bridgebase.com/index.php?sho...hl=muppet&st=15


Play what ive written in the last post and try to improve it. Being able to show 55/54/45/

and all fit where opener has 5M without allowing a bunch of lead directing X.

We are using this setup over 1Nt/ strong club opening and over 2C precision. Rarely regret it to play that way.