This is a very concise summary.

More info on SAYC: ACBL SAYC System Booklet (PDF

format). See also: Full SAYC convention card by Michel Heger and SAYCBridge.com, for
online practice bidding with SAYC.
Standard American Yellow Card (SAYC)
opening characteristics response meaning continuation
2NT 13–15, GF
1♣ 3+ cards
3NT 16–17
1♦ 4+ cards or 4432 as to 1♣
4+ spades, 6+
1♠ pts, usu. no ♥
support
6–9; denies 4
1 NT spades or 3 may be passed
hearts
promises another bid unless passed
2 ♣/♦ 10+, 4+ cards
hand or game bid
Jacoby: raise, 3♣/♦/♠ shortness, 4♥ min, 3NT
2NT !
13+ med, 3♥ max
1♥ 5+ cards
limit, 10–12,
3+ hearts
3♥
(preempt over
X)
15–17 hcp,
3NT balanced, 2
card support
usu. 5+ hearts,
4♥ shortness, <10
hcp
1♠ 5+ cards cf. to 1 ♥
non-forcing
2 ♦/♥/♠ (2♥ with both majors);
2♣ Stayman, usu.
responder’s 3♣/♦ slam interest
8+ hcp
Jacoby transfer
2♦ ! 2 ♥, or 3 ♥ with max.
to hearts
15–17 hcp balanced Jacoby transfer
2♥ ! 2 ♠, or 3 ♠ with max.
1NT (may contain a 5-card to spades
suit, even a major) 2♠ ! transfer to 3♣ resp. rebid 3 ♦ signoff
inv. to 3NT
3♣/♦ ! with 6+ card
suit
6+ card suit,
3♥/♠
slam interest
 Gerber, asking
4♣ 4♦ = 0 or 4, 4♥ = 1, etc
for aces
natural, invites
4NT
6NT
opener’s suit rebid forcing to 3 of
artif., may be his major or 4 of his minor; after
2♦
waiting 2 NT rebid: Stayman, Jacoby,
strong artificial, 22+ or Gerber
2♣
playing equiv.
2♥/♠, natural, GF, 5+
3♣/♦ cards, 8+ pts
2NT balanced, 8 hcp
with min. (5–8 p): rebid the suit;
6+ (or 5) cards, 5–11 forcing, game with max.: new suit (shows A/K)
2NT
2♦/♥/♠ hcp; usually no major interest or 3NT or 4 of minor (shows 4–5
side suit cards with at least Q)
any raise to play
3♣ Stayman
3♦/♥ ! Jacoby transfer 3♥/♠
20–21 hcp balanced,
may contain 5-card suit 4♣ !
2NT Gerber
inviting to slam
4NT
in NT
4♣ ! Stayman
3NT 25–27 hcp balanced
4♦/♥ ! Jacoby transfer 4♥/♠
3/4 of
pre-empt, rule of 2/3/4
suit

Choosing the opening

 open the higher of long (at least 5 cards) suits of equal length
 with 4–4 minors, open 1 ♦
 notrump openings show a balanced hand but may contain a five-card suit (minor or
major)
 occasional 4-card major opening in 3rd seat

Continuation
 fourth suit may be artificial (“4th suit forcing”), except in 1♣–1♦–1♥–1♠, which is natural
 after opener’s rebid in a suit, a new suit by responder is forcing
 after opener’s rebid of 1 NT (e.g., 1♥–1♠–1NT), responder’s simple non-reverse rebid in
a new suit (e.g., 2♣/♦) is non-forcing
 in that situation, a reverse rebid (e.g. 1♣–1♥–1NT–2♠) or a jump shift into a new suit is
game-forcing
Slam conventions
 regular Blackwood: 4 NT asks for aces, 5♣ = 0 or 4; 5 ♦ = 1; 5 ♥ = 2; 5 ♠ = 3; then 5 NT
asks for kings similarly
 Grand Slam Force: jump to 5 NT asks partner to bid grand slam in agreed suit with two
of three top honors in it

Effect of interference
 usually interference cancels conventions (e.g., after major suit opening and interference, a
response of 2 NT is natural, 12–14 hcp, not Jacoby)
 double of 1 NT does not affect conventions
 after 1 NT and interfering bid, bid in opponent suit is game-forcing and substitute for
Stayman

Defensive bidding
 D for takeout over opening partscore, penalty opening game bid
 simple overcall 8–16 points; only forcing response is opp. suit
 1 NT overcall 15–18 hcp (10–15 when reopening), balanced, preferably a stopper in opp.
suit; 2♣ response Stayman, otherwise natural
 jump 2 NT is “unusual”, i.e. 5–5 lowest unbid suits
 jump overcall in suit preemptive
 a bid in opp. suit is
o Michaels when opps have bid one suit only (Michaels: 5–5 in majors and 8+ pts
when opening was in a minor, otherwise the other major and a minor and 10+ pts)
o natural when opps have bid 2 suits

Competitive bidding
 neg. D up to 2♠
 RD 10+ pts
 responders jump shift over D is to play
 cuebid in right-hand opp. forcing to game
 RD of a D of conventional bid is for business
 RD is SOS when suit contract of 3 or lower is doubled for penalty
 D of conventional bid like Michaels or unusual 2 NT shows 10+ pts

Leads and signals

 top of touching honors (even A from AKx)
 top of interior sequence
 Xxxx(…), i.e. 4th best (rule of 11) if headed by an honor
 xxxx(…), i.e. 2nd best from 4 or more when no honor
  against suit contract: xxx, i.e. lowest from 3 small
 against NT contract: xxx, i.e. highest from 3 small
 high encourages, low discourages
 high–low is even when giving count

Last modified: 2011-10-21.

Also available in Finnish: SAYC-tiivistelmä.
Jukka “Yucca” Korpela.