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.

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

2 ♣/♦ 10+, 4+ cards
passed hand or game bid

Jacoby: raise, 3♣/♦/♠ shortness, 4♥ min,

2NT !
13+ 3NT 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
2♣ Stayman, usu. majors); responder’s 3♣/♦
8+ hcp slam interest

Jacoby
2♦ ! transfer to 2 ♥, or 3 ♥ with max.
hearts

Jacoby
2♥ ! transfer to 2 ♠, or 3 ♠ with max.
spades
15–17 hcp
balanced(may contain 2♠ ! transfer to 3♣ resp. rebid 3 ♦ signoff
1NT
a 5-card suit, even a
major)
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

artif., may be 3 of his major or 4 of his
2♦
waiting minor; after 2 NT rebid:
Stayman, Jacoby, Gerber
strong artificial,22+ or
2♣
playing equiv. 2♥/♠, natural, GF, 5+
 
3♣/♦ cards, 8+ pts

balanced, 8
2NT  
hcp

2♦/♥/♠ 6+ (or 5) cards, 5–11 2NT forcing, game with min. (5–8 p):rebidthe
hcp; usuallyno major interest suit;with max.: new suit
 (shows A/K) or 3NT or 4 of
minor(shows 4–5 cards with
side suit at least Q)

any raise to play

3♣ Stayman  

Jacoby
3♦/♥ ! 3♥/♠
20–21 hcp balanced, transfer
2NT may contain 5-card
suit 4♣ ! Gerber  

inviting to
4NT  
slam in NT

4♣ ! Stayman  
3NT 25–27 hcp balanced
Jacoby
4♦/♥ ! 4♥/♠
transfer

3/4 of pre-empt, rule of

suit 2/3/4

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 in1♣–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 slamin 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 NTis natural, 12–14 hcp, not Jacoby)
 double of 1 NT does not affect conventions
 after 1 NT and interfering bid, bid in opponent suitis 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 isopp. suit
 1 NT overcall 15–18 hcp (10–15 when reopening), balanced, preferably a stopper
inopp. 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: 2010-03-28.

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