Sam Stayman

Samuel M. "Sam" Stayman (May 28, 1909 – December 11, 1993) was an American bridge player, writer, and administrator. He is best known for Stayman, one of the world's most popular bidding conventions; indeed, a day after writing his obituary Alan Truscott called him "the player best known in the world".

Stayman was born in Worcester, Massachusetts. He graduated from Dartmouth College and from its affiliated Amos Tuck School of Business in 1930 and 1931. He became a successful textile executive (Stayman & Stayman) and portfolio management executive (Strand & Company). He lived primarily in Manhattan.

Stayman "played with enthusiasm until a few days before his death." He died of cancer at his home in Palm Beach, Florida, in 1993 at age 84. He was survived by his second wife Josephine (his first, Marjorie, had died in 1960), three daughters and a son, and several grandchildren.

The Stayman convention was invented independently by Jack Marx and by Stayman's regular partner George Rapée. It became associated with his name because it was first published in an article written by Stayman, in The Bridge World magazine, June 1945. He also gave his name, spelled backward, to the Namyats convention, which was invented by another regular partner, Victor Mitchell.

Stayman and Rapée, John Crawford and Howard Schenken, Charles Goren and Sidney Silodor won the inaugural Bermuda Bowl in 1950, representing North America in a 3-way tournament with Great Britain and "Europe". For the next several years the event was a long head-to-head match with a European champion that might be Great Britain; Stayman, Rapée, Crawford, and Schenken won the next two in 1951 and 1953 with different teammates. Stayman also won a score of North American titles.

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