Once a relay auction has been established, the Relayer (the player who initiated the relay) may:

• continue relaying for further information by simply bidding the next step (except 3NT which is always to play); or

• break-out of relays by bidding anything other then the next step. Break-outs are always natural bids but not means to deny slam interest. Further bidding is also natural.

When relaying, Responder has no choice but to provide answers to the Relayer's questions. The basic relay scheme is as follows:

　

1. Show long suits (4 or more) in ascending order. Residue-Order: --- 2. Show short suits (3 or less) in ascending order. Residue-Order: --- 3. Show the exact hand shape 4. Show the number of controls (A = 2 K=1) or numbers of Aces. 5. Show the location of controls (Denial Cues)

Responses to the shape-asking relays are based on two schemes referred to as the S1-Scheme and the S2-Scheme. The S1-Scheme contains all the 1-suiter shapes (4333,5332,6322,...) and the S2-Scheme contains all the 2-suiter shapes (4432,5431,5422,...). The 3-suiters (4441,5440) are distributed between the two schemes as follows: the 4441 shapes with both minors go into the S1-Scheme; all the rest go into the S2-Scheme.

The relays are arranged so that the common shapes come out at the same bidding level. For example, all 5332's come out at 3 in the S1-Scheme while all 5431's come out at 3 in the S2-Scheme.

Occasionally the relay schemes will be displaced one or two levels up from their so called base levels.

In addition to the S1- and S2-Schemes there is also a Balanced-Scheme to show minimum hands which have balanced shapes. This scheme allows the Relayer to break-out earlier than otherwise knowing Responder cannot have the values and/or shape for slam.

The question of whether to continue relaying or to break-out is a matter of bidding judgement. It is however regarded as crime to miss a slam with minimum values because the Relayer broke-out too early.