[KamalK]

Scoring: IMP

My partner at North opened 1NT showing 15-17 balanced, no 5 card Major. What should I have responded? Stayman or Jacoby Transfer?
I bid Stayman, he rebid 2DI and I rebid 2SP, unfortunately ending up in 3NT-2.

(We dont play Smolen)

Thanks

---

[rbforster]

This depends on your NT systems. Smolen isn't really relevant here - that's for hands with 5/4 or 6/4 majors. For me, depending on how much I liked the hand I would

1) bid 2♣, and over 2♦ bid my better major to play (2♥ here), or
2) bid an artificial 3♥ showing an invitational 5/5+ majors hand, or
3) bid an artificial 3♠ showing a game forcing 5/5+ majors hand.

I'm not sure what "standard" NT systems are (the above is what I learned), but you might transfer to spades and then bid 3♥. If partner doesn't support spades (say 3N instead), you continue with 4♥ to show your 5/5 and make him pick. I'm pretty sure I don't understand all the nuances of transferring to one major and bidding the other major or jumping, etc. I guess the bottom line is to do whatever you think your partner will understand .

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

As always a matter of partnership agreement, and
I am not really certain that you should worry about
hands with 5-5 in the mayors too much, they dont
crop up often.

The first question you have to ask your self is,
do you want to commit the partnership to gam
or do you just want to invite.

A simple agreement would be, that 5-4 in the
mayors go via stayman, and that 2M after a
2D response to a stayman inquiry is invitational,
showing 5-4, e.g.

1 NT - 2C
2 D - 2S

would show 5 spades, 4 hearts and inviational values.

If you agreed to this, than you can play that transfer
to one mayor, followed by bidding the other mayor
shows 5-5 in the mayors.

You have two ways of bidding that way

1 NT - 2D
2 H - 2S

and

1 NT - 2H
2 S - 3H

The first sequence would show an inv. hand with 5-5,
the second sequence (because you introduce a new
suit a the 3 level) would be game forcing.

With kind regards
Marlowe

PS: Smolen has nothing to with your question, Smolen is
a convention, which deals with hand with 54 in the mayors
and gameforcing values oppossite a NT opener. (Added later)

[Gerben42]

Whatever you do, don't allow partner to play 3NT. If partner opens 1NT he may have only one doubleton so he should have at least 3 cards in one of your majors. Your goal is to find out which major it is.

I would bid a transfer to ♠ and then bid 3♥.

[whereagles]

Transfer to spades, follow-up with 4♥.

[Cascade]

That's a nice 7 hcp. I will force to game at IMPs. I will only regret this if partner is an off-shape 2=2=4=5 or 2=2=5=4 or maybe some other hand with 2=2 in the majors and a six-card minor.

1NT 2♥
2♠ 3♥ shows this hand in standard methods. This shows five-five in the majors. With five-four in the majors we start Stayman and then either jump in the five-card major (standard) or jump in the four-card major (Smolen) over a 2♦ rebid to show our 5-4 hand.

A jump to 4♥ is normally played as a splinter with six spades.

[kenrexford]

A nice, easy tool is to play 1NT-P-3♦ as showing 5-5 in the majors and invitational or better.

Opener is expected to bid logically:

1. With a maximum and a fit, pick a major at game (4♥/4♠)
2. With a maximum but no fit (if possible as you play, maybe 2245/2254 or 2236/2263(, 3NT
3. With a minimum, pick the better major (even if no fit).

After 3♥/3♠ by Opener, Responder might not be assured of a fit. With GF values, Responder might bid 3NT to check back.

You can add lots of neat gadgets, like:

a. Opener can "flag" the major (4♣ for hearts or 4♠ for spades) with a super-acceptance, making 4M a "non-slammish" maximum. Responder can re-transfer by bidding the next-up-suit to right-side the contract, or not, if he thinks that is best.
b. After 3M, Responder could bid a new minor if 5530, or possibly if 5521, either bidding the longer minor or the shorter minor, as desired by the partnership, as a slam try.

[helene_t]

Stayman followed by 2♠ usually shows a weak hand. Since p bid on to 3N he apparently understood it as you intended it, namely as an invitational hand with both majors.

You should have corrected 3N to 4♥, as Gerben says.

I would transfer to spades, then bid 3♥. That is game forcing. Unless you play some gadget for this hand like the 3♦ bid mentioned by Ken, you have to chose between showing a weak hand and a game forcing hand.

[KamalK]

Many thanks all for your very useful comments, much appreciated

Warm regards

Kamal