[dae]

What is the proper way to transfer with 5- 5 in both major suits, and game count?
I thought that you transfer to S and then bid H to show 5 of each.

[pclayton]

Transfer to spades and bid hearts. At the 3 level please. Oh I harken back to Day 2 of the 1985 Non Life Master Swiss of my first Nationals.

There's several gadgets you can use too.

[rbforster]

I play a gadget where 1N-3♠ shows 5/5 majors game forcing.

I mention this not to suggest you should play it, but that it rarely comes up and probably half the time it has my partner has bid 3N showing he opened an off-shape NT with 22(54) shape and no fit for my majors. My point is just that whatever methods you use for this hand, it's good be able to show this below 3N.

[Flameous]

I have reversed the meanings of 1NT - 2♦ - 2♥ - 2♠
and 1NT - 2♥ - 2♠ - 3♥ (First sequence gf 55+, second inv. 55+) to have more room in slam auctions where it might be needed. Losing the ability to play 2♠ isn't much of a loss.

[EricK]

dae, on Oct 7 2008, 03:25 AM, said:

What is the proper way to transfer with 5- 5 in both major suits, and game count?
I thought that you transfer to S and then bid H to show 5 of each.

This may not be a very helpful answer, but really it depends on how you would bid other sorts of hands. If, for example, you play Smolen (so that you use Stayman on hands which are 54 in the majors), then transferring to ♠ and bidding 3♥ would show 55 in the majors.

[1eyedjack]

For beginners playing transfers, I would expect the normal method would be to transfer first into Spades, then bid 3H, at that stage only promising 5-4, and then if opener suggests 3NT take a view on whether to pull it to 4H (by now showing 5-5). You would normally expect a 5-3 fit in one of the majors (perhaps not partnering me), but even then 3N may be right, so there is an element of "feel" factor.

This is of course not an ideal solution (and there are a number of possible improvements), but this is the BIL forum.

[P_Marlowe]

dae, on Oct 6 2008, 10:25 PM, said:

What is the proper way to transfer with  5- 5 in both major suits, and game count?
I  thought that you transfer to S and then bid H to show 5 of  each.

This is one possible way.

If you require that 3H showes 5-5, than this will
imply that you will use Stayman on hands with
5-4 in the majors, a playable style, ... but you
need to have discussed this with partner.

Especially, if you also play that transfer to hearts,
followed by bidding spades showes an inv. hand
with 5-5.

This will lead to conflicts, if you happen to play
garbage stayman, because now 2H in the seq.

1NT - 2C
2D - 2H

showes 5-4 with inv. values.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[gwnn]

Simplest is:

-5♠4♥
invitational:
1NT-2♣
2♦-2♠
GF:
1NT-2♣
2♦-3♥

-4♠5♥
invitational:
1NT-2♦
2♥-2♠
GF
1NT-2♣
2♦-3♠

-5♠5♥
invitational:
1NT-2♦
2♥-2♠
GF
1NT-2♥
2♠-3♥

You'll notice that there is no distinction between 4-5 and 5-5 in the invitational case. That's the price you'll pay for playing garbage stayman, I think it's worth it.

Of course if partner doesn't respond 2♦ to 2♣ when you wanted to show a 5-4 or some kind, you have just found a fit.