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Stayman with just 5 cards in major and 7-8HCP

By classical bidding system

After opening 1NT many players use the Styaman respons 2 when they have a major suiter of 5 cards and just 8HCP. And this, for one of theese 3 following reasons, to discuss and agree with partner.

In order to show at once just 8HCP and 5 cards in a major, without any other detail about responder's hand.
The interest is to show just 8HCP right now, contrary to transfer bidding, and to dissuade the opener to overreach the level 2 if he has not a maxi hand.
In order to show 7-8HCP and 5 cards in a major, with an undetermined singleton.
The interest is that with such a hand, if the respnder bids a transfer to his major, he has no valid second bid at his disposal after completing 2 or 2 by opener : He is too weak to show his second suiter of 4 cards. He cannot bid 2NT because of his singleton.
In order to show 7-8HCP and a major two-suiter 54.

Theese 3 reasons and meanings are different, and each is good. But as drawback, one must choose and agree about one meaning, one only, and forget the 2 others, when each of theese would require a specific auction.

By playing "majeure précisee"

The responder has at his disposal a specific auction for each of theese 3 different conventions.
When the opener has not the fit in responder' major suiter that does not get a big change : The contract will result in 2 ou 2, sometimes in 2NT. But when he has the fit, the accurate informations supplied by responder's response enable the opener to aim at game, even if he has not a maximum hand.

At first, for our visitors who have not yet read Digest of majeure précisée, hereafter just the ground principles of system :

- The classic opening 1NT is replaced by opening 1. Therefore, opening 1 is balanced and includes 15-17HCP.

- With 5 cards in major and at least 8HCP, the responder bids a direct transfer 2 (Transfer to ) or 2 (Transfer to )

- With a weak 5 cards major suiter, the responder bids first a relay in the opposite major, then after obliged completing to 1NT by opener, he bids his major suiter via transfer. That is called indirect major transfer :

1	1 (relay)
1NT *	2 (with 5 weak, at most 7HCP **

and

1	1 (relay)
1NT *	2 (with 5 weak, at most 7HCP **

The responder has 8HCP and a balanced hand

1	2 (Transfer to ) and 8HCP *
2 (with 3) 15HCP
2NT (with 2) 15HCP
3 (with 3) 16-17HCP
3NT (avec 2) 16-17HCP

The same after response 2(Transfer to ) completed to 2 or 3 by opener.

Of course, this auction is valid also for all responder's hand including a major suiter with at least 5 cards and at least 9HCP, with singleton or not, and whith which the responder has no problem for his second bid. But in our context, the responder has just 8HCP and a balanced hand, since he has the 2 following auctions at his disposal :

The responder has 7-8HCP and a singleton.

The responder bids first 1NT then, after obliged completing 2 by opener, he bids his 5 cardsmajor suit by transfer.

1	1NT (Transfer ) *
2 (completing)	Pass (with 5 or 6) very weak

	2 (with 5) 7-8HCP, singleton
	2 (with 5) 7-8HCP, singleton

* Obliged completing to 2. This response 1NT presumes a very weak hand with a six-cards suiter in in order to let play 2 by opener instead of 1NT. The opener must complete to 2, then the responder passes.

But if instead of Pass, the responder makes any bid after 2, he has a quite other hand, the strenght of structure of which is showed in this 2° bid. By this context, the responder shows a five-cards major suiter with 7-8HCP and 1 singleton whose color is undeterminated.

When the opener is fitted in the major but has a weakness in a color, if the singleton has the same color it is as gold, if not it has nearly no interest.

Therefore, if the opener is fitted in major, in order to know the color of singleton, he must bid an interrogative bidding. The better one is 2NT. It is absolutely no talk of play 2NT, it would be very dangerous with a singleton the color of wich is not known. All the more as the responder would have to play this 2NT.

The simple auctions are as following :

1	1NT (Transfer )
2 (completing)	2 (with 5) 7-8HCP, singleton
2 (no fit )
2NT(Fit ) What singleton ?	3(singleton )
	3 (singleton )
	3 (singleton )

1	1NT (Transfer )
2 (completing)	2 (with 5) 7-8HCP, singleton
2 (no fit )
2NT(Fit ) What singleton ?	3(singleton )
	3 (singleton )
	3 (singleton )

The opener comes to the decision : He closes to major game if the singleton is favourable. If not, he passes or completes at level 3. The contract in major, no fitted at level 2 or fitted at level 3 or 4, will be always played by opener.

By classical bidding after a Stayman followed by a major, what means also a 5 cards major suit and a singleton, this same system is possible but with a drawback :
The contract in major, no fitted at level 2 or fitted at level 3 or 4, will be always played by the responder.

The responder has a 54 major two-suiter and 7-8HCP

This promising structure which shows from 9 to 12 support points may incite the opener to game if he is fitted in a major and is not minimum. In order to show this major 54 two-suiter, the responder uses the two following "impossible" auctions :

1	1 (relay)
1NT *	2 (with 5 4) and 7-8HCP **

* Completing
** This auction does not exist. If the responder had wanted to show a five-cards suiter in (without 4) and a weak hand, he would have bidded an indirect major transfer : He would have bidded first the relay 1, then after completing 1NT, he would have bidded 2 (Transfer to ).

and

1	1 (relay)
1NT *	2 (with 5 4) and 7-8HCP **

By any such auction, after 2 or 2 by responder :

If the opener has no fit in any major, he passes or bids natural 2NT.
If the opener is fitted or not in a major but is minimum, he completes by jump in the fitted major.
If the opener is fitted in a major but is maximum, he completes to game in the fitted major.

Here is the single case when the responder must play the contract in major.

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