Stayman Convention - Using Jacoby Transfers With Stayman

Using Jacoby Transfers With Stayman

Today, most players use Stayman in conjunction with Jacoby transfers. With Stayman in effect, the responder practically denies having a 5-card major, as otherwise he would transfer to the major immediately. The only exception is when responder has 5-4 in the majors; in that case, he would normally use Stayman, and in the case of a 2♦ response, bid the 5-card major at the 2 level (weakness take-out) or at the 3 level (forcing to game). However, the latter hand can also be bid by first using a transfer and then showing the second suit naturally. The Smolen convention (see below) provides an alternative method to show a five-card major and game-going values.