[dickiegera]

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Is it better to bid 2♥ transfer to spades and pass

or

bid 2♣ [stayman] and pass opener's 2 of a major bid
or if opener bids 2♦ correct to 2 spades?

1 NT is 15-17

[helene_t]

If you have the agreement that stayman followed by 2♠ is weak then obviously that is better.
o
However, I think it is better to play that sequence as invitational. That means that this hand will have to transfer to spades.

It is also possible to play stayman followed by 2♥ as showing this hand. The advantage of this is that partner will always correct to 2♠, so you can then play the delayed 2♥ bid as forcing. This allows you to put more strong hand types into stayman.

The disadvantage of that method is that you can't use stayman with a weak hand with 5-5 in the majors (or with 4♠5♥ for that matter).

[Tramticket]

For me, Stayman followed by 2♠ over a 2♦ response is weak and this shape (admittedly, this is in a weak NT context). So I bid Stayman.

[fromageGB]

To my way of thinking, the ♣ then Major sequences have to be weak or invitational, as when GF you can do other things such as rebid at the 3+level, so the question is which is more useful? In terms of frequency, the weak option will be wanted more often, and I would chose that. At IMPs you may not want to miss a game, so you might choose invitational.

The answer of course, is to have a 2-point range NT, and then you do not need any invitational bids and bidding is so much easier. The related question, then, is ♣ then ♥ bid with 55xx or 45xx ?

[ggwhiz]

IMO playing garbage stayman where bidding 2M over a 2♦ response to play is very valuable, more frequent and flexible ie when you catch partner with 2 spades and 4 hearts it is almost always worth a trick to play in hearts.

It's also a clear choice in a partnership (like mine) that can open 1nt with a 5-card heart suit that often has no good rebid after 1♥-p-1♠.

If you switch to this style the first rule is that opener may NEVER bid anything but 2♦ after stayman with no major. They shouldn't anyway but I see it done often.

[rmnka447]

Unless you have a specific agreement to show a weak hand over 1NT-2 ♣-2 ♦- ?, then just transfer.