Presented by Mike Savage

Sometimes when your partner opens 1NT, you just “know” he isn’t going to make it – mostly because you have very few HCP. When you have such a hand and you have both majors, you normally can’t use Stayman, as you are required to have around 8 or more HCP to use it. However if you are playing Garbage Stayman (also called Drop-Dead Stayman), you can still bid 2C, asking if opener has a 4-card major and if he responds 2D, denying one, 2H now is Garbage Stayman – demanding opener chose between playing 2H or 2S. Playing Garbage Stayman opener has no other options – he must pass 2H or bid 2S and will always choose his longer major if he is 3-2.

Garbage Stayman can be bid with only 4-4 in the majors, sometimes you could have 5-4 in the majors and you could also have 5-5 in the majors (with any 6-5 or 6-6 in the majors, game is a strong possibility although some pessimists still might use Garbage Stayman). With 0-6 HCP and 5-5 in the majors, you should always use Garbage Stayman, as if partner doesn’t have a 4-card major, over his 2D response you will bid 2H, forcing him to chose between playing 2H or 2S.

If you have 0-6 HCP, one five-card major and one four-card major, you must use bidding judgment whether to transfer to your five-card major or use Garbage Stayman. Here are some simple guidelines:

#1. If you have a “bad” five-card major and a “good” four-card major (both HCP and spots) and a weak hand, it is strongly recommended that you use Garbage Stayman. On the other hand, if you have a “good” five-card major and a “bad” four-card major, just transfer to your five-card major and pass.

#2. When both your 5-card and your 4-card major are basically equal in quality (HCP and spots), you want opener to have a clear choice after 1NT-2C-2D-2H. For this reason, you should pick one major to always transfer to when you have 5-cards in that major (and four in the other) and always use Garbage Stayman with five cards in the other major. While it may not be the standard choice, it is recommended that you transfer with five hearts and four spades and use Garbage Stayman with five spades and four hearts (when neither suit is significantly worse than the other), as this method yields slight theoretical advantages. Whether you chose spades to be the “default” major, as recommended, or hearts isn’t the most important thing. What is important is to have an agreement. Having either agreement allows opener, over 2H, with 3-3 in the majors to chose the major most prone to deliver a 5-3 fit. If partner usually bids Stayman with five spades and four hearts, with 3-3 in the majors opener should always bid 2S over 2H, as that’s your best chance to land in a 5-3 fit and also gets the big hand to be the declarer.

If you have 0-6 HCP and you are 4-4 in the majors, this is where good bidding judgment and partnership agreements are necessary. Here are what some experts do: There are experts who will routinely pass 1NT when they’re 4-4 with a weak hand, some use Garbage Stayman when they have a singleton in a minor, some use Garbage Stayman with good texture in their suits or without a sure entry to be able to take a finesse, etc. and there are some experts that always use Garbage Stayman when they are 4-4 in the majors with a weak hand. About half the time partner will have a four-card major and all will be well but when opener doesn’t, you will wind up playing in a 4-3 fit which may play better than 1NT – or may not. You probably will need some luck if you wind up in a 4-3 fit.

2-Level Major Bidding Structure over 1NT: playing Garbage Stayman and a raise 2NT as artificial:

1NT: 2C-2D-2H: = Garbage Stayman. Opener must pass or bid 2S (should normally bid 2S with 3-3).

2C-2H-2S: = Shows four spades and invitational values.

2C-2H-2NT: = Denies four spades, shows invitational values.

2C-2D-2S: = Shows five spades, four hearts and invitational values.

2D(transfer)-2H-2S: = Shows five hearts, four spades and invitational values.

2D(transfer)-2H-2NT: = Shows five hearts and invitational values.

2H(transfer)-2S-2NT: = Shows five spades and invitational values.