Blum on Bridge Minor Suit Stayman
	Bidding Practice for Minor Suit Stayman
	About a month ago, my Naples partner Mary Mason insisted we discuss how to handle responses to our opening 1NT holding either a long minor suit or length in both minors. I'm glad she did - we were on two different pages in our thinking before that conversation. As usual she was more right than I was. Faithful readers know I use the Ben Franklin Rule that states, "when there are more pluses than minuses, do it." Adding Minor Suit Stayman (MSS) to your convention card easily wins the plus versus minus contest. After partner opens 1NT, if you bid 2 spades you are asking the opener to bid his longer minor as long as it consists of at least four cards. Should the opening 1NT bidder hold less than a four or five card minor he must bid 2NT. Let me digress for a moment. Most bidding systems today use transfer bids in order that the stronger hand becomes declarer. Thus, if you the responder have a five-card or longer spade suit you would bid 2 hearts, demanding opener to transfer to the next higher suit, in this case to 2 spades. Had your long suit been hearts you the responder would bid 2 diamonds, telling opener to bid 2 hearts, the next higher suit. Notice that transfers free up the bid of 2 spades by responder. Most experts take advantage of this by using 2 spades for MSS showing at least 5-4 in the minors. Assume the auction has proceeded 1NT-2 spades. Because the opener can have no void or singleton for his no-trump call he must have at least one three card suit, 5-3-3-2 distribution for example. With this holding the opener should bid 2NT over responder's 2 spades, announcing he has no four-card minor suit. Opener is saying, "Responder, what do you want me to do next?" Over opener's 2NT you, the responder, have several options. If you bid 3 clubs you show 5-5 in the minors and a non-game going hand. Over this call opener must pass if clubs is his three-card suit or bid 3 diamonds if diamonds is his three-card suit, as in the above example. Should his distribution be 5-2-3-3 he should show his better three-card minor. A second option is if you are 5-4, your longer suit being diamonds. In this case you would bid 3 diamonds over opener's 2NT. If you are 4-5, your longer suit being clubs, bid 3NT over partner's 2NT call. If you are 5-5 in the minors with slam possibilities, bid your singleton at the three level, either three hearts or three spades over opener's 2NT. Closely associated with MSS are those occasions where you hold a long minor of at least six cards. Over partner's 1NT opener, bid 2NT. This forces opener to bid 3 clubs, which you pass if that is your long suit. If diamonds is your long suit, correct to 3 diamonds, which opener must pass. To show a game going hand or a hand with slam possibilities, responder would bid three hearts showing a long, strong club holding or three spades showing a long, strong diamond suit. Should the opener hold something like 3-2-4-4 slam could well be in the cards. Immediately you readers must think, "What do I bid over 1NT to show an invitational hand now that 'bad Bob' has taken away my 2NT bid?" The answer, my friend, is not difficult. Over partner's opening 1NT bid 2 clubs. Pard will think it's Stayman and will answer accordingly. Regardless of opener's second bid you respond 2NT. Opener must alert the opponents that that call is an invitation for him to bid 3NT.