Stayman auction with 1NT Opener bidding 2 Hearts and Responder then bids 3NT

Take a look at this hand:

♠KJ84
♥AK42
♦A84
♣Q5

Nice hand. 17 HCP. Balanced. The correct opening bid on this hand is 1NT.

Now Partner bids 2♣. You are playing Stayman. That bid asks you to bid a four card major. With four card suits you bid them up the line. You respond 2♥ telling Partner that you have four ♥ in your hand. This does not deny having four ♠ (which you have) but it also does not guarantee four ♠.

Over your 2♥ bid Partner says 3NT. What do you think you should do now?

Don't Pass just because you are in game. You are in game and you need to be in game. But you are in the WRONG game. You should be playing in 4♠. The correct bid over 3NT is to bid 4♠.

Why is that? How do we know Partner has four ♠?

Partner MUST have four ♠ on this auction. They bid Stayman. They took the time and trouble to go through Stayman to look for a 4-4 Major suit fit. They only bid 3NT because they didn't believe they found one. You showed four ♥. You didn't promise anything else. Partner doesn't have four ♥ or they would have bid 4♥. But they have a four card Major otherwise they wouldn't have bid Stayman. There is only one other Major suit they can have. Yep. They have four ♠.

So over Partner's 3NT bid you need to bid 4♠. This is on you. Partner doesn't know you have a fit. You do. Partner wants to be in game. Change the game to 4♠.

So if, after bidding Stayman, Partner bids 3NT do not think of this as a sign off bid. This just says Partner wants to play in game but didn't find a Major suit fit. If you have four ♠ you should change the game to 4♠. If you only have two ♠ or three ♠ then you do not have a fit. Just Pass 3NT.

Opener bids:	Partner responds:
1NT	2♣
2♥	3NT
If Opener bids Pass	Pass says "Partner I have fewer than four ♠"
If Opener instead bids 4♠	4♠ says "Partner I also have four ♠"

Let's do some examples.

On all these hands you opened the bidding 1NT. Partner bids 2♣ (Stayman). You responded 2♥. Partner now bids 3NT. What will you bid on your hand?

Hand 1

♠K84
♥AK42
♦A874
♣QJ



Hand 2

♠QJ75
♥AJ96
♦AKJ
♣J8



Hand 3

♠T52
♥AK65
♦K6
♣KQT6



Hand 4

♠T76
♥AK73
♦AK
♣K654



Hand 5

♠A862
♥KT76
♦QJ
♣KQ5



Hand 6

♠KQ4
♥AKT5
♦Q653
♣KT



Hand 7

♠JT87
♥AK96
♦KT2
♣A3



Hand 8

♠84
♥K832
♦AK75
♣AK5



Hand 9

♠73
♥A763
♦KQ8
♣AQ83



Hand 10

♠K862
♥AJT7
♦K97
♣A4



Hand 11

♠AK83
♥Q543
♦K6
♣AJ9



Hand 12

♠96
♥KJ63
♦Q82
♣AKQ7



Hand 13

♠AT72
♥AKT7
♦KQT
♣J8



Hand 14

♠AJ
♥AQ63
♦Q75
♣Q862



Hand 15

♠AJ63
♥AQ95
♦98
♣AT8



Hand 16

♠AJT
♥A743
♦Q95
♣KQJ



Hand 17

♠AK82
♥J543
♦AQJ
♣65



Hand 18

♠AT6
♥AK43
♦AT6
♣632



Hand 19

♠Q53
♥AJ84
♦Q5
♣AQT3



Hand 20

♠QJ84
♥AKT7
♦Q65
♣AJ



Hand 21

♠QJ3
♥K943
♦KJ
♣AK95



Hand 22

♠T92
♥AK54
♦AJ9
♣K93



Hand 23

♠AQJ9
♥KT62
♦JT5
♣A8



Hand 24

♠AK2
♥AT86
♦A732
♣Q7



Hand 25

♠K63
♥AQT9
♦QT4
♣AQ8



Hand 26

♠QJ98
♥AQ32
♦A3
♣KJ8



Hand 27

♠AK3
♥T532
♦AQ74
♣Q9



Hand 28

♠KQT2
♥Q987
♦A2
♣A74



Hand 29

♠732
♥AQ64
♦AT7
♣AK3



Hand 30

♠952
♥AT97
♦AK4
♣KJ6



Hand 31

♠QT52
♥AK32
♦A7
♣KJT



Hand 32

♠AK5
♥JT63
♦K92
♣KJ3



Hand 33

♠KQ6
♥QJ74
♦Q84
♣KQ8



Hand 34

♠K62
♥AT86
♦AT82
♣AQ



Hand 35

♠AK73
♥Q632
♦QT5
♣A7



Hand 36

♠K74
♥AT76
♦J2
♣AK62



Hand 37

♠K874
♥AK43
♦J84
♣A5



Hand 38

♠KQ94
♥AJ43
♦KQ2
♣83



Hand 39

♠AKJ
♥AT64
♦97
♣AJ64



Hand 40

♠AQJ8
♥AJT8
♦AT9
♣J5