What does this show ?

[Cyberyeti]

Regardless of what Stayman variant you say you are playing, you are certainly responding 2♣ when dealt a weak hand shaped 3=4=5=1, right? And there is nothing rare about that.

 

(Provided opener does not systemically rebid 2NT to show both majors! Stayman himself used the 2NT rebid to show full max with strong 5+ ♣.)

 

Of course, in this case I think a 4342 heap

[Douglas43]

I too play 1NT - 2♣ X as showing clubs.

 

If it's IMPs then there is not much point taking a big risk to fight for a part-score, so 2NT should be a really strong hand, say 19-21 that hopes to bid and make 3NT.

 

If it's pairs, then according to vulnerability I suppose might be weaker. But it's not clear why I would not double 2♦ for takeout.

[Cyberyeti]

I too play 1NT - 2♣ X as showing clubs.

 

If it's IMPs then there is not much point taking a big risk to fight for a part-score, so 2NT should be a really strong hand, say 19-21 that hopes to bid and make 3NT.

 

If it's pairs, then according to vulnerability I suppose might be weaker. But it's not clear why I would not double 2♦ for takeout.

 

Doubling 2♦ for T/o doesn't look good with your 3244 shape on this hand

[AL78]

Regardless of what Stayman variant you say you are playing, you are certainly responding 2♣ when dealt a weak hand shaped 3=4=5=1, right? And there is nothing rare about that.

 

Correct, and it is rare. I can't remember the last time I or any of my opponents held such a hand and used Stayman after their partner had opened 1NT. It is like Lebensohl* or Jacoby 2NT** or RKCB or strong jump shifts, I can count the number of times they come up for my partner or me in a year on the fingers of one hand.

 

*The reason why one or two people I have partnered occasionally have responded less than enthusiastically to my enquiry as to whether they play Lebensohl is because it comes up so infrequently, they have never had a chance to learn it properly.

 

**I saw a modified version of this linked from a post on here a while ago, but I've never taken the time to learn it because it doesn't come up often enough for it to stick in the mind, and repetition is needed to learn conventions and systems.

[Cyberyeti]

Correct, and it is rare. I can't remember the last time I or any of my opponents held such a hand and used Stayman after their partner had opened 1NT. It is like Lebensohl* or Jacoby 2NT** or RKCB or strong jump shifts, I can count the number of times they come up for my partner or me in a year on the fingers of one hand.

 

*The reason why one or two people I have partnered occasionally have responded less than enthusiastically to my enquiry as to whether they play Lebensohl is because it comes up so infrequently, they have never had a chance to learn it properly.

 

**I saw a modified version of this linked from a post on here a while ago, but I've never taken the time to learn it because it doesn't come up often enough for it to stick in the mind, and repetition is needed to learn conventions and systems.

 

Lebensohl comes up frequently if you use it in all the places it can be used. It is not limited to 1N auctions.