Find a Major Fit After 1NT: Stayman, Smolen, Puppet, Texas

When partner opens 1NT, your job as responder is to translate your hand into the right contract. For most responder hands that means asking one question first: is there a major-suit fit? A 4-4 or 5-3 major fit is usually a better game than 3NT, and an 8-card major fit at the 4-level often beats 3NT even when notrump looks fine on paper.

Modern partnerships have four standard tools for finding that fit, and the question stops being "which convention is best?" and starts being "which one fits the hand in front of me?" This guide is the decision tree. Each section links to the deep-dive article for the convention if you want the full mechanics.

The decision tree: which tool, when

Before reaching for a convention name, walk down this list. It covers about 95% of 1NT responder decisions in standard methods.

1. One 5 card Major? Start with a transfer. (Texas is the special case: 6+ in a major and straight game values — jump to game via a Texas transfer.)

2. 4 cards in either major? Use Stayman. You are checking for a 4-4 fit.

3. Both 4-card majors? Use Stayman. Either fit is a win.

4. 5-4 in the majors with game values? Start with Stayman. If opener shows a major you have a fit; if opener denies a major you show the 5 card major with Smolen - Jump to the 3 level in the other Major.

5. Want to find out if the No Trump opener has a 5 card major? Some partnerships add Puppet Stayman (most often after 2NT openings). Optional, no need to use this unless you feel confident.

6. No 4+ card major at all? Skip the fit-finding tools. Choose your NT level directly (pass / 2NT / 3NT) based on points.

One rule that prevents almost every disaster here:

Transfers always show 5+ cards in that major. Stayman always asks about 4-card majors. Don't mix the two roles, and don't reach for the more exotic conventions (Smolen, Puppet, Texas) until basic Stayman + transfers are second nature.

Stayman: the 4-4 fit finder

Stayman is a simple convention with a huge payoff.

At the top level, most pairs are using simple Stayman, not extended Stayman. Without going into a long debate about the advantages, I recommend just using simple Stayman.

After partner opens 1NT, you often want to know: do we have a 4-4 fit in hearts or spades?

Pro tip: it's almost always a good idea to find a major fit if you have one.

How Stayman works

After 1NT from partner:

• 2C = Stayman (artificial, asks for a 4-card major)

Common opener replies:

• 2D = no 4-card major

• 2H = has 4 hearts (may also have 4 spades)

• 2S = has 4 spades (typically denies 4 hearts in basic methods)

Read the full Stayman guide →

Transfers: show length first, decide later

Transfers are a core 1NT convention. They make major-suit auctions cleaner and often protect your strong hand.

How transfers work

After partner opens 1NT:

• 2D = transfer to hearts

• 2H = transfer to spades

Opener accepts the transfer (1NT-2D-2H, 1NT-2H-2S). Responder uses the artificial bid first, then opener declares the major if that ends up being the final contract. That keeps opener's stronger NT hand hidden from the opening lead, and it gives responder room to invite or describe a stronger hand on the second bid.

Important: opener always accepts the transfer in standard methods. Just because opener accepts doesn't mean we've reached our final contract — responder is the captain.

Read the full transfers guide →

Smolen: showing 5-4 majors when opener denies a major

Smolen is a convention used after a Stayman start. It solves a specific problem: responder has 5-4 in the majors and wants to show it efficiently.

The typical setup

Partner opens 1NT and you have 5-4 in the majors and enough points for game (or slam).

• 1NT - 2C (Stayman)

• 2D (opener denies a 4-card major)

Now responder jumps in the major they do not have 5 cards in. This is the main tricky part of Smolen — and it works like a pseudo-transfer.

Example: 1NT - 2C - 2D - 3S shows 5 hearts and 4 spades (jump in the other major).

Read the full Smolen guide →

Texas Transfer: 6+ major with game values, no exploration needed

Texas transfers are designed for game-level major decisions after NT openings.

When game in a major is already clear, Texas simplifies the auction, gets you to 4M quickly, and stops the opponents from bidding at lower levels.

Texas is usually right when

• You know you want game in a major.

• You hold 6+ cards in that major.

• You don't need lower-level exploration first.

If you still need to investigate slam or shape details, another route (start with Stayman or a Jacoby transfer) is usually better.

Read the full Texas transfers guide →

Puppet Stayman: optional, asks about opener's 5-card majors

Puppet Stayman is a more advanced extension of Stayman.

Its main job is to investigate whether the NT opener has a 5-card major. After 1NT, it also asks about 4-card majors as a follow-up; after 2NT, many partnerships play Puppet as their primary major-finding tool.

Common setup: 1NT - 2C is normal Stayman, 1NT - 3C is Puppet Stayman. After 2NT, many pairs play 3C as Puppet by default.

Practical warning: Puppet is a convention where system memory matters. If partnership agreements are fuzzy, mistakes multiply fast. Only add Puppet when both players know the exact responses and continuations and can execute under time pressure. Simple Stayman is the safer default.

Read the full Puppet Stayman guide →

Common mistakes across the family

• Using Stayman with a clear 5-card major. If you have 5 hearts, transfer. Stayman is for 4-card majors.

• Skipping Stayman with two 4-card majors. A 4-4 fit is almost always better than 3NT — don't bury it.

• Forgetting that transfers show 5+ cards, full stop. Strength comes from the follow-up, not the transfer itself.

• Reaching for Smolen / Puppet / Texas without partnership notes. These conventions only pay off when both players know the exact follow-ups. If in doubt, stay with Stayman + transfers.

• Using Texas too early. Texas commits you to game. If you still need to invite or explore slam, choose a slower route.

When not to look for a major fit at all

The main time I would suggest just forgetting about a major fit is when you have a 4333 hand. It's very frequent that a 4333 hand opposite a 1NT opening (which is balanced) is overall too balanced to make it worth it to play in a major fit (remember 4S or 4H is 1 level higher than 3NT, it takes 10 tricks instead of 9 to make!).

Keep it simple

Its always a good idea to look at your major cards when partner opens 1NT.


Overall keep it simple, in general when you have a 5 card, transfer will be the answer. When you have a 4 card, regular stayman will be the answer!

Puppet stayman is useful if you have a 3 card major and want to look for a 5-3 major fit. But normally with a balanced hand you wouldn't do that - think about doing it with singletons or 5332 shape at a minimum.

In general with 4333 shape, just raise the NT!

Drill it in the trainer

Reading helps, but trainer reps are what make these decisions automatic under pressure. Use the bidding trainer to lock the decision tree in:

• Bidding trainer → work through the 1NT response problems.

• Stayman vs Transfers: a simple decision rule →

The next section was originally a separate article on the same topic — combined here for easier reading.

Stayman Convention: Find a 4-4 Major Fit After 1NT

Stayman is a simple convention with a huge payoff.

Before we start - At the top level, most pairs are using simple stayman, not extended stayman. Without going into a long debate about the advantages, I recommend just using simple stayman.

How Stayman works

After 1NT from partner:

• 2C = Stayman (artificial, asks for a 4-card major)

Common opener replies:

• 2D = no 4-card major
• 2H = has 4 hearts (may also have 4 spades)
• 2S = has 4 spades (typically denies 4 hearts in basic methods)

Why this is useful

If you have an 8-card major fit, a major contract is often better than NT. Stayman helps you find that fit quickly before you commit the contract.

Simple use case

Partner opens 1NT.

You hold:
S: QJ84
H: K73
D: 94
C: A1096

You have a 4-card major and enough values to care about game direction. Start with 2C Stayman and learn more before deciding.