Responding to Partner's 1NT: A Complete Bidding Guide

When partner opens 1NT, you’re suddenly in the driver’s seat. You know almost exactly what partner has, a balanced hand with 15-17 high card points (in standard methods). From there, your job is to find the right contract.

This guide covers the standard responses: Stayman, Jacoby Transfers, quantitative raises, and slam invitations. It’s the foundation of modern notrump bidding.

Step One: Do You Have a Fit or a Good Suit?

Before reaching for a bid, ask two questions:

Do we have a major-suit fit? (Eight or more combined cards in a major)
Do I have a long suit to transfer to?

If you might have a four-four major fit, start with Stayman (2♣). If you have five or more cards in a major, use a transfer. If you have a long minor and enough points, you can transfer or invite. If you’re balanced, you can raise notrump directly.

Stayman (2♣)

The 2♣ response asks opener: “Do you have a four-card major?”

Opener responds:

2♦: No four-card major
2♥: Four or more hearts (and possibly four spades too)
2♠: Four spades but not four hearts

When to use Stayman: You need at least one four-card major and enough points to have interest in game. Most players use Stayman with:

Eight or more HCP (enough to invite game after opener shows or denies a major)
A four-card major (or both four-card majors)

After Opener Bids 2♦ (No Major)

2NT: Invitational (eight to nine HCP, balanced). Opener passes with a minimum, bids 3NT with a maximum.
3NT: To play. Enough for game, no major fit.
3♣/3♦: Natural, invitational or forcing depending on your agreement.

After Opener Bids 2♥

If you have four hearts, you have a fit. With game values, bid 4♥. With invite values, bid 3♥.

If you don’t have four hearts but have four spades, bid 2♠. This shows four spades; opener raises with four spades or bids 2NT/3NT without.

After Opener Bids 2♠

If you have four spades, you have a fit. With game values, bid 4♠. With invite values, bid 3♠.

If you were looking for hearts (you have four hearts), you’ve missed a fit. Bid 2NT (invitational) or 3NT (game).

Garbage Stayman

A specific use of 2♣: when responder has a very weak hand with short notrump (like 5-4-3-1 shape) and wants to play in a suit contract, even at the two level.

Bid 2♣. Whatever opener bids—2♦, 2♥, or 2♠—pass. You’re going to play in whichever suit opener shows. This is “garbage Stayman” because you’re not planning to go anywhere—just escaping a bad 1NT with a distributional hand.

Jacoby Transfers

Transfers let responder “transfer” the play to opener. You bid the suit below the one you want:

2♦ = Transfer to hearts (responder has five or more hearts)
2♥ = Transfer to spades (responder has five or more spades)
2♠ = Transfer to clubs or to 3NT (depending on partnership agreement)

Opener accepts by bidding the next suit. Opener should “super-accept” (jump to three of the transferred suit) with:

Maximum notrump values (16-17 HCP)
Four-card support for responder’s suit

After the transfer, responder describes their hand:

With a minimum hand (0-7 HCP): Pass. You just wanted to play in your suit.

With an invitational hand (8-9 HCP):

Balanced: bid 2NT after the transfer (opener chooses between 3NT, 3M, 4M)
Single-suited: bid three of your major (invitational, not forcing)

With game values (10+ HCP):

Bid 4M directly to play game in your major
Bid 3NT if your major is only five cards and you’d be okay in notrump
Start slam investigation with another bid if you have slam interest

Example: You hold: ♠ K Q J 7 5 ♥ 8 4 ♣ K 9 7 ♦ 6 5 3 (ten HCP, five spades)

Partner opens 1NT. You bid 2♥ (transfer to spades). Partner bids 2♠. You bid 4♠ (game in spades). Simple and efficient.

Quantitative Raise (4NT)

If you’re balanced and interested in slam but unsure whether opener is minimum or maximum, bid 4NT. This is not Blackwood, it’s an invitation to 6NT.

Opener with a minimum 1NT (fifteen HCP) passes 4NT.
Opener with a maximum (seventeen HCP) bids 6NT.

When to bid 4NT: Typically with about sixteen to seventeen HCP yourself. You’re adding your points to partner’s range: 15+16=31 (borderline for 6NT), 15+17=32 (good for 6NT), 17+17=34 (clearly slam).

Direct Raises of Notrump

2NT: Invitational (eight to nine HCP, balanced). Opener bids 3NT with a maximum, passes with a minimum.

3NT: To play. Game values (ten or more HCP), balanced, no major fit sought.

6NT: Direct bid with slam values and no major-suit interest.

7NT: Only bid when you can count thirteen tricks.

Slam Exploration After 1NT

When you have slam interest, transfers give you room to explore.

Transfer then bid 4♣ (Gerber) or 4NT (Quantitative): After transferring to your major and getting accepted, you can use Gerber (4♣) to ask for aces, or bid 4NT (asking for keycards in your major).

Texas Transfers (4♦ and 4♥): If your partnership plays Texas Transfers:

4♦: Transfer to hearts (four of hearts), showing slam interest in hearts
4♥: Transfer to spades (four of spades), showing slam interest in spades

These leave you in a forcing game position with room to ask for keycards.

Rare Responses

3♣/3♦ (direct): Depending on your system, this can show a long minor and game interest. Some pairs play these as forcing; others as invitational.

4♥/4♠ (direct): A natural game bid, usually showing six or more cards in the major. You’re placing the contract without looking for slam.

3♠: In many systems, this shows a balanced hand with interest in 4NT or beyond—not a spade suit.

Summary Table

Response	Meaning
2♣	Stayman (searching for major fit)
2♦	Transfer to hearts
2♥	Transfer to spades
2NT	Invitational raise (8-9 HCP, balanced)
3NT	Game (10+ HCP, balanced)
4♣	Gerber (asking for aces)
4NT	Quantitative raise (inviting 6NT)
6NT	Slam, balanced

Mastering 1NT responses, Stayman and transfers above all, will dramatically improve your results. They’re universal tools in modern bridge.

Not sure which response to make? Brian, Bridgetastic’s AI bridge coach, explains the reasoning behind every bid in plain English.