or game values, while 3NT denies four spades. Using Jacoby transfers with Stayman Today, most players use Stayman in conjunction with Jacoby transfers. With Stayman in effect, the responder practically denies having a five-card major, as otherwise he would transfer to the major immediately. The only exception is when responder has 5-4 in the majors; in that case, he could use Stayman, and in the case of a 2 response, bid the five-card major at the two level (weakness take-out / Garbage Stayman) or at the three level (forcing to game). However, the latter hand can also be bid by first using a transfer and then showing the second suit naturally. The Smolen convention provides an alternative method to show a five-card major and game-going values. A minor drawback of Jacoby transfers is that a 2 contract is not possible. Smolen convention The Smolen convention is an adjunct to Stayman for situations in which the notrump opener has denied holding a four-card major and responder has a five-card major and a four-card major with game-going values. If the notrump opener responds to the Stayman 2 asking bid with 2, denying a four-card major, responder initiates the Smolen Transfer with a jump shift to three of his four-card major. The jump shift shows which is the four-card major and promises five in the other major. The notrump opener then bids four of the other major with three cards in the suit or 3NT with fewer than three. Smolen may also be used when responder has a six-card major and a four-card major with game-going values; after the 2 negative response by opener, responder double jump shifts to four in the suit just below his six-card major and the notrump opener transfers to four of his partner's six-card major. This convention allows a partnership to find either a 5-3 fit, 6-3 and 6-2 fit while ensuring that the notrump opener, who has the stronger hand, will be declarer. Garbage Stayman and Crawling Stayman "Garbage" Stayman (or "Weak Stayman" or "Rescue Stayman") and "Crawling" Stayman are adaptations of Stayman frequently used for damage control when holding a weak hand opposite a 1NT opening bid. For example, on the following hand. Partner opens 1NT (15-17), and right hand opponent passes. Opponents have 23-25 HCP. Thus, 1NT is virtually certain to go down by at least three or four tricks. Indeed, in No-trumps, this dummy