Responding to Opener's 1NT with the three hand types: Balanced, Distributional and 4441

• Opener's bid: 1NT (12-14 Balanced)
  
  
  • Balanced: total cards in two longest suits <9, no singletons (ie 4333, 4432 or 5332)

    • 0-10, no 5+-card or :

      Pass

    • 0+, 5+-card or :

      2 or 2 (Major Suit Transfer - including Weak Take-Out)

      • Intended rebid

        • 0-10:

          Pass - Weak Take-Out

        • 11-12:

          2NT

        • 13+:

          3NT

    • 11+, 4-card and/or :

      2 (Stayman - need backstop bid)

    • 11-12, no 4-card or :

      2NT

    • 13-18, no 4-card or :

      3NT

    • 19-20:

      4NT (Quantitative - not Blackwood)

    • 21-22:

      6NT (To play - Opener always passes)

    • 23-24:

      5NT (Quantitative - not Blackwood)

      
      
      
  • Distributional: total cards in two longest suits = 9+

    • 0+, 4-card and/or :

      2 (Stayman - need backstop bid)

    • 0+, 5+-card or :

      2 or 2 (Major Suit Transfer - including Weak Take-Out)

      • Intended rebid

        • 0-10:

          Pass - Weak Take-Out

        • 10-11, 6-card or :

          3 or 3

        • 11-12:

          2NT

        • 12+, 6-card or :

          4 or 4

        • 13+:	3NT or 3 of 4-card second suit

    • 0-8, 6+-card or :

      2 (Weak Minor Take-Out - to 2 or 3/ - not Stayman

    • 9-15, 6+-card or :

      2 (Strong Minor Transfer - 3NT or 5/ Game try)

    • 16+, 6+-card suit:

      3/// (Jump Shift - Slam try)

      
      
      
  • 4441: neither Balanced nor Distributional

    • 0-10:

      Pass

    • 11-18, 4-dard and/or :

      2 (Stayman - need backstop bid)

    • 19-20:

      4NT (Quantitative - not Blackwood)

    • 21-22:

      6NT (To play - Opener always passes)

    • 23-24:

      5NT (Quantitative - not Blackwood)

References

• Paul Mendelson
  • The Right Way to Play Bridge, Elliot Right Way Books (1994)
  • Control the Bidding, Elliot Right Way Books (2003)
• Andrew Robson
  • Bridge: Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them, HarperCollins Publishers (2005)