Debates about notrump vs. suits seems to be endless.  Here’s a deal that offers a beggar’s choice.  You hold:

SOUTH
ª Q 10 4
© 9 6 3 2           
¨ Q 9 8 5 2      
§ 3
 

Next to nothing!  Partner, though, is relatively wealthy and opens 1 NT.  East passes to you.  Now we all know that a hand such as this more often plays better in a five-card suit at the two-level than in 1 NT.  In addition to five diamonds, your singleton club adds value in a suit contract.  Your partnership plays Stayman and transfers so you can’t just call 2 diamonds to play.

Do you have a choice, or do you simply pass out at 1 NT?  Actually you have several choices, none providing much comfort though.  They are: (1) pass; (2) play diamonds at the three-level if your system allows; or (3) call 2 clubs/Stayman.

I would be happy to play 3 diamonds with no honors and a six-card diamond suit, but the chances of taking nine tricks with just half of the high-card-points and maybe a 5-2 diamond fit seems rather remote; seven tricks in notrump, while also unlikely, looks a lot better (or less worse as the case may be).

Look closer at the Stayman option.  You call 2 clubs.  If partner returns 2 diamonds you have likely found a winning contract (compared of course to ! NT).  Alternatively if partner returns 2 hearts, you have a 4-4 fit and again a likely winner.    What you probably don’t want to hear is a spade return.  Even so, you then have a Moysian 4-3 fit; which may or may not play better than 1 NT.

Here is the actual deal:
                             NORTH 
                             ª K J 7
                             © Q J 5
                             ¨ A K J 7 4
                             § J 5
WEST                                                   EAST 
ª A 8 5 3                                              ª 9 6 2
© K 10 4                                               © A 8 7
¨ 10                                                     ¨  6 4
§ 10 7 6 4 3                                           § A K Q 9 8
                             SOUTH

                             ª Q 10 4
                             © 9 6 3 2
                             ¨ Q 9 8 5 2
                             § 3 
This deal was played in a 16-table duplicate game.  Several tables played in 2 diamonds, which produces an easy eight tricks.  However most played in 1 NT going down two tricks: the diamond players earned 10 match points while notrump players earned 5 match points.

Perhaps this deal is too unique.  You have to wonder  how often will you get a hit in diamonds?  And what if partner returns hearts or spades to your Stayman call?

The math is this.  You will get a diamond return 27% of the time when partner does not have a four-card major.  Partner will return hearts 36% of the time - yielding a 4-4 major fit.  Thus you will play in a preferred suit 63% of the time.

The remaining instances where you end up in 2 spades (4-3 trump) which has the potential (with the singleton club) of producing one more trick than notrump; in instances where both 1 NT and 2 spades make, spades yield 20 more points.  Bottom line: with this distribution, the odds favor using Stayman no matter how few high-card points you have.