Partner opens a 15-17 1NT at the local duplicate and you hold AKxxx Qxx xxxx x . You bid 2H as a transfer, partner bids 2S as requested. What next? What you don't bid is 3S -- that promises a six card suit! Your transfer already told partner you have 5 spades. You know your side has 24 to 26 hcp, so you must invite game. 2NT tells partner you have 8 or 9 hcp and only 5 spades. It does not promise an especially balanced hand. It only promises 5 spades and 8 or 9 hcp. Before you talk your self into some other bid, remember that you know a lot more about partner's hand than he does about yours at this point; the most important information you lack is how many spades he has. Bid 2NT and let him tell you. Over 2NT, partner will pass with only 2 spades and 15-16; bid 3S with 3 spades and a minimum; bid 3NT with only 2 spades but 17 hcp; or jump to 4S with 3 spades and 17-18 value in support (generally adding 1 point for a doubleton.)
On the flip side: as opener, don't treat a sequence like 1NT-2H-2S-2NT or 3NT as asking "where would you like to play, partner?" Instead, think of it as asking the question: "Do you have three trumps, partner?" Responder is often forced to rebid in notrump with a fairly unbalanced hand; if you don't have three card support, notrump will usually be the best bet, but if you guess to pass with three trumps, can you blame responder for guessing not to rebid in notrump?
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