Texas Transfers
     
 
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Texas Transfers

 
  Suppose partner opens 1NT and your hand dictates that you want to play in 4. You have various options. You can always transfer with 2 and then bid 4. You could also bid 4 directly, but it is normally better for the 1NT opener to be declarer and so we have Texas transfers which immediately transfer opener to 4/. Transferring immediately to the 4 level is normally a sign off, i.e. not interested in slam.  
     
  There are two different versions of these Texas transfers: -  
     
 
Scheme A (South African Texas ) Scheme B ( Texas Transfers)
       
4 transfer to 4 4 transfer to 4
4 transfer to 4 4 transfer to 4
 
     
  Which is to be preferred? Presumably scheme B as this is more efficient and leaves 4 available for another use such as Gerber. One drawback with scheme B is that opener may forget and pass a 4 bid! Assuming that readers will not forget, which scheme is best? I personally prefer South African Texas but I will explain Texas Transfers here as they are more widely used.  
     
  So why do we want these Texas transfers when we can always go via Jacoby? Consider these two sequences: -  
     
 
  Sequence 1 1NT - 2 - 2 - 4
  Sequence 2 1NT - 4 - 4
 
     
  What is the difference? Both show 6+ 's and a game going hand. Sequence 1 is mildly slam interested whereas sequence 2 is not, it may even be pre-emptive in nature. If opener is max and likes 's then he may bid on in sequence 1 but not in sequence 2..  
     
  Example 1  
     
 
West East West   East    
                 
A109 KQJ762

1NT

  4 (1) (1) Texas transfer for 's.
QJ84 K103 4 (2) pass    
KQJ8 92          
A8 J4          
 
     
  West is max and likes his hand for 's, but he is not allowed to do anything  
  more than bid 4 at (2).  
     
  Example 2  
     
 
East West   East  

The hand is worth game and a Texas transfer is correct as you don't want partner to look for slam which he may do if you go via the Jacoby Transfer Route .

           
5

1NT

  4  
KQJ652 4   pass    
Q105          
765          
 
     
     
  A Texas transfer may be used with a very weak distributional hand: -  
     
  Example 3  
     
 
Dealer: J3 West North East South
West AK93 1NT pass 4 pass
Love all 9432 4 pass pass pass
  AQ3        
 
 
A109 Q876542
QJ84 5
KQJ8 765
K8 97
 
 
  K
  10762
  A10
  J106542
 
     
  4 may make, but even one down is an excellent score against N-S's or partscore or game. If East hand simply transferred with 2 at (1) then North would have had an easy double of West's 2 response. Neither North nor South can really say anything at the 4 level.  
     
  As we have seen, a Texas transfer is a weak bid or else a reasonable hand without slam interest. It is possible to have continuations by responder after the completion of a Texas transfer, and some players do play that 4NT (or Kickback) is RKCB. This would then free the 4 bid in a Jacoby transfer sequence for another use (some sort of slam try or perhaps a splinter). Quite playable and up to you.  
  New suits at the 5 level by responder can also be bid. These are probably best played as Exclusion Blackwood, asking for key cards outside the exclusion suit which would be a void. But you could play this equally well after a Jacoby transfer.  
     
     
 
  Pattaya Bridge Club - www.pattayabridge.com
 
     
 
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