Friday, October 03, 2003 4:25 AM

Hand Evaluation - Texas Transfers

 

PITBULLS:

 

            Texas Transfers allow the strong NT hand to declare the game contract . So do Jacoby Transfers , which begs the question why play Texas Transfers ? It is baseball season so the best answer can be a baseball analogy . In baseball , there is a pitcher that is called the setup man. He comes in around the 7th or 8th inning to setup the closer who pitches the 9 th inning. Texas Transfers are the same thing . Texas transfers clarify Jacoby Transfers by the simple inference that you did not choose to make a Texas Transfer ! It sets up the Jacoby transfer sequences.

 

            A Texas Transfer is either weak or very strong with a 6 card or better suit . Therefore , this understanding further defines Jacoby Transfers as 5 or 6 card suits that are either game invitational or slam invitational. If you did not play Texas Transfers with a slam going hand & a solid major you had to use Gerber. This declared the slam from the wrong side of the table . Playing Texas Transfers , you leap to 4 of the transfer suit , bid Blackwood which opens up queen asks with all the other nice things that come with KCB . In addition , you are declaring the contract from the correct side as you have transferred.

 

What do you do with a 5 card major with a balanced 16 or 17 HCP hand ? Playing Texas Transfers it is easy . You transfer to your major via a Jacoby Transfer and bid 4NT which has to be quantitative. Partner did not super accept in the major so she has no major fit . This sequence cannot be Blackwood . If partner super accepted,  then of course it is Blackwood. This sequence was “setup” because you did not use Texas initially with a super strong hand.

 

            You must have a forcing to game bid after making a transfer in order to investigate slam. There are slam tries playing Jacoby Transfers.  One slam try relies on the inference that you did not make a Texas Transfer . You make a Jacoby Transfer but partner does not super accept . You now leap to game in that major . This is a broken suit slam try . You need a major suit honour card for further slam exploration. 

 

            Texas transfers are used in competition also as long as the “jump” still exists. 1NT-2♦-4♦   is a Texas transfer. 1NT-3♦-4♦ is not a Texas transfer. This is probably a two suited hand started by a Q bid.

 

I had this hand ♠Kx ♥KQxxxx ♦J1098 ♣Q  , partner opens 2NT. Not playing Texas transfers , this hand is almost unbidable. You transfer to hearts followed by  Q bidding spades ? Is it not easier just to transfer to hearts but bid 4♥. Since you did not make a Texas Transfer,  you must be making a slam try ( negative inference ) .

 

            Another advantage of Texas Transfers is using Exclusion Blackwood after a 1NT opener . You transfer to hearts followed by bidding 4♠ . This is exclusion Blackwood with hearts agreed. You transfer to 4 of a major but bid at the 5 level . This is Exclusion Blackwood in that suit .

 

♠AKQxxx ♥KQxx ♦void ♣Kxx     1NT-P-4♥-P

                                                            4♠-P-5♦-P

                                                            5♥-P-6♣-P

                                                            6♦-P-7♠-P

♠Jxx ♥Axx  ♦Kxx ♣AQJ10         

 

                                        After Blackwood , 6♣ is specific suit ask . A bid of 6 diamonds shows the queen of clubs.  A cold grand bid off the diamond Ace with a minimum NT opener !