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I notice that a lot of bridge players use "transfers" in their bidding. How can I learn about these transfers? Thanks. Andy
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bridge transfers explanation of bridge transfers
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#2
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Posted 2012-September-21, 16:35
Welcome to the forums andrito. Transfers are useful because they give us a chance to allow responder to describe their hand more without taking up any extra bidding room. Another thing that happens due to transfers, is that the declarer will always be the NT bidder. This causes the others to play into his hand which is most likely to have the useful honors which make the lead that much harder. They also cannot see his values.
The 1N bidder is almost always required to reply with the transfer suit. Many play a super accept bid, showing 4-5 of the trump suit, but this is not required.
For example...
1N-2♦ - transfer to ♥s - at least 5 ♥s and any amount of HCP.
2♥-AP
This shows 0-7 points, at least 5 ♥s and the responder feels it is better to play in the trump suit rather than NT.
1N-2♦
2♥-2N
This is an invite to 3NT or 4♥ with exactly 5 ♥s.
1N-2♦
2♥-3♥
This is an invite to 4♥ with at least 6 ♥s.
1N-2♦
2♥-3N
This shows game values and exactly 5♥. It is up to the opener to decide if they want to play game in NT or ♥.
1N-2♦
2♥-4♥
This is a sign-off in ♥s...6+♥ usually.
I will look for some links to give you also and post them when I find them.
Good luck...
The 1N bidder is almost always required to reply with the transfer suit. Many play a super accept bid, showing 4-5 of the trump suit, but this is not required.
For example...
1N-2♦ - transfer to ♥s - at least 5 ♥s and any amount of HCP.
2♥-AP
This shows 0-7 points, at least 5 ♥s and the responder feels it is better to play in the trump suit rather than NT.
1N-2♦
2♥-2N
This is an invite to 3NT or 4♥ with exactly 5 ♥s.
1N-2♦
2♥-3♥
This is an invite to 4♥ with at least 6 ♥s.
1N-2♦
2♥-3N
This shows game values and exactly 5♥. It is up to the opener to decide if they want to play game in NT or ♥.
1N-2♦
2♥-4♥
This is a sign-off in ♥s...6+♥ usually.
I will look for some links to give you also and post them when I find them.
Good luck...
♠♥♦♣ The American Swede of BBF...I eat my meatballs with blueberries, okay? ♣♦♥♠
Junior - Always looking for new partners to improve my play with..I have my fair share of brilliancy and blunders.
"Did your mother really marry a Mr Head and name her son Richard?" - jillybean
Junior - Always looking for new partners to improve my play with..I have my fair share of brilliancy and blunders.
"Did your mother really marry a Mr Head and name her son Richard?" - jillybean
#3
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Posted 2012-September-21, 16:51
♠♥♦♣ The American Swede of BBF...I eat my meatballs with blueberries, okay? ♣♦♥♠
Junior - Always looking for new partners to improve my play with..I have my fair share of brilliancy and blunders.
"Did your mother really marry a Mr Head and name her son Richard?" - jillybean
Junior - Always looking for new partners to improve my play with..I have my fair share of brilliancy and blunders.
"Did your mother really marry a Mr Head and name her son Richard?" - jillybean
#4
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Posted 2012-September-21, 23:50
RunemPard, on 2012-September-21, 16:51, said:
If you are looking for information on basic transfers over 1NT, check out the above link. If you are looking for more advanced transfer information, check out this article : http://www.australia...1_transfers.pdf
I ♦ Transfers
#5
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Posted 2012-September-24, 02:50
Hi, welcome to the forums. Since this started life in the GBD it is difficult to know the level to pitch the answer so apologies if any of this is too difficult or too simple. First of all, a transfer bid is a bid of one suit to show another suit. Very often this is the suit directly below the one you are showing (so bidding diamonds to show hearts, for example) but sometimes alternative such as "2-under transfers" (ie bidding clubs to show hearts) are used.
Transfers have some big advantages over natural bidding in many circumstances. The biggest of these is that by making all of your bids forcing you increase the number of auctions available to your side enormously. This in turn increases accuracy. The downside is that you cannot stop in the suit where transfers begin. So, after a 1NT opening, you might decide to play 2♣ as Stayman and then 2♦, 2♥, 2♠ and 2NT as transfers to hearts, spades, club and diamonds respectively. All of these responses become forcing and bidding is generally much easier and more accurate than playing these bids as non-forcing. The downside is not being able to stop in 2♦, compartaively small.
Having shown their effectiveness in NT auctions, transfers have spread to many other situations too, most notably in competition. Some pairs play transfers over almost all low-level opposition bidding. One example of a common situation to use transfers in this context will suffice here. Say the opponents open 1♣ and partner overcalls 1♠, with RHO passing ((1♣) - 1♠ - (Pass) to you). Now you can play a 2♦ or 2♥ bid as either forcing or non-forcing but not both. However, by playing 2♣ = diamonds, 2♦ = hearts and 2♥ = good spade raise you get some of the benefits of both.
To go further than this is probably unnecessary but I will note that one of the Moderators here (inquiry) has a complete transfer-based defence to competition posted online. If you are interested in Expert-level use of transfers then I suggest checking that out. On the other hand, if you are just looking for understanding Jacoby (red suit) transfers over a 1NT opening then please post that and someone will fill you in on how they work in a little more detail.
Transfers have some big advantages over natural bidding in many circumstances. The biggest of these is that by making all of your bids forcing you increase the number of auctions available to your side enormously. This in turn increases accuracy. The downside is that you cannot stop in the suit where transfers begin. So, after a 1NT opening, you might decide to play 2♣ as Stayman and then 2♦, 2♥, 2♠ and 2NT as transfers to hearts, spades, club and diamonds respectively. All of these responses become forcing and bidding is generally much easier and more accurate than playing these bids as non-forcing. The downside is not being able to stop in 2♦, compartaively small.
Having shown their effectiveness in NT auctions, transfers have spread to many other situations too, most notably in competition. Some pairs play transfers over almost all low-level opposition bidding. One example of a common situation to use transfers in this context will suffice here. Say the opponents open 1♣ and partner overcalls 1♠, with RHO passing ((1♣) - 1♠ - (Pass) to you). Now you can play a 2♦ or 2♥ bid as either forcing or non-forcing but not both. However, by playing 2♣ = diamonds, 2♦ = hearts and 2♥ = good spade raise you get some of the benefits of both.
To go further than this is probably unnecessary but I will note that one of the Moderators here (inquiry) has a complete transfer-based defence to competition posted online. If you are interested in Expert-level use of transfers then I suggest checking that out. On the other hand, if you are just looking for understanding Jacoby (red suit) transfers over a 1NT opening then please post that and someone will fill you in on how they work in a little more detail.
(-: Zel :-)
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