Jacoby Transfers - Introduction

Jacoby Transfers - Introduction

Back in the good old days, 1NT 2♥ meant that you wanted to play in 2♥. And 1NT 2♠ meant that you wanted to play in 2♠. Those days have long since gone, nowadays, opposite Partner’s 1NT opening, most players use Jacoby Transfers, which work like this:

1NT 2♦ Tells Partner to bid 2♥

1NT 2♥ Tells Partner to bid 2♠

2♦ and 2♥ are “transfer” bids, and they have the useful result of getting the strong hand to be Declarer. Generally speaking it’s better to have the opening leader coming up to the strong hand, rather than through the strong hand.

But, the benefits of Jacoby Transfers are not limited just to right-siding the contract. After, for example, 1NT 2♥, 2♠, the auction is not over yet. Of course, if Responder has a weak hand (with Spades), he will simply pass 2♠ … but, if he has some values, he has a number of ways of further describing his hand.

Sample Auctions

1NT 2♥ A transfer, showing at least 5 Spades. Any strength is possible.

1NT 2♥

2♠ Pass 5+ Spades, no interest in game.

1NT 2♥

2♠ 2NT 5 Spades, and a hand with invitational values.

1NT 2♥

2♠ 3NT 5 Spades, and a hand with game values.

1NT 4NT Invitational to 6NT.

1NT 2♥

2♠ 4NT Invitational to 6NT with 5 Spades.

1NT 2♥

2♠ 3♠ Invitational to game with 6 Spades.

1NT 2♥

2♠ 3♦ Shows a second suit, with game-going values.

Note that, in all the above auctions, the following applies:

(a) Responder’s transfer shows at least 5 Spades;

(b) Opener’s rebid is always 2♠ (though, next, we’ll meet some exceptions to this);

Super Accepts

Normally, Opener will accept the transfer, as directed, but he is allowed to make an exception when he holds 4 cards in Partner’s major. Holding the 4^th trump gives the partnership at least a 9-card fit, which according to Total Tricks theory, normally means that there is safety at the 3-level. So, if the auction starts 1NT 2♥, and Opener now bids anything but 2♠, he is making what is known as a “Super Accept”, and is (usually) showing 4 Spades.

There are all sorts of different schema in use for making Super Accepts, and many of them suffer from the defect of giving the defense free information about the future Declarer’s hand. For example, in one popular method, 1NT 2♥, 3♦ shows, in addition to the 4 Spades, a doubleton Diamond … this is all very scientific, but why should Declarer want to tip his hand to the defenders like that? Most of the time, Responder will not care one jot about that doubleton Diamond, he will already know where the hand is headed without that useless piece of information. Our suggestion for Super Accepts is best illustrated by examples:

1NT 2♥

3♠ Any medium hand with 4 Spades.

1NT 2♥

2NT Any maximum hand with 4 Spades.

1NT 2♦

2NT Same thing, for Hearts.

1NT 2♥

2NT 3♥ This is a “re-Transfer” … Responder still wants Opener to play the

hand, and the re-transfer is the way to achieve that.

This approach has the benefit of simplicity, and does not volunteer unnecessary information to the opponents. Suppose that you have 4 cards in Responder's major and a poor hand? We suggest that you do not Super Accept with these hands ... also, let's bear in mind that the determination of Minimum, Medium, and Maximum, is not based solely on HCPs ... shape and the type of the HCP's isjust as important. Try these examples:

1NT 2♥

♠ AQT7 We’d call this one a Maximum … 16 HCP’s, all of them working, and

♥ K7 a ruffing value. So we bid 2NT.

♦ AQJ3

♣ 974

♠ AQT7 The same high cards as before, but not nearly as nice a hand. Now, we

♥ K72 are cursed with that square shape. And that AQJ in Diamonds has less

♦ AQJ potential in that 3-card suit. This downgrades the hand so much that

♣ 974 we would consider it borderline between Medium and Minimum, in

fact, probably the latter.

♠ AQJ7 It’s hard to imagine a worse 17-count than this. So, would we down-

♥ QJ5 grade our maximum number of points to a Medium hand? No, of

♦ KJ4 course not, this ugly collection is a Minimum! The recommended bid

♣ QJ4 is therefore 2♠.

♠ A97 Only 3 trumps, and only 15 HCPs, but this lovely hand is worth a Super

♥ A75 Accept in our view. We’d try 3♠ on this one, purporting to have

♦ AQJT6 Medium values and 4 Spades … those Aces and the terrific Diamonds

♣ 96 are sufficient compensation.

Quiz

It’s time to play “Plan the Auction”. With the following hands, what exactly is your plan, as Responder, after Partner has opened a 15-17 1NT?

♠ 65432 This is a pretty crummy collection, you’ll just transfer to Spades and be

♥ 973 glad that it will be Partner who has the joy of playing this hand. 2♠ can

♦ 82 hardly be a worse spot than 1NT.

♣ 532

♠ 72 Not much of a 9-count here, we have an alarming lack of fillers. So,

♥ KQ654 the plan is to transfer to Hearts and rebid 2NT … showing 5 Spades

♦ KJ7 and invitational values. Partner’s next bid will place the contract.

♣ 862

♠ 72 Same hand, but with some Heart fillers … transfer to Hearts, and bid

♥ KQT94 3NT. Same basic hand type as before, just a bit stronger. Opener will

♦ KJ7 now choose between passing 3NT and bidding 4♠.

♣ 862

♠ 72 Here, the plan is to transfer to Hearts and then rebid 3♥, showing a 6-

♥ KJT532 card suit and invitational values.

♦ K9

♣ 865

♠ 7 There is something to be said for transferring to Hearts and rebidding

♥ AQ876 3NT, keeping the opponents in the dark, and hoping that they cannot

♦ KT96 cannot run the Spades. But, if they can run the Spades, for down one,

♣ K43 when you are cold for 6♦, you know whose fault it will be. So, in the
interests of partnership management, you are advised to bid 3♦ here.

Further Links: Jacoby Transfers - Interference

Jacoby Transfers - Slam Bidding

For examples of Jacoby Transfers from actual play, please follow this link to the Archives