Jacoby Transfers

 

The use of Jacoby Transfers opposite a 1NT (or 2NT) opening is not quite universal, but almost.  One by-product of Jacoby Transfers is the freeing up of 2♠ for other purposes, usually some minor-oriented bid, such as Minor Suit Transfers.

 

 

2nd May, 2007                   Board 28      Dealer West       N-S Vul

 

 

It’s time to make a plan.  Partner has 20-21 HCP’s, how do we proceed?  Perhaps the first question is “How do we evaluate our hand?”  The combined assets are 31-32 HCP’s and the generally accepted standard for 6NT is 33 HCP’s.  However, we have a 5-card Spade suit, and one with excellent fillers, so surely we are worth at least a slam invitation.

 

Having established that, now we can ask the question “How do we proceed?”  That depends on the answer to yet another question, how do you and your Partner treat these two auctions?

 

            North   East     South   West                North   East     South   West

                                                 Pass                                                    Pass

            Pass    Pass     2NT     Pass                Pass    Pass    2NT     Pass

            3♥        Pass    3♠        Pass                4♥        Pass    4♠        Pass

            4NT     etc.                                          4NT     etc.

 

The first auction was a Jacoby Transfer sequence, and it’s standard for this auction to be invitational to slam with 5 Spades.  And the second sequence?  Assuming that 4♥ was a Texas Transfer, then 4NT is Roman Key Card.  No doubt Responder has 6+ Hearts and intends to go to slam if the Key Card situation is satisfactory.

 

The North hand is not one for Roman Key Card, we are more interested in Partner’s opinion, so we go the route of the left-hand auction.

 

 

24th May, 2006                 Board 26      Dealer East       Both Vul

 

 

When they double Partner’s transfer bid, the most common method is probably as follows:

               Pass                Only 2 cards in Partner’s major (now Partner can Redouble as a re-transfer)

               2♥                    3-card support

               Rdbl                Big Diamond holding, suggesting 2♦ redoubled as a place to play.

               Other              Other bids would be Super-Accepts.

 

However, it’s been almost 10 years since we elected to play in their suit redoubled (and on that occasion we went down 2 for -1000!), so surely there is a better use for the Redouble.  One method that is popular on the tournament circuit is to use the Redouble to show a good hand with 3-card support … and the 2♥ bid to show not-so-good 3-card support.  And what’s the benefit of this?  If Responder has an invitational hand he won’t need to invite if Partner bids 2♥, and the partnership can stay at the two-level.  Any downside?  Not to speak of … true, the weak hand will play the contract at the 2-level (at higher levels, re-transfers are available, if required), but that is not necessarily a bad thing, considering the lead-directing Double.

 

Applying this new technology to East’s hand, what would you bid over the Double?  The choice is between 2♥ and Redouble, of course.  East may have only 15 HCPs, but every single high card is gilt-edged, and there is that useful-looking doubleton in their suit … all things considered, we’d say this was worth a Redouble!  This upwards evaluation by East gets the partnership to the good 4♥ in a hurry.

 

 

3rd May, 2006                  Board 8       Dealer West         None Vul

 

 

In this Jacoby Transfer sequence, 3♦ was natural and game-forcing.  Over 3♦, Opener has these options:

(a)    Agree Spades with 3♠ or 4♠;

(b)   Bid 3NT;

(c)    Bid anything else to agree Diamonds.

 

So, here, 3♥ would agree Diamonds.  It’s not essential that North has a Heart control for this bid, the basic message here is … “I have Diamond support, and either my hand is slammish, or else I am uncertain about 3NT”.

 

21st November, 2007       Board 22      Dealer East       E-W Vul

 

 

After transferring, North’s 3♣ was natural and game-forcing.  Now what are South’s options?  Here is the most commonly used method:

-         With Spade support, Opener usually bids 3♠ or 4♠.  As the auction is already game-forcing, the Principle of Fast Arrival tells us that 3♠ is more slam-encouraging than 4♠.

-         Without Spade support, and (hopefully) with the unbid suits stopped, and with a hand that does not want to encourage a Club slam, the obvious bid is 3NT.

-         With Club support, and either a hand that cannot bid 3NT, or else a hand that has at least passing interest in a Club slam, Opener bids 3♦ or 3♥.

 

Here, we have a choice between showing Spade support, and interest in a Club slam.  Our own choice would be the latter, and then, if the Club slam hunt fizzles out we can always convert 3NT to 4♠.  We’d make the cheaper of the two cue-bids, namely 3♦.

 

 

25th October, 2006           Board 6      Dealer East       E-W Vul

 

 

Now here’s an interesting problem!  How would you tackle this hand?  Which of the following plans do you prefer?

-         Jacoby Transfer to Hearts, then bid 3♣?  This is a game-forcing sequence, and gets our best two suits into the picture.  It’s possible that 6♣ will be a good contract, but we’d rate this as a long shot, partner would need close to a perfect hand, with little or nothing wasted opposite our Spade void.  As 6♣ is so unlikely, and as it will be difficult to conduct an effective slam auction anyway, we don’t see much point in telling the opponents about our Clubs.  We expect some strenuous objections to this opinion!

-         Jacoby Transfer to Hearts, and then bid 3NT?   Absolutely not!

-         Texas Transfer to Hearts?   Not a terrible plan at all, even though this bid usually shows 6+ Hearts.  But 5 very good ones is almost as good.  If we are not going to bring Clubs into the auction, then we must play the hand in Hearts, regardless of Partner’s opinion, in which case there is a lot to be said for just bidding game directly.

-         Jacoby Transfer to Hearts then 4♥?  For those pairs that play Texas, this sequence is played as a mild slam try.  We don’t think that the hand is good enough to make a general slam try.

-         Jacoby Transfer to Hearts then a 3♠ Splinter?  Yes, the hand may not be good enough for a general slam try, but perhaps it is just about good enough for a specific slam try, namely one showing Spade shortness.  Now Opener is in a position to evaluate his hand, and will no doubt like it if he has good controls and no Spade wastage.  As it happens, he has a good hand but serious Spade wastage, and will have an easy 4♥ sign-off.

 

A very difficult hand for West, there will be numerous differing viewpoints on how best to handle this one.

 

 

5th July, 2006                   Board 26      Dealer East       Both Vul

 

 

South has a difficult problem here, one which has no really satisfactory solution.  Let’s look at the alternatives:

  2NT:    This shows invitational values, so it’s correct in that regard … but we don’t much care for our

               singleton, we’d prefer to make a more suit-oriented bid;

  3♣:       This gets our (so-called) second suit into the auction, but it’s an overbid, most partnerships play this

               as game-forcing;

  3♥:       This is our choice, but more by default than by conviction … it’s right on values, and it’s suit-oriented

               … sure, it’s supposed to show a 6^th Heart, but those fillers are such that a 5-2 Heart fit might play

               quite well opposite Qx or Kx (yes, we'd like our bid more if we had the 9♥) … and, if Partner opts

               for 3NT over 3♥, no doubt his points are outside Hearts, hopefully with a few of them in the

               Diamond department.

 

 

26th April, 2006                Board 24       Dealer West        None Vul

 

 

East makes a Jacoby Transfer to Hearts, and West, with 4 cards in Partner’s suit, has the chance to make a “Super Accept”, by which we mean that he is allowed to go beyond the 2-level based on the 9-card fit in Partner’s major.  There are many schools of thought on this subject, and here is our balanced analysis of your partnership options:

(a)  Neanderthal:  Using this method, there are no super-accepts … after the transfer, Opener is not allowed to look at his hand, he must bid two of the major regardless … but let’s not scoff at this method, it’s actually our second favorite.

(b)   Obsessive:  This method says that, with a 9-card fit, you always super-accept, notwithstanding the awfulness of your overall hand and the potential for unnecessary undertricks.

(c)    Futile:  Here, the partnership goes out of its way to be helpful to the opponents, they super-accept in some scientific manner, thereby conveying gratuitous information to the opponents, and usually helping Partner not one little bit.

(d)   Sensible:  This one just happens to be our own favorite, check the link.

 

So, there you have it, the world’s first balanced and completely unbiased analysis of Super-Accepts.  Using the “Sensible” approach, we would say that West is just about worth a super-accept of 3♥, notwithstanding the doubleton Q♣.

 

 

16th August, 2006            Board 14      Dealer East      None Vul

 

 

After a Jacoby Transfer, do you play Super-Accepts?  Using this method, the 1NT bidder is allowed to go beyond 2 of Partner’s major when she has 4 cards in the suit.  It’s a worthwhile treatment, and can help you get to games which otherwise might be missed.  Furthermore, there is the preemptive value of getting to the 3-level quickly when you have a 9-card fit.  But, let’s not overdo it!  Yes, that South hand has 4 trumps, but it’s not worth a super-accept … square distribution, minimum values, no Tens.  Our recommendation is to super-accept only when your hand has some character, and this one certainly does not.

 

 

6th September, 2006         Board 13      Dealer North       Both Vul

 

 

We’ve been seeing a lot of Super-Accepts in recent weeks, and here is another one.  No reason why they should be limited to 1NT openings, we’d also make one after this 2NT opening.  If you are sure that Partner is on the same wave-length, you might try 3NT here, announcing a good Super-Accept (well, great except for the trump suit), but if you have not discussed this agreement, a simple 4♠ is obviously safer.

 

This deal is a good commercial for Super-Accepts … South has no points and just 5 Spades and would no doubt pass a 3♠ bid from North, missing a cold game.

 

11th October, 2006           Board 4       Dealer West       Both Vul

 

 

The “Super-Accept” is a gadget we’ve already covered extensively on The Wednesday Game.  There are a number of flavors available, and our own favorites are any methods which do not give gratuitous information to the opponents.  For example, one method that we do not like is to bid 3♣ here, showing 4 Hearts and a doubleton in the bid suit.  That’s way too scientific in our opinion, far more likely to help the defending opponents than to help the partnership get to the right contract.

 

A simple method which does not give away free information to the opponents is as follows:

- With 4 trumps (Hearts here) and a good hand bid 2NT

- With 4 trumps and a half-decent hand bid 3♥

- With 4 trumps and a really bad hand (quacks and/or square shape) bid 2♥

 

The hand in question is certainly half-decent (at least) with those lovely controls, so we’d bid 3♥.

 

 

13th June, 2007                Board 32      Dealer West       E-W Vul

 

 

Let’s assume that we feel constrained to launch into Roman Key Card here.  Not ideal, perhaps, with two small Hearts, but standard methods after a 1NT opening make it difficult to set Spades as trumps and then start cue-bidding.  So Roman Key Card it is, what are our options?

-         1NT 2♣, 2♥ 2♠, 4NT is not one of our options, this says “I have 5 Spades and am inviting slam in Spades or No Trump”.  It’s not Roman Key Card in other words.

-         How about 1NT 2♣, 4♥ 4♠, 4NT?  Yes, Texas followed by 4NT is Roman Key Card.

-         A cheaper alternative to “Texas then 4NT” is 1NT 2♥, 2♠ 4♣.  Some play this as a Splinter, an alternative is to play it as Roman Key Card.  We like this treatment, it keeps things low, and may keep us from getting to the 5-level when we don’t belong in slam.

 

© BES, Inc

All Rights Reserved