March 2025 - 66

Special Contributor
Vic's Views
Improving your notrump bidding - part 2
Jacoby and Texas transfer
auctions
Let's look at notrump sequences
where responder uses either a Jacoby
or Texas transfer.
1NT-2d
Jacoby transfer to 2h showing five
or more hearts. Strength varies from
weak to slammish. May have a second
suit.
1NT-2h
Jacoby transfer to 2s showing five
or more spades. Strength varies from
weak to slammish. May have a second
suit.
1NT-4d
Texas transfer to 4h showing six
or more hearts. Responder will either
pass 4h (no slam interest) or continue
with Roman key card Blackwood
(typically 4NT or control bids) with
slam ambitions.
1NT-4h
Texas transfer to 4s showing six or
more spades. Responder will either
pass 4s (no slam interest) or continue
with Roman key card Blackwood
(typically 4NT) or control bids with
slam ambitions.
Note that we use Texas transfers in
only two cases: to play 4M (no interest
in slam) or to set trump and check
for key cards. In all other cases we
use Jacoby transfers.
Continuations after a Jacoby transfer
(either 1NT-2d; 2h or 1NT-2h;
2s):
2NT: Natural game invitation with
five cards in the major.
3c/3d: Natural and game forcing,
showing either mild slam interest or
concern about 3NT.
3M: Natural game invitation with
six cards in the major.
3NT: Choice of games with five.
66 | Bridge Bulletin | March 2025
4M: Six-card suit with no shortness
and slam interest. With no slam interest,
you instead use a Texas transfer.
4NT: Quantitative invitation with
five of the major. This is not Blackwood
because (again) with slam interest, you
would use a Texas transfer first.
Jumpshifts: Because a new suit is
natural and forcing, any jumpshift
following a Jacoby transfer should
be used as a self-splinter showing
six of the major, shortness in the suit
bid and slam interest. As we have
learned, showing a singleton is an
invaluable tool for partner to evaluate
how the hands are fitting. For example,
after 1NT-2d; 2h, each of these
bids shows shortness in the suit bid:
3s, 4c, 4d.
Quiz
Partner opens 1NT. Plan the
bidding with each of the following
hands:
1. sJ 10 7 6 4 h9 5 2 d10 5 2 c7 6
2. s9 7 hK J 8 6 4 3 dA J 4 c9 2
3. sA Q J 6 5 h7 dA Q 8 6 5 c10 4
4. sA 10 6 5 4 hQ 5 dQ J 6 3 cK 2
5. s8 7 hK Q 10 8 7 2 dA 9 8 cK 3
6. sK J 10 8 7 4 hA Q 5 dK 8 7 c10
7. sA K 9 5 4 3 hK Q 6 dK Q 7 c4
8. sK 9 7 6 5 3 hA 8 3 d9 cJ 4 2
9. sK J 10 6 5 hA 9 dA J 5 cK 6 4
Answers
1. Bid 2h, transferring to spades,
then pass. Passing 1NT might be the
winning action, but it's usually best
BY VIC QUIROS
vic@thebridgeclassroom.com
thebridgeclassroom.com
to play in the major, even if partner
has only a doubleton. If partner has
as little as sQ x, your hand could
provide three tricks in a spade contract;
in notrump, probably none.
2. Bid 4d, transferring to hearts,
then pass. You want to play 4h, and
you have no interest in slam.
3. Bid 2h, then 3d. You have real
interest in slam and serious concern
about 3NT. If partner shows no
interest by bidding 3NT, your hand
is good enough to make another try
with 4d. If partner continues with
4NT, you'll respect the signoff.
4. Bid 2h, then 3NT. With this
semi-balanced hand you should simply
offer a choice of games.
5. Transfer with 2d, then raise to
4h. This hand is only 12 HCP but
is distinctly slammish. Partner will
value controls and devalue secondary
cards like queens and jacks.
6. Transfer with 2h, then splinter
with 4c. The potential of this hand
will depend largely on partner's holding
in clubs. With waste, partner will
downgrade.
7. Bid 4h as a transfer to spades,
then bid 4NT as key card for spades.
If opener shows two key cards without
the sQ, we'll settle for 5s. If partner
shows two with the sQ, we'll bid the
slam. If partner instead shows three
key cards, we'll ask for the sQ and bid
the grand slam if partner has it.
8. Transfer to spades and raise to
3s. Some might shoot it out at 4s,
but I think the invitation is enough.
9. Transfer to spades and bid 4NT,
quantitative (i.e., invitational to
slam). Note that there is no confusion
regarding 4NT. To ask for key cards,
you would instead transfer at the four
level and then bid 4NT. 2
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March 2025

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