Minor Transfers

[GaryFisch]

Most casual players don't have adequate tools for handling minor-heavy hands after a 1NT opening. The old 2♠ minor bust seems woefully inadequate. What do you do about invitational hands? Slam-going hands?

 

I think that full minor transfers are an essential part of winning bridge, but even those who use them disagree about how to play them. I think 2NT should be natural, so 2♠ => 3♣ and 3♣ => 3♦. After that, what to do?

 

I was trying to come up with a system whereby showing the other minor would promise 5-5. Since I open 1NT with all 15-17 HCP 5-3-3-2, that would enable responder to support opener's delayed 5-card major promising a void in the other major. The idea was that with say, 14 + HCP, responder transfers to ♦, then bids 4♣. Opener then shows a 5 card major, which responder accepts with slam interest with a step bid (4♠ or 4NT). Opener follows with a step bid (4NT or 5♣) to ask for key cards outside of the void suit.

 

All very nice, but then what about those 5-4 minors? You can have slam in a 4-4 fit where 3NT is going down. So I think showing the second minor has to include 5-4 hands. Responder can still support opener's delayed 5-card major but will probably have a singleton in the other major. (With 5-4-4 hands responder should use Stayman unless using 3-major as a 3-suit splinter - finding a major fit takes precedence, and bidding a major after transferring to a minor is normally used as stopper showing, inviting 3NT.)

 

So how about using the step bid after opener's delayed major to promise 3 card support and 5-5 minors? Then opener can use the key card asking bids above. The only problem is, with 3-1-5-4 or 3-1-4-5 shape and slam interest after opener shows ♠, responder cannot use Blackwood (as he could if opener showed ♥). Unless 5♥ can be assigned some special meaning, responder would have no way to invite slam other than to bid 5♠.

 

Another solution might be to assign special meaning to 3♥ and 3♠ in response to 1NT. For example these bids could be used to show 5-5 minors (3♥ invitational, 3♠ forcing), so that a transfer followed by bidding the other minor always shows 5-4. Some partnerships, however, use 3♥ and 3♠ as 3-suit splinters.

 

Any thoughts, opinions, ideas, suggestions?

[hrothgar]

Most casual players don't have adequate tools for handling minor-heavy hands after a 1NT opening.

 

<yada, yada, yada>

 

Any thoughts, opinions, ideas, suggestions?

I think that the problems that you identify are more related to "casual players" than the lack of efficient NT systems.

 

There are a lot of good systems out there for partnershipss willing to invest some time/effort

 

I don't see any need to go and re-invent the wheel...

[luke warm]

i play (or like to) that 2♣ is one of two hands, either one that passes anything opener rebids or all invitational hands... i use 2♦ for all gf hands... the 2♣ bid is puppet, so opener bids a 5cM else 2♦... after 1nt : 2c : 2d

• 2h=denies 4 hearts, might have 4 spades (used to invite with 2nt)
  
• 2s=guarantees 4 hearts, denies 4 spades
  
• 2nt=4/4 in majors
  
• 3c=5+ clubs, 4+ diamonds
  
• 3d=4 spades, 5 hearts
  
• 3h=5 spades, 4 hearts
  
• 3s=5/5 majors
  
• 3nt=to play
  

after 1nt

• 2h/2s=to play
  
• 2nt=puppet to 3c, pass or correct
  

all game forces go thru 2♦

on all invitational hands, opener has to be careful to go to game with a max else responder treats it as a sign off... for example, 1nt : 2c : 2h : 2s shows 4 spades minimum.. with max opener would bid 3s to cater to responder having a 4card suit... with max and w/out 4 spades on that bidding, 1nt : 2c : 2h : opener would bid 3nt, not 2nt

 

same for hands where opener has a 5cM.. after 1nt : 2c : if opener is max he'd bid 3h or 3s, with min he'd bid 2h or 2s... all immediate 3 level bids, 1nt : 3c/d/h/s, are invitational with 6pcs

[jdonn]

I think the detriment of playing an artificial 2NT response is overstated by many players, mostly because people shouldn't often bid 2NT. It is much much better to just overbid 3NT most of the time. Partner usually accepts anyway, and they might not double you when they would have on the slow route. Also it often tricks them into making a risky lead when they would have led passively if they knew you had nothing extra. It is not impossible you make 3NT when the other table is down in 2NT!

 

I like the following response structure, it is similar to what I would consider expert standard in certain parts of the US, with some things I like thrown in that are less common:

 

2C: Regular stayman

2D: Transfer

2H: Transfer

2S: Club transfer

2N: Diamond transfer

3C: Puppet stayman or invitational 5/5 minors, whichever you like (I play the 5/5)

3D: Forcing 5/5 minors

3H: 31(45)

3S: 13(45)

4C: Gerber (any version is fine, I'm just fine playing regular)

4D: Texas transfer

4H: Texas transfer

4S: Quantitative (or better), 4/4 minors.

 

Special auctions:

-1N 2C 2D 2H = garbage.

-1N 2C 2X 2S = invitational with 5/5 spades and a minor.

-1N 2C 2M = "Eastern Scientific". 3 other major is unspecified splinter for the bid major, 4C is keycard, 4D is a (usually balanced) slam invite in the bid major.

-1N 2D 2H 2S = relay to 2NT, invitational with 5/5 hearts and clubs/diamonds/spades (rebid 3C/3D/3H), or game forcing 5/5 majors (rebid 3S). Note 2S doesn't cancel the transfer, responder still always has hearts.

-1N 2S/2N = opener bids the inbetween step if he doesn't like the suit, bids the suit if he likes it. This not only lets you transfer to diamonds with weak 5/5 minors and pass the response, but is technically superior to the other way around.

-transfer to minor then bid new suit = shortness. With a 4 card major and longer minor, start with stayman. With 6-4 or 4-6 in the minors, transfer, show your major shortness, then if partner bids 3NT you are free to bid your other minor.

-Extras: Smolen, your favorite version of Lebensohl

 

This lets you sign off in any suit, invite with any suit or any 5-5 combination, game force with any suit or any 5/5 combination, and game force with any 5-4 combination except specifically 22(45), which I'm fine just bidding 3NT (or 4S) with. It also lets you slam try in any suit while showing shortness. About the only thing you can't do that other people may be able to is invite with 45 or 54 in the majors. That doesn't bother me, I either show 4-4, hide the 4, or (most likely) overbid to game. I especially like showing invitational 5/5 hands with a major and a minor, I sacrifice the 45 and 54 majors invite hands to show them since the upside is so much greater. I know a single hand proves nothing, but one example:

 

Ax

Jxx

AKx

Axxxx

 

Kxxxx

x

xx

Kxxxx

 

Most people: 1N 2H 2S p

Me: 1N 2C 2D 2S 2N 3C 3D 4H 6C p

Even if you consider 6C unrealistic I would certainly get to 5C anyway

 

Josh

[pclayton]

Josh:

 

I've played Puppet Stayman (3C) over 1N too, but the following auction has always been an enigma to me:

 

1N - 2C - 2M - 3N.....

 

Since presumably all game going hands would go through puppet, I think the above-auction should have some special meaning to it. Ever thought about it?

[Free]

Heeman:

1NT - 2♠ (min/max ask: either invite, signoff ♣, slamtry with both m or general slamtry)

2NT/3♣ - 3M (showing slam interest and 54+m (♥ shows 5+♣, ♠ shows 5+♦))

 

I don't know why you want to play 2NT as natural, but if you do you lose a lot of possibilities imo.

[zasanya]

The Power Precision system has the following sequences.

1NT-2♠ (asks opener to bid 2NT)

2NT-3♣ = 5-5 minors less than game going values

-3♦ = 5-5 minors game going values could be slammish.

-3♥ = 5/4 either way in minors singleton ♥

-3♠ = 5/4 eithe way in minors singleton ♠

-3 NT = 2-2 weak majors 5/4 minors 10-13 hcp

1NT - 2NT (asks P to bid 3♣

3♣- Pass (weak take out ♣)

- 3♦ ( weak take out ♦ )

-3♥ = void ♥ 5/4 minors

-3♠ = void ♠ 5/4 minors

-3 NT = 2-2 weak majors 5/4 minors 14-15 hcp

1NT -3 ♣ = 4-4-4-1 black singleton which can be found out by 3♦ relay

- 3♦= 4-4-4-1 red singleton which can be found out by 3♥ relay

1NT-3♥ slammish in ♣

1NT- 3♠ slammish in ♦

[jdonn]

Josh:

 

I've played Puppet Stayman (3C) over 1N too, but the following auction has always been an enigma to me:

 

1N - 2C - 2M - 3N.....

 

Since presumably all game going hands would go through puppet, I think the above-auction should have some special meaning to it. Ever thought about it?

I don't normally play 3♣ is puppet there, although there was a time when I liked it. I didn't distinguish at all, but I suppose it barely gives away less information to use 2♣ when you don't care about five card majors, like if you are 2-4 in the majors and partner shows spades, the opponents won't know whether he has 4 or 5 as long as you used regular stayman.

[joshs]

As to the 1N-3C puppet stayman, I much prefer the following which I call POM (puppet OR majors):

3C: Asks for a 5 card major (or possibly a very strong 4 card major)

3D: Nope

3H: 5H

3S: 5S

 

And after 3C-3D:

3H:5-5 majors INV

3S: 5-5 Majors GFing

 

This gives up using puppet stayman on (34)(24) or (34)(15).

 

The later hand, is handled easily enough anyway in a standard stayman auction, so the only "loss" is the first hand type, where 3N might turn out to be better than the 5-3 fit anyway.

 

Quite frankly, I actually have a slight preference for 2C being low info puppet stayman and giving up garbage stayman.