toast1 Posted January 29, 2010 Report Share Posted January 29, 2010 I have noticed that hardly any players Alert Jacoby transfers. It seems more widespread in the last few months, but maybe it's just me, or maybe it's always been this way. Did I miss an announcement that this convention was declared to be standard? With a regular partner, I do not play transfers, and I've had opponents get mad at us for not Alerting when it goes 1NT-2♥-all pass! What could be more natural than that? I think that I should be annoyed when my opponents open 1NT and then remove their partner's non-Alerted 2♥ response to 2♠, with only 2 spades in their hand, and catch surprise 5-card support in dummy. Maybe it is just that most players don't Alert anything, and this is the most common artificial bid they make? I play mostly in free tournaments on BBO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mbodell Posted January 29, 2010 Report Share Posted January 29, 2010 I occasionally forget to do it online. This is partially because I've played for a long time in tournaments on another online site where the rules were alert all bids, and only the bids, which are different from the SAYCish card posted by the site. There transfers, Jacoby 2nt, etc. were not alertable and I occasionally forget to alert. But that's like <5% of the time I bid it and decreasing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhantomSac Posted January 29, 2010 Report Share Posted January 29, 2010 At the local bridge club I notice people never alert jacoby 2N either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TylerE Posted January 30, 2010 Report Share Posted January 30, 2010 Frankly, transfers are the expected meaning of those bids, and "to play" 2M over 1N is hardly played by anyone anymore, and those that do are usually playing some sort of weak NT. I think the "to play" bids should probably be alerted, and don't have much sympathy for anyone who assumes an unalerted jacoby bid is to play. I think the situation is similar to 2♣ opening. The strong version that 99% of players play isn't alertable (at least in the US), whereas the less common but NATURAL means (e.g. Precision or EHAA natural 2♣ openings) are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjbrr Posted January 30, 2010 Report Share Posted January 30, 2010 Make friends with people who alert their transfers and play set games against them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdonn Posted January 30, 2010 Report Share Posted January 30, 2010 What could be more natural than 2♣ over 1NT weak with long clubs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ant590 Posted January 30, 2010 Report Share Posted January 30, 2010 Interesting thread given I am about to play in a national event this weekend with a weak NT and no transfers. On my suggestion that we perhaps should alert them as they won't be expected by the opponents (transfers are announced in the EBU, but it's common for people to forget to), my partner baulked --- and to be honest if I alerted them, the opps would probably assume that I didn't know that I should announce. Seems playing natural 2M bids may be a bit of a minefield. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matmat Posted January 30, 2010 Report Share Posted January 30, 2010 Interesting thread given I am about to play in a national event this weekend with a weak NT and no transfers. On my suggestion that we perhaps should alert them as they won't be expected by the opponents (transfers are announced in the EBU, but it's common for people to forget to), my partner baulked --- and to be honest if I alerted them, the opps would probably assume that I didn't know that I should announce. Seems playing natural 2M bids may be a bit of a minefield. how about prealerting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ant590 Posted January 30, 2010 Report Share Posted January 30, 2010 Yeah, I guess. Prealerting seems to very rare in the UK from my experience, you usually state your NT range and how many cards a major shows then get on with it. Occasionally when I prealert something like a multi or a short club with transfers (IRL) I have received comments about showing off or trying to intimidate the opponents. I guess being a Junior didn't help. Sorry for going off-topic btw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barmar Posted January 30, 2010 Report Share Posted January 30, 2010 Since transfers are alerted in ACBL and EBU, you probably wouldn't run into trouble if you alerted natural responses to 1NT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mycroft Posted February 1, 2010 Report Share Posted February 1, 2010 In the ACBL, at least, playing natural 2M bids over 1NT is a hole in the Alert system that does cause problems. - We're supposed to Announce transfers, but many don't.- They're supposed to protect yourself from missed Alerts if they're experienced.- When we don't say Transfer (to 2H) or Alert (to 2S), they pretty much have to check.- But if they only check with the suit (which, of course, is the temptation)... It's ugly, and there is no good solution; as a non-transferer, I eat it most of the time, unless it's *really* blatant. Because of that, I have no sympathy for those who hear 1NT-p-2H and let it quietly float with a bunch of spades. After AP, "What was 2H?" "To play" "If I had known that..." "You did. They didn't Alert or Announce." As I said, no sympathy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helene_t Posted February 1, 2010 Report Share Posted February 1, 2010 Occasionally when I prealert something like a multi or a short club with transfers (IRL) I have received comments about showing off or trying to intimidate the opponents. I guess being a Junior didn't help. I suggest you put "no transfers in response to 1NT" in the "aspects of system of which opps should be particularly aware" section. And then don't alert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the hog Posted February 2, 2010 Report Share Posted February 2, 2010 What could be more natural than 2♣ over 1NT weak with long clubs? Exactly, which is why Stayman is alertable in Australia.Certainly transfers should be alertable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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