4 suit transfers

[plum_tree]

I’ve been playing off the 2006 SAYC Booklet. Over 1NT this booklet plays –

2♠ = Transfer to 3♣ which is either passed with ♣ or converted to 3♦ which must be passed.

1NT-2NT = Natural and invitational to 3NT

1NT-3♣ or 3♦ = 6-card or longer suit, invitational to 3NT.

 

According to this booklet minor suit slam tries go through Stayman i.e.

1NT-2♣-2 any-3m

3m promises a minimum of 5-cards in the suit bid. Therefore playing SAYC I don’t need Baron. Having said that Minor Suit Stayman is possibly an improvement on 2♠ as a transfer to 3♣. I can still transfer by using 2NT as a transfer to 3♣ as pass or correct to 3♦. The invitational hands can also go through Stayman i.e. 1NT-2♣-2 any-2NT

 

What I can ascertain from what has been posted here so far is this:

Using 2♠ as a transfer to 3♣, I lose Minor Suit Stayman/Baron. I cannot have all 3 so my choice on which one to retain will depend on frequency of occurrence. Can anyone help with these frequencies?

1. Occurrence of a 6-card or longer ♣ suit 0-7 HCP? This for the transfer option?

2. Occurrence of a 5/4 or better holding in the minor suits? This for Minor Suit Stayman?

3. Occurrence of a 4/4 or better holding in the minor suits and 8 HCP? This for Baron?

 

Where are the Americans? Seems like this SAYC Booklet of yours did a fairly decent job on continuations over 1NT? What are your experiences with it?

[Vampyr]

2♠ = Transfer to 3♣ which is either passed with ♣ or converted to 3♦ which must be passed.

 

Do not forget that with this method there is the possibility of responder rebidding 3 of a major or 3NT, so certain good minor-suit hands can be assigned to these bids, and of course you still have the 3-level jumps available. If you really want Baron, you could for example use 1NT - 2♠ - 3♣ - 3NT as Baron, as long as you use it on hands on which 4NT should be safe, which it should if you are not terribly unbalanced and are interested in a slam.

[Fluffy]

Most people on my country play this over 1NT:

 

2♣ stayman, promises a 4 card major

2♦ transfer to hearts

2♥ transfer to spades

2♠ transfer to clubs

2NT natural

3♣ transfer to diamonds

 

 

I am very happy with it, and I recomend it for beginners over 4 way transfers.

[TylerE]

Why Fluffy? That really gains none of the benefits of 4 way transfers - the whole point is to be able to pre/super accept. If you can't dot hat, why bother?

[mycroft]

A lot of the benefits of 4-way transfers is to have the strong hand play the minor bailout and to have an unambiguous "slam push". The "if you have a fitter, 3NT should be on" hand, while very nice when it comes up, is at least second in line (and causes a problem when we have a gap call ("fitter" or "no fitter") and partner really did just want to bail in 3m).

 

That, and the fact that it is actually nice to have a sequence that says "bid 3NT with support" is all we need for N/B. Really old-fashioned:

 

2♣: Stayman

2red: transfers

2♠: "bail in a minor"

2NT: NAT, INV

3m: INV

3M: Suit-set-slam-try

 

works for 95% of the cases (I'll give up on the 6m but not 6NT hands for now; once N/B get the judgement to know that this might be one of those, they're far enough along to do some tweaking). Not totally serious comment follows:

Or you could play 4m as SSST; at least that would stop N/B misusing Gerber!

 

 

However, past N/B:

 

I've played a direct 3m as "bid 3NT with a fitter", and no superaccepts even with 2♠ = clubs, 3♣ = diamonds. I currently play Keri with one partner; there's no need for superaccepts (and we don't have them) in the minors, because 2NT=clubs, weak or strong, 2♣ could be diamonds weak, or either minor INV (go with a fitter). And it frees up 2♠ for the "balanced INV", and because it's already there, we can overload it with our suit-set-slam-tries.

 

[Cyberyeti]

A lot of the benefits of 4-way transfers is to have the strong hand play the minor bailout and to have an unambiguous "slam push". The "if you have a fitter, 3NT should be on" hand, while very nice when it comes up, is at least second in line (and causes a problem when we have a gap call ("fitter" or "no fitter") and partner really did just want to bail in 3m).

 

That, and the fact that it is actually nice to have a sequence that says "bid 3NT with support" is all we need for N/B. Really old-fashioned:

 

2♣: Stayman

2red: transfers

2♠: "bail in a minor"

2NT: NAT, INV

3m: INV

3M: Suit-set-slam-try

 

works for 95% of the cases (I'll give up on the 6m but not 6NT hands for now; once N/B get the judgement to know that this might be one of those, they're far enough along to do some tweaking). Not totally serious comment follows:

Or you could play 4m as SSST; at least that would stop N/B misusing Gerber!

 

 

However, past N/B:

 

I've played a direct 3m as "bid 3NT with a fitter", and no superaccepts even with 2♠ = clubs, 3♣ = diamonds. I currently play Keri with one partner; there's no need for superaccepts (and we don't have them) in the minors, because 2NT=clubs, weak or strong, 2♣ could be diamonds weak, or either minor INV (go with a fitter). And it frees up 2♠ for the "balanced INV", and because it's already there, we can overload it with our suit-set-slam-tries.

 

 

It's also very easy to organise 2♠ as bail in a minor or GF with both minors (or indeed other GF hands if you prefer that you can show with 3M/3N rebids).

[Fluffy]

Why Fluffy? That really gains none of the benefits of 4 way transfers - the whole point is to be able to pre/super accept. If you can't dot hat, why bother?

 

it is simple and it allows for invitational 2NT. Perfect for beginners.