What does it mean when your partner raises 1NT to 4D

[Vampyr]

I believe this is just a straight forward transfer. 2d is a transfer to hearts at the two level. 4d is a transfer to hearts at the 4 level. The 4d bid is known as a "Texas" transfer. It ensures you get to game and it interferes with the opponents bidding any information. I'm not sure, it's been awhile since I've played ACBL, but normally transfers used to be alertable by the partner who bid the NT. Hope this helps

 

Yes, this is still the normal procedure. Online, of course, you alert your own bids.

[Vampyr]

Is from time to time monthly?

 

Sure.

[sfi]

Is from time to time monthly?

To provide one data point, I review my notes with a partner before every tournament, and I presume partner does the same. There are many things you can't control at the table, but knowing your system is something you can work on beforehand.

[Trinidad]

Is from time to time monthly?

This is the novice and beginner forum. I am a promotor of simple systems for novices and beginners. One of the reasons is that novices and beginners will not go over their system with their partner. So, keep it simple.

 

Having said that, I will try to unveil a little bit of what people who are truly addicted to the game will do:

 

It may surprise you, since you seem to find it hard to believe that people would go over their system monthly, but there are players who rehearse a part of their system every day. Some pairs describe their entire system on a convention card and they have problems remembering that. Other pairs describe it in system books of over hundred pages and never have a forget at the table (because they rehearse frequently). And then there are players who play with different partners. This means that they need to know several systems!

 

In practice, for a more experienced bridge player, it is very easy to remember that 1NT-4♠ is asking for aces for several reasons:

• 
   
  
• It is the first round of the auction
  
• The bid will fit logically with the rest of the system, since it is the lowest unused bid
  
• There is no interference from the opponents.
  

Even if the 1NT-4♠ auction rarely comes up, it is not difficult to remember, because it is a piece that fits into a cleverly and logically constructed puzzle. In general, for a seasoned bridge player, these constructs are either easy to remember or they are easy to reconstruct at the table.

 

The problematic agreements arise later in the auction or when the opponents are bidding, e.g. 1♣-(2♣)-2♥. Now, there will be an agreement that depends on the meaning of 2♣ e.g. natural, Michaels, or top and bottom. In this case, the 2♥ bid fits in any of three (or even more) puzzles! The problem is not so much to know what the bid means, but to properly interpret what puzzle we are making.

In this example, it is not uncommon among experts to play:

 

• 
   
  
• After a natural 2♣, all new suits are natural and forcing for 1 round (puzzle), so 2♥ (piece) would show something like 5+ hearts and 10+ points.
  
• After a Michaels 2♣ (promising ♥+♠), new suits are non-forcing and a bid in one of the opponent's suits show our suits in a forcing way (puzzle). So now 2♥ (piece) would be a bid in the opponent's lower suit and show a strong hand with diamonds.
  
• After a top and bottom 2♣ (promising ♦+♠), new suits are non-forcing and a bid in one of the opponent's suits show our suits in a forcing way (puzzle). Now, 2♥ (piece) is natural, but this time, it is non-forcing, so something like 6 hearts and 5-10 points.
   
  

The hard part is to be on the same wavelength with your partner about what puzzle you are working on in each case. A large part of these over hundred pages of system notes is used to define exactly that.

 

Rik