TimG, on Jun 20 2008, 03:16 PM, said:
Two-way transfers still give the opponents that extra space. They can double or bid the transferred to suit, or wait until opener rebids and the auction gets back to them. They can't do all that if 1N-2H is natural and non-forcing.
I take your point, but transfers have a hidden advantage. Look at these auctions:
NATURAL
BAL
LHO
♥ length
RHO
1NT
Pass
2
♥Pass
Pass
Dbl*
Pass
??
*Take out
and
TRANSFER
BAL
LHO
♥ length
RHO
1NT
Pass
2
♦*
Pass
2
♥Pass**
Pass
Dbl***
Pass
??
* Transfer
** No balancing double in a live auction
*** Takeout
Because of the difference in the tempo of the auctions, it is much more difficult to make a balancing takeout double with the hand in front of the heart length and a penalty pass behind the trump length when transfers are used.
When the transfer is completed and 2
♥ is going to be passed out, one can certainly balance, but it is hard to pass for penalties when you have your trump length under their trump length. On the natural auction, it is easy to pass for penalties when you will have your trump length behind their trump length.
Or to put it differently:
When you are in a position where a penalty double would be profitable ("points" behind the balanced hand, trumps behind the trump hand), you will get to double easily on the natural auction whereas it is very difficult to do that on the transfer auction.
If however, you are in the position that a penalty double is less likely to succeed ("points" in front of the balanced hand, trumps in front of the trump hand) then it is easier to double for penalties on the transfer auction. But then you don't want to double.
Thus, it is easier to get into 2
♥ doubled when you play natural sign-offs than when you play transfers.
On top of that, the most common meaning of a double of a transfer is: "Partner, please lead this suit." I haven't seen anyone yet that plays it as "I want to penalize them in their suit.". Neither have I seen anyone yet that plays 1NT-P-2
♦-P; 2
♥-P-P-Dbl as penalty (even if that would certainly be playable).
So, the drawback of transfers is that you give opponents a better opportunity to show a lead or come into the bidding. But you are not giving them a better opportunity of doubling 2
♥ for penalties. (Instead you are reducing that possibility.)
Rik
I want my opponents to leave my table with a smile on their face and without matchpoints on their score card - in that order.
The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds the new discoveries, is not “Eureka!” (I found it!), but “That’s funny…” – Isaac Asimov
The only reason God did not put "Thou shalt mind thine own business" in the Ten Commandments was that He thought that it was too obvious to need stating. - Kenberg
Help
invitational in spades or (2S)
Back in the early '90's I played lots of the Kamikazi NT with one of my pards after coming across Meckwell using it at a little sectional in Michigan. It was fun to play, and Marshall Miles published a good system for responding to it.