[bab9]

Phil, on Jun 10 2010, 10:04 PM, said:

bab9 said:

Honestly, I do not see how this is a slam try or that the captaincy has changed.

Partner did not start with 4♥ (Texas Transfer); therefore 1N - 2♥ - 2♠ - 4♠ by logical extension, is a slam try.

bab9 said:

By partner bidding this way, I would expect 6+♠ and 9-10 total points....and:
If this sequence is a slam try, how do you just bid game against a no trump opening, with responder holding 6+♠?

No, these hands start with 4♥ and simply signoff. I think that is the source for some of your unfamiliarity with this auction.

Yes. I play in Queensland, Australia, and I have not come across anyone that plays Texas transfers.

How should the bidding have proceeded if your partnership does not play texas transfers?

[Phil]

bab9, on Jun 14 2010, 09:59 PM, said:

How should the bidding have proceeded if your partnership does not play texas transfers?

I can't really answer that without knowing the rest of OZ- standard I guess.

Maybe others can help, although I'm a little surprised 4 level transfers aren't played in Queensland.

[P_Marlowe]

bab9, on Jun 14 2010, 09:59 PM, said:

Phil, on Jun 10 2010, 10:04 PM, said:

bab9 said:

Honestly, I do not see how this is a slam try or that the captaincy has changed.

Partner did not start with 4♥ (Texas Transfer); therefore 1N - 2♥ - 2♠ - 4♠ by logical extension, is a slam try.

bab9 said:

By partner bidding this way, I would expect 6+♠ and 9-10 total points....and:
If this sequence is a slam try, how do you just bid game against a no trump opening, with responder holding 6+♠?

No, these hands start with 4♥ and simply signoff. I think that is the source for some of your unfamiliarity with this auction.

Yes. I play in Queensland, Australia, and I have not come across anyone that plays Texas transfers.

How should the bidding have proceeded if your partnership does not play texas transfers?

One possible option is to bid 3S as responder, assuming this showes a good
hand with spades.
The alternative is to make a transfer response and bid 3D, this usually showes
5-4, but it is not uncommon to bid this way, if you want to extract some add.
infromation from opener.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[Little Kid]

Agree with the 5♣ cue to find out about the ♦ control. This hand is definitely strong enough to move over a mild slam try with the 9card ♠ fit, controls and even a reasonable source of tricks in ♣s. For slam you need tricks and controls, so this hand is wonderful. Short of maybe the J♦, I fully expect every card in my hand to be useful for slam and am definitely bidding.

Some people use methods to show a mild slam try in ♠s below 4♠. This makes your decision as opener easier as it leaves you room to cooperate with a cuebid and still sign off later. Although I think this hand should clearly move, it may not be nearly as clear with other hands. Maybe if your 1NT-3x bids can already show 5-5 majors, you could use a transfer to 2♠ then bidding 3♥ as a good hand with 5+♠s?

[Hanoi5]

I thought 5♣ was too much as I didn't have diamonds but then I realized my partner's HCP's should be somewhere and the worst that can happen is that we stop in 5♠ if he doesn't cue-bid diamonds.

[whereagles]

Lacking specific agreements otherwise, I would definitely take 4♠ as a sign-off...

[gwnn]

except jillybean told us that 4♠ is a mild slam try.

[ONEferBRID]

hotShot, on Jun 10 2010, 09:30 AM, said:

jillybean, on Jun 10 2010, 02:14 PM, said:

3♦'s would show 2 suiter ♠'s and ♦'s, 4♣/4♦ would be a splinter,
I'm not sure that we can cue bid after a transfer. How could my partner have been more helpful?

A partner is helpful by simplifying your decisions.
Your 1NT bid gave a very complete picture about your hand. He knows that your side has a ♠ fit, because you already showed 2♠ cards with 1NT. He also knows that your side needs a ♥ control to make the slam.
I guess you don't splinter with an honor, but over partners 4♣ you could cue 4♥ without promising extras, and bidding slam or even grand should be no problem at all. If you don't have a ♥ cue, partner can stop in 4♠without a problem.

Suppose he "invented" a 4th ♦ and bid 3♦. He knows there is no risk, because it's game forcing and he can always switch to ♠. This leaves half of the 3 level and the 4 level for you to describe your hand. I suppose that 3♠ would promise a 3rd ♠ setting trumps allowing for cue bids on the 4 level.

HotShot...... I use the "false 2nd suit" to keep the bidding low to provide cuebids if necessary ... The "reply options" ( to the 3-level new suit bid ) are an IanD invention showing different hand distributions for Opener -- TWO of which include the 3 card ♠ holdings . And, you are right, Responder is in control and ANY subsequent ♠ bid can end the auction in game

South   North
1NT - 2H!
2S - 3D ( ostensibly a 4+ card 2nd suit, slammish )
3S! ( see options* below) - 4C ( A or K or shortness)
4H ( cue, denying ♦Ctrl) - 4NT
5S ( 2 + ♠Q ) - 6S
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
* options:
  3H!( new suit ) = 4 or 5♦ but only 2♠
  3S! = 3♠, but no 4 or 5♦
  3NT! = 2♠ and 3♦
  4♦! = 3♠ AND 4 or 5♦

[helene_t]

bab9, on Jun 11 2010, 03:40 AM, said:

As the opener has defined his hand with the 1NT opening and not super accepting the transfer, the responder is best placed to set the contract level.

Yeah, maybe it is slightly better to play Texas as showing a mild slam try and then 2-level transfers followed by a jump to game as a sign-off. That way you can distinguish between hands that want to invite slam only opposite a superaccept, and hands that have a mild slam try even without a superaccept.

OTOH if you have the mildly slammish hand and opener superaccepts it is nice that you have the extra room that you preserve after a 2-level transfer.