[32519]

This thread has been started to gather different methods in an attempt to improve on my own agreements.

Transfer bids are an integral part of the modern game to rightside a contract and to keep the stronger hand hidden. Some transfer bids are so straightforward that virtually all players use them. To start the thread, the following transfer bids immediately come to mind -
1. Stayman / MSS (although not technically a transfer bid it serves the same purpose)
2. Jacoby transfers
3. 4-way transfers
4. Texas / SA Texas
5. NAMYATS
6. Transfer pre-empts

Less popular/common transfer sequences include -
7. Puppet Stayman continuations
8. Continuations over a strong 2♣ opening

What others are out there?

[awm]

Sam and I play (in addition to some of the ones you listed):

1. Transfers to our overcalls (1♣-1♠-Pass-2♦ = hearts)
2. Transfers after our 1M is doubled starting from 1NT (1♠ - Dbl - 2♦ = hearts)
3. Transfers after our 1♦ is doubled starting from XX (1♦ - Dbl - 1♥ = spades)
4. Transfers after our 1♦ is overcalled (1♦ - 1♠ - 2♦ = hearts)
5. Transfers after our strong 1♣ opening (sort of: 1♣ - Pass - 1♥ shows spades but 1♣ - Pass - 1NT shows hearts)
6. Transfers after our strong 1♣ is overcalled (1♣ - 1♠ - 2♦ = hearts)
7. Transfers after our 1NT opening is overcalled (1NT - 2♠ - 3♦ = hearts)
8. Transfers after our 3NT "strong major preempt" opening (3NT - Pass - 4♣ - Pass - 4♦ = hearts)
9. Three-way transfers after our 2NT overcall (2♠ - 2NT - Pass - 3♣ = diamonds)
10. Transfers after stayman is doubled and passed to responder who XXs (1NT - Pass - 2♣ - Dbl - Pass - Pass - Rdbl - Pass - 2♦ = hearts)
11. Transfers after an accepted transfer (1NT - Pass - 2♥ - Pass - 2♠ - Pass - 2NT = clubs)

We have some other unusual agreements where a bid of one suit shows a different suit (but not really transfers) such as 2♠ - Pass - 3♣ = hearts and 1♣-1♦-1♠-2♣ = hearts and diamond tolerance. We also play some puppets that could be passed.

BTW most of these transfers are not so much with the intent of "rightsiding the contract and keeping the stronger hand hidden"; rather they create more sequences for us to bid both weak and strong hands in a reasonable way. The only ones that really feel like more of a rightsiding thing are the ones directly over the 1♣ opening.

[Free]

I play many of those listed by awm. We also have:
- Retransfers after Jacoby super accepts (1NT-2♦-2♠-3♦ and 2NT-3♦-3♠-4♦ are retransfers)
- After multi, 4♣ asks opener to transfer his Major
- After Wilkozs, 4♣ asks opener to transfer his Major
- Transfers after 1♦-(n♣)
- Switch after 1m-(1♠) and 1M-(2♣)
- XYZ (1X-1Y-1Z-2♣ is a puppet to ♦, 1X-1Y-1Z-2NT is a puppet to 3♣)
- some people play transfers after 1X-1Y-1NT and 1X-1Y-2NT.

Agree that not all transfers are to let the 'strong' hand play, but most of the time it's to create extra options. The retransfers are imo the best example of transfers to rightside the contract. The puppets in XYZ are the worst example, because responder doesn't necessarily show the transferred (puppeted?) suit.

[blackshoe]

Smolen.

[32519]

Transfer Walsh is gaining in popularity.

[kgr]

in addition to the ones listed by awm and free:
- (1♣)-Transfer bids (and 1♠=4c♠ with longer ♦)
- 1♦-(p)-: 1♥ and 1♠ switched (no really useful)
- 1X-(1Y/DBL)-?: DBL/RDBL and other bids transfer (fits nicely with T-Walsh)

[kgr]

And also transfers after:
1x-1y-1NT
1x-1y-2NT

[wodahs]

Many of those listed by AWM.

Also some competitive Transfer Doubles like here (1♦) 1♠ (3♦); starting with Double (we'll takeout double with most 54xx, so loss of normal 'responsive' double not a huge deal). Here, Double is ♥, 3♥ is a better raise than 3♠.

And in any competitive situation where three suits have been bid, and Double is a legal call. So the Support Double position qualifies, the Snapdragon position, and countless others.

Here (1♣) 1♥ (1♠); then Double is a transfer 2♣ cuebid (I prefer skipping 1NT); 2♣ is ♦, 2♦ a better raise than 2♥.

Here 1♣ (P) 1♠ (2♦); then Double is a ♥ reverse, 2♥ is a good raise, 2♠ weaker. In this Support Double context, you might decide that "good" = 4 trumps and "weaker" = 3 trumps.

Here 1♥ (1♠) P (2 ♣); where Double = ♦ rebid, 2♦ = better heart rebid than 2♥ (saving 3♥ for something else, or just not using it).

I think the Transfer Doubles are a terrific tool but you gotta remember that you (or pard) are in a qualifying position! Shades of Good-Bad ...

[barmar]

32519, on 2013-June-21, 22:46, said:

Transfer bids are an integral part of the modern game to rightside a contract and to keep the stronger hand hidden.

While that's usually a beneficial side effect, I don't think it's the primary reason for transfer bids. The major benefit in many situations is that they allow you to describe more types of hands.

For instance, without Jacoby Transfers, you can make a drop bid on the 2 level, or jump to the 3 level -- and you have to define the latter as either forcing or invitational. With Jacoby, you can show all of the following: 5+ weak, exactly 5 invitational, exactly 5 game forcing, 6+ invitational, 6+ game forcing. And if you also play Texas, you can also distinguish between a mild slam invitation and a good one.

Stayman has similar benefits.

Smolen might seem like it's mainly to make the NT opener declarer, but using it opens up other sequences to show 5-5 hands.

[32519]

Would Kaplan interchange qualify?

[Zelandakh]

Related to transfer bids and KI are skip bids. Here you bypass a suit you have in order to bid a suit you do not have. A classic example of that is Skip Baron, a method of follow-ups to the Baron convention over a 2NT opening designed to make Opener declarer more often:-

2NT - 3♣
==
3♦ = 4+ diamonds
... - 3♥ = <4 hearts
... - 3♠ = 4+ hearts, <4 spades
... - 3NT = both majors
3♥ = 4+ hearts
... - 3♠ = <4 spades
... - 3NT = 4+ spades


You can also think of the 3♠ rebids in Smolen and Puppet Stayman as forms of skip bid. Skip bids are useful in many other situations and (imho) still somewhat underused in modern bidding theory. You can even design a response system around them, for example after a 1♦ opening it is possible to play:

1♥ = <4 hearts
1♠ = 4+ hearts, <4 spades
1NT = both majors, weak
2♣ = boht majors, strong
2♦ = natural

which has the side effect of always giving you a useful relay on the second round (at the cost of not being able to show spades). I agree with Barry here that the biggest advantage of transfers (and skip bids for that matter) is in reducing the number of terminal sequences and thus increasing the number of auctions available. More auctions will generally translate to more accurate bidding.

[fromageGB]

1M (overcall) : eg 1♠ (2♣) 2♦ = ♥
1♣ (P,X,♦/♥) 1♠ in a transfer walsh context, though technically this is a relay where 1NT is the common reply.
1 any (1NT natural) : eg 1♣ (1NT) 2♦ = ♥