Texas transfer, or simply Texas, is a

bidding convention A bridge convention is an agreement about an artificial or a set of related artificial calls. Calls made during the auction phase of a contract bridge game convey information about the player's card holdings. Calls may be "Contract bridge glossary ...

contract bridge Contract bridge, or simply bridge, is a trick-taking card game using a standard 52-card deck. In its basic format, it is played by four players in two competing partnerships, with partners sitting opposite each other around a table. Millions o ...

designed to get the partnership to game in a major suit opposite a one notrump or two notrump opening, thus making the opener declarer and keeping the stronger hand hidden from the opponents. Texas is used in response to a notrump opening when holding a six-card or longer major suit and at least game-going features; responder may have interest in slam via continuations in Blackwood or its variants. Originated independently by David Carter of St. Louis and Olle Willner of Sweden. After a notrump opening, responder bids the suit below his major at the four-level, i.e. if he holds hearts, he bids 4 and if he holds spades, he bids 4. Opener is obliged to bid the next available major suit, i.e. after a 4 bid by responder, he bids 4 and after a 4 response, he bids 4 setting the contract. The standard defense to the Texas transfer: double is one-suited and lead-directing, 4NT is for the minors, four of responder’s suit is a

Michaels cuebid The Michaels cuebid is a conventional bid used in the card game contract bridge. First devised by Michael Michaels of Miami Beach, FL, it is an 's cuebid in opponent's opening suit and is normally used to show a two-suited hand with at least five ...

. A delayed double after opener accepts the transfer is a three-suited takeout.

Example

The 4 response is the Texas transfer conventional bid, is alertable and requires opener to rebid 4. This effective pre-emptive sequence by East-West gives North-South no convenient way to discover their eight-card spade fit and a plausible 5 contract.

Variations

The natural-sounding sequence 1NT - 4 can pose a memory problem where a forgetful opener may pass the 4 transfer bid. In the variant known as ''South African Texas'', responses of 4 and 4 are used as transfers to hearts and spades respectively. With minor suit bids being more distinctive, opener is more likely to recognize them as the partnership agreement requesting a transfer to a major. A disadvantage is that the use of a 4 bid as ace-asking Gerber is no longer available. A comparable transfer convention known as

Namyats In the card game bridge, Namyats is a conventional agreement to open hands with a long major suit that are too strong for a direct preemptive opening with a 'two-under' transfer bid. When the long suit is in hearts, opener bids 4, and when in spa ...

employs the 4 and 4 opening pre-emptive bids as transfers to 4 and 4 respectively as a slightly different hand type (usually stronger) compared to a direct 4 or 4 opening.

Interference

Texas transfers may be used after the opponents

overcall In contract bridge, an overcall is a bid made after an opening bid has been made by an opponent; the term refers only to the first such bid. A ''direct'' overcall is such a bid made by the player seated immediately to the left of the opener, i.e ...

the notrump opening, usually through to the three spade level but that if the overcall is at the four level, all bids by responder are natural.

References

{{WPCBIndex Bridge conventions

Example

Variations

Interference

See also

References