# Texas transfer > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Texas_transfer > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Texas_transfer.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_transfer > Source revision: 1336801554 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) '''Texas transfer''', or simply '''Texas''', is a [bidding convention](/source/bidding_convention) in [contract bridge](/source/contract_bridge) 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.{{cite book |author-mask= |last = Kearse |first = Amalya |authorlink = Amalya Kearse |title = Bridge Conventions Complete |publisher = Devyn Press Inc. |location = Louisville, KY |edition = Revised and Expanded |series = |year = 1990 |page =72 |doi = |isbn = 0-910791-76-7}} 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](/source/Blackwood_convention) or its variants. Originated independently by [David Carter](/source/David_Carter_(bridge)) of St. Louis and Olle Willner of Sweden.{{OEB|7|325}} '''Texas transfer''', or simply '''Texas''', is a [bidding convention](/source/bidding_convention) in [contract bridge](/source/contract_bridge) 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.{{cite book |author-mask= |last = Kearse |first = Amalya |authorlink = Amalya Kearse |title = Bridge Conventions Complete |publisher = Devyn Press Inc. |location = Louisville, KY |edition = Revised and Expanded |series = |year = 1990 |page =72 |doi = |isbn = 0-910791-76-7}} 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](/source/Blackwood_convention) or its variants. Originated independently by [[David Carter of St. Louis and Olle Willner of Sweden.{{OEB|7|325}} After a notrump opening, responder bids the suit belowIn bridge, the suits are ranked with spades the highest, hearts next, then diamonds and clubs as lowest. his major at the four-level, i.e. if he holds hearts, he bids 4{{diamonds}} and if he holds spades, he bids 4{{hearts}}. Opener is obliged to bid the next available major suit, i.e. after a 4{{diamonds}} bid by responder, he bids 4{{hearts}} and after a 4{{hearts}} response, he bids 4{{spades}} 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](/source/Michaels_cuebid). A delayed double after opener accepts the transfer is a three-suited takeout. Transfers at a lower level ([Jacoby transfers](/source/Jacoby_transfers)) were developed from Texas transfers and occur on a much larger number of hands. ==Example== {{BridgeHandNWES |Label = West is dealer |AJ732|4|J96|K963 |Q4|AK8|A1053|Q872 |1095|Q1076532|82|5 |K86|J9|KQ74|AJ104 |Lead = }} {| class="wikitable" style="float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:10px;" |- !West||North||East||South |- style="text-align:center;" |1NT||Pass||4{{diamonds}}!||Pass |- style="text-align:center;" |4{{hearts}}||Pass||Pass||Pass |} The 4{{diamonds}} response is the Texas transfer conventional bid, is alertable and requires opener to rebid 4{{hearts}}.Deal and bidding adapted from {{cite book |author-mask= |last1 = Granovetter |first1 = Matthew |author-link = Matt Granovetter |last2 = Granovetter |first2 = Pamela |author-link2 = |title = Bridge Conventions in Depth |publisher = Master Point Press |location = Toronto |edition = 1st |series = |year = 2003 |page =17 |doi = |isbn = 978-1-894154-56-7}} This effective pre-emptive sequence by East-West gives North-South no convenient way to discover their eight-card spade fit and a plausible 4{{spades}} contract. {{clear}} ==Variations== The natural-sounding sequence 1NT - 4{{hearts}} can pose a memory problem where a forgetful opener may pass the 4{{hearts}} transfer bid. In the variant known as ''South African Texas'', responses of 4{{clubs}} and 4{{diamonds}} 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.{{cite book |author-mask= |last = Klinger |first = Ron |authorlink = Ron Klinger |title = Bridge Conventions, Defences and Countermeasures |publisher = Victor Gollancz in association with Peter Crawley |location = London |edition = 1st |series = |year = 1993 |page =36 |doi = |isbn = 0-575-05564-2}} A disadvantage is that the use of a 4{{clubs}} bid as ace-asking [Gerber](/source/Gerber_convention) is no longer available. A comparable transfer convention often known as [Namyats](/source/Namyats) employs the 4{{clubs}} and 4{{diamonds}} opening pre-emptive bids as transfers to 4{{hearts}} and 4{{spades}} respectively as a slightly different hand type (usually stronger) compared to a direct 4{{hearts}} or 4{{spades}} opening. A further advantage of South African Texas / Namyats is that partner can break the transfer to show slam interest. == Interference== Texas transfers may be used after the opponents [overcall](/source/overcall) 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. ==See also== * [Jacoby transfer](/source/Jacoby_transfer) * [Bidding system](/source/Bidding_system) * [Glossary of contract bridge terms](/source/Glossary_of_contract_bridge_terms) ==References== {{reflist}} {{WPCBIndex}} Category:Bridge conventions --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Texas transfer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_transfer) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_transfer?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.