Play of the Hand
Look ahead
This deal from Bridge Master, a free, interactive declarer-play program on Bridge Base Online, shows the importance of good decision-making at trick one.
North (Dummy)
♠ K 3
♥ A 4 3 2
♦ A K 6 5 4
♣ 3 2
South (You)
♠ A J 2
♥ 7 6 5
♦ 3 2
♣ K Q J 10 9
| West | North | East | South |
| 1♦ | Pass | 2♣ | |
| Pass | 2♦(2) | Pass | 2NT |
| Pass | 3NT | All Pass |
North opens 1♦ and South responds 2♣. Playing Standard American, 2♣ is normal. If you are playing 2/1 game forcing, it’s a bit of an upgrade – only 11 HCP but a suit worth four tricks and an entry. Playing Standard American, 2NT is invitational. Either way, North, with 14 HCP and a five-card suit, will accept and bid 3NT.
The lead is the ♠6. What card do you play from dummy?
If you play low, it looks like you will take three spades, one heart, two diamonds and can knock out the ♣A for four club tricks. But what happens if East plays the ♠Q?
Now, when you take your ace, the spade suit is blocked. If a defender refuses to take the ♣A until the third round of the suit is played, you will have no entry to your hand for the rest of the clubs.
Play the ♠K from dummy at trick one. Then play clubs until a defender takes their ace. You have the ♠A to get back to your clubs and can guarantee nine tricks.
The full deal:
Best Bidding
More on Texas Transfers
Last month, we talked about Texas transfers, a four-level transfer to a major suit (responder bids the suit below the major suit they want to play in).
| Opener | Responder |
| 1NT | 4♦(1) |
| 4♥(2) |
(1) I have at least six hearts. Please bid 4♥
(2) OK
or
| Opener | Responder |
| 1NT | 4♥(1) |
| 4♠(2) |
(1) I have long spades. Please bid 4♠.
(2) I’ll be declarer.
A reader asked how many high-card points responder needs to use a Texas transfer.
Because a Texas transfer commits you to game – 10 tricks – you need to have some values in addition to your six-card or longer major. But you can count “dummy points,” like singletons and voids, and two-suiters (say you are 6–4 or 6–5) are less about high-card points than shape. If you are very distributional, like a seven-card or longer suit, it may be right to use Texas preemptively. Who knows, partner might make the contract or the opponents might have a game or partscore their way. It’s impossible to know how well your hands fit. These are hand evaluation decisions that can be difficult.
If the auction gets competitive, opener should remember that to use a Jacoby transfer, responder might have zero HCP but a five-card or longer major, because it’s safer to be in a trump contract than leave partner in 1NT.
| Opener | North | Responder | South |
| 1NT | Pass | 2♦(1) | 2♠ |
| ? |
(1) Hearts
Opener should be careful about competing to 3♥ with a minimum, flat 1NT opener.
If responder bids again, it is either invitational (2NT is invitational with a five-card major, 3♥ or 3♠ shows a sixth card in the suit) or game-forcing and natural if it is a new suit. 3NT shows five of the major and is a choice of games.
| Opener | North | Responder | South |
| 1NT | Pass | 2♦(1) | Pass |
| 2♥ | Pass | 3NT(2) | Pass |
(1) Hearts
(2) Five hearts, choice of games
Summary:
To use Texas (at the four level), responder must have a six-card or longer major and think there is a good shot at game.
To use a Jacoby transfer (at the two level), responder must have a five-card or longer major. If they bid again, it is either invitational (2NT or 3♥ or 3♠) or game-forcing and natural if it is a new suit or 3NT (choice of games).
