TEXAS
CONVENTIONThe Texas Convention is simply a Transfer Bid. It was developed by Mr. David Carter, and also independently by Mr. Olle Willner of Sweden.
The Texas Convention is applied by the responder after one partner opens 1 No Trump or 2 No Trump, in order to have the stronger hand become the declarer. In the case that the responder has a holding which allows for a game contract, the responder immediately jumps to 4 Hearts when holding a 6-card Spade Suit. The opener is required to rebid 4 Spades, which makes him then the declarer.
In the case that the responder has a holding which allows for a game contract, the responder immediately jumps to 4 Diamonds when holding a 6-card Heart Suit. The opener is required to rebid 4 Hearts, which makes him then the declarer.
In both cases for the Major suits described above, and in the case of the Minor suits described below, it is of the utmost importance that the responder has game-going values, and possibly slam potential, otherwise the Texas convention should not be employed. The concept was originated with the understanding that all transfers, whether to the Major or Minor suits, occur on the Four Level, and that the No Trump bidder is forced to accept the transfer.
It is also important to remember that the responder could employ the Jacoby Transfer convention first to transfer to a 6-card Major suit instead of using the Texas Transfer. The question arises as to why there should be two distinctive methods of transferring to the same suit. The concept carries with it the idea that a Jacoby Transfer, followed by a game bid, invites the No Trump bidder to slam. Employing the Texas Transfer does not invite the No Trump bidder to consider slam, but only a game contract. The second difference is that the bid of 4 No Trump after a Texas Transfer is Roman Keycard Blackwood, whereas the bid of 4 No Trump after a Jacoby Transfer is considered to be only quantitative. This, of course, is by partnership agreement. The concept can be inverted by any partnership.
If and when the opponents interfere, especially with an immediate overcall, the general consensus is that the responder, provided that the level of interference is not too high, continue with the Texas Transfer convention. If the overcall has interfered with the comfort level and has disturbed the features of the Texas Transfer convention, then the general consensus is that all suit bids by the responder are to be considered natural. This means that the partnership understanding should be that all Texas Transfer bids through 3 Spades are still in effect. But any preempt on the Four Level, especially by the immediate opponent, should be considered to be natural.
Note: In case of an intervening overcall, other partnership understandings have agreed to include the features of the Texas Transfer convention only through to and including 3 Clubs, after which all bids by the responder become natural.
In those situations when the responder holds game values and wishes to transfer to Diamonds, several partnership understandings are such that the responder can bid 4 Clubs to transfer to Diamonds. The opener is then required to bid 4 Diamonds. In those situations when the responder holds game values and wishes to transfer to Clubs, several partnership understandings are such that the responder can bid 4 Spades to transfer to Clubs. The opener is then required to bid 5 Clubs. The transfer to one of the Minor suits has the advantage of looking for slam possibilities in one of the Minor suits and ensures that the No Trump bidder becomes the declarer forcing the lead to come up to the No Trump bidder. In the case that the Minor suit is the Diamond suit, a transfer on the Four Level still allows the partnership to employ Roman Keycard Blackwood, but a transfer to the Five Level, in the case of Clubs, forces the partnership to employ a different Ace-asking treatment, such as cue-bidding. In all cases, a partnership understanding is essential.
Using this partnership agreement eliminates the inclusion of the Gerber convention to ask for Aces and Kings, since the Level of the transfer exceeds the Level needed to employ Gerber.
If you wish to include this feature, or any other feature, of the game of bridge in your partnership agreement, then please make certain that the concept is understood by both partners. Be aware whether or not the feature is alertable or not and whether an announcement should or must be made. Check with the governing body and/or the bridge district and/or the bridge unit prior to the game to establish the guidelines applied. Please include the particular feature on your convention card in order that your opponents are also aware of this feature during the bidding process, since this information must be made known to them according to the Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge. We do not always include the procedure regarding Alerts and/or Announcements, since these regulations are changed and revised during time by the governing body. It is our intention only to present the information as concisely and as accurately as possible.