Transfer Advances of Overcalls

The following convention is suggested only for experienced players with established partnerships. No gadget will give you an advantage unless it's remembered 100% of the time by both you and your partner!

Using standard methods, constructive bidding can be difficult after the opponents open the bidding. If partner overcalls, a simple new-suit bid by us (the "advancer") is usually nonforcing; if it takes two bids to adequately describe our holding then we're stuck. Common problem situations are (1) we have a medium to strong hand with a very good suit; (2) we have two suits; (3) we have a good suit plus tolerance for partner's suit or interest in 3NT; and others.

This is the kind of problem that is solved with transfer bids. When third hand passes a simple suit overcall, TAO defines advancer's non-jump suit takeouts, beginning with the cue-bid and ending with the suit below partner's suit, to be artificial. These bids are transfers to the next higher suit, and the suit below partner's suit becomes the new "cue-bid". Other bids retain their normal meaning. Here are some examples:

After 1H-2D-Pass:

    2H     = spades
    2S     = clubs
    2NT     = natural
    3C     = "cue-bid", limit raise or better of diamonds
    other     = standard, or splinter

After 1H-2C-Pass:

    2D     = natural (nonforcing)
    2H     = spades
    2S     = "cue-bid"
    other     = standard, or splinter

After 2D-2S-Pass:

    2NT     = natural
    3C     = natural (in this situation, should be forcing)
    3D     = hearts
    3H     = "cue-bid", limit raise or better of spades
    other     = standard, or splinter

Note that if overcaller's suit is the one immediately above opener's suit, then no transfers are available and standard methods apply. Also note that the system is ON over preempts, regardless of level. The system also applies to balancing overcalls.

Overcaller's followup is generally natural. His default action is to accept the transfer (nonforcing), but he may also rebid his own suit or show a new suit, invite game in notrump, cue-bid the opponent's suit, or splinter or jump to game if any of these actions are more descriptive. Therefore the transfer bid must be based on reasonable values.