This variation of the Texas convention was developed by Mr. Alvin Leon Roth, and was described in his publication Picture Bidding, published in 1991 by Granovetter Books, ISBN: 0940257114. He was born November 6, 1914, and died April 18, 2007. He was born in The Bronx of New York, United States, and studied at the City College of New York, at which place his bridge career began.
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During his bridge career he was considered by his peers one of the greatest bridge players of all time. He played for the United States and/or North America on an international level at the prestigious Bermuda Bowl. In the year the Bermuda Bowl was held in American Team New York, New York, United States, January 9 to January 14, 1955, and he and his team mates took second place: Cliford Bishop, Milton Q. Ellenby, Lewis Mathe, Johan H. Moran, William A. Rosen, Peter A .Leventritt (npc); in the year 1958 the Bermuda Bowl took place in Como, Italy, and he and his team mates took second place: B. J. Becker, John R. Crawford, George Rapee, Sidney Silodor, Tobias Stone, Joseph G. Ripstra (npc); the last Bermuda Bowl, in which he participated was conducted in Miami, Florida, United States, May 26 to June 4, 1967, and he and his team mates took again second place: Edgar Kaplan, Norman Kay, Sammy Kehela (Canada), Eric Murray (Canada), William Root, Julius Rosenblum (npc).
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Basic Principle of the Concept
The idea of the concept is the realization that a Texas transfer bid may result in a game contract, which may catch the No Trump bidder with a very weak 2-card suit, such as 
108. Although the result may be a fulfilled contract, experience has proven that the opposite is more likely the case, and the contract will be defeated.
Mr. Alvin Roth, therefore, suggested and proposed to employ the Texas conventional method only if the following requirements are met:
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The anchor suit, or the 6-card suit, must be headed by at least two of the top three honors, either the Ace-King, the Ace-Queen, or the King-Queen. |
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The holding of the responder must also contain a 4-card side suit, and therefore a distribution of 6-4-x-x. |
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The high card points held by the responder must be concentrated in both long suits and not in the short side suits. |
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The holding of the responder must contain at least 10 support points, abbreviated as SP by Mr. Alvin Roth. |
The suggestion of Mr. Alvin Roth is that when the No Trump bidder holds maximum values and an excellent fit for the 6-card suit of partner, then the No Trump bidder should show a super-acceptance of the transfer by bidding the next suit above the anchor suit. Whenever this becomes the bidding sequence, then the responder must show the second 4-card side suit. The following illustrations should clarify this concept:
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Roth Texas |
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Roth Texas |
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No super acceptance. |
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Super Acceptance requesting side suit. |
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Shows the 4-card side suit. |
In the case that the opener wishes to show a super acceptance in Spades after the transfer bid by the responder, then the No Trump bidder must bid 4 No Trump, one suit higher. The responder is then required to bid the 4-card side suit.
Whether or not the partnership will or should employ this conventional method after an opening 2 No Trump and/or by competition is a matter of partnership agreement. The guidelines suggested are the same as provided for the description of the Texas convention.
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.