This is often described as a suicide squeeze although Clyde Love (in Bridge Squeezes complete) suggests fratricide or homicide might be more appropriate. He does point out that in these situations, West should ask himself / herself exactly what is going to happen if they cash out – it isn’t pairs after all. He also raised a tricky question “Dear Emily Post, would it be OK for East to squirm just a little before making the key discard?” Answer No I suspect.
It might be better for East to shed a spade and a club rather than 2 clubs as he can surely place the cards here after South’s rebid and spade discard. A hand with 3S and Jxxx clearly won’t let a club go here, though, so South can probably infer East’s hand shape; it is then a question of whether East would (should?) have ditched a spade from Kx if holding 4 or more clubs. If East had SJx and Cxxxxx he might be able to con South into taking the C finesse although cashing out is safer.
Very tricky hand v – thanks.
Regards,
Iain
bobbywolffJuly 17th, 2024 at 3:37 pm
Hi Iain,
Yes the name of the process is worth remembering, but the learning of the process may win the future days of playing. And in answer to your initial question involving ethics, “A certain “NO” is, of course, the answer of choice and no less than emphatically demanded, to which
you have always, no doubt, complied. Continuing on, when playing against all players, where everyone of them is both adept and experience, among the world’s best are ones to have
a better chance to identify what to guess to do, strangely enough, by what you can feel is
the tempo of that specific opponent. One thing is at least 95% true and, if you have even come close to identify that opponent, you will be a heavy favorite to correctly guess the original distribution, indirectly meaning, is that if you are that opponent, then that advantage has switched from them to you. Yes, Matilda, winning at the top level sometimes, depending on the nature of those hands dealt, with no doubt, depending on that otherwise apparently relatively insignificant advantage, but oh my, YES and in very high bridge circles, likely determine the overall winner, especially when strength lines up against more or less strength.
Thanks Iain, for not only bringing this subject, but raising it, to its nearly always significant determination.
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Hi Bobby,
This is often described as a suicide squeeze although Clyde Love (in Bridge Squeezes complete) suggests fratricide or homicide might be more appropriate. He does point out that in these situations, West should ask himself / herself exactly what is going to happen if they cash out – it isn’t pairs after all. He also raised a tricky question “Dear Emily Post, would it be OK for East to squirm just a little before making the key discard?” Answer No I suspect.
It might be better for East to shed a spade and a club rather than 2 clubs as he can surely place the cards here after South’s rebid and spade discard. A hand with 3S and Jxxx clearly won’t let a club go here, though, so South can probably infer East’s hand shape; it is then a question of whether East would (should?) have ditched a spade from Kx if holding 4 or more clubs. If East had SJx and Cxxxxx he might be able to con South into taking the C finesse although cashing out is safer.
Very tricky hand v – thanks.
Regards,
Iain
Hi Iain,
Yes the name of the process is worth remembering, but the learning of the process may win the future days of playing. And in answer to your initial question involving ethics, “A certain “NO” is, of course, the answer of choice and no less than emphatically demanded, to which
you have always, no doubt, complied. Continuing on, when playing against all players, where everyone of them is both adept and experience, among the world’s best are ones to have
a better chance to identify what to guess to do, strangely enough, by what you can feel is
the tempo of that specific opponent. One thing is at least 95% true and, if you have even come close to identify that opponent, you will be a heavy favorite to correctly guess the original distribution, indirectly meaning, is that if you are that opponent, then that advantage has switched from them to you. Yes, Matilda, winning at the top level sometimes, depending on the nature of those hands dealt, with no doubt, depending on that otherwise apparently relatively insignificant advantage, but oh my, YES and in very high bridge circles, likely determine the overall winner, especially when strength lines up against more or less strength.
Thanks Iain, for not only bringing this subject, but raising it, to its nearly always significant determination.