It isn’t difficult to count to 13 but how many of us go onto auto-pilot (at least sometimes) and don’t bother? At pairs, mind you, with the position of the SA clear from an early stage, how many players might be tempted to take the 2nd club and run the diamonds? Ouch!
regards,
Iain
Iain ClimieOctober 21st, 2024 at 11:39 am
HI again,
Also, on LWTA, partner had the change to double 3S but didn’t do so. With (say) KQ109xx surely he ‘d have confirmed he wanted the lead here.
Regards,
Iain
bobbywolffOctober 21st, 2024 at 1:38 pm
Hi Iain,
In these many days of sometimes only mentioning a suggested bid, play, or conceptual bridge thought as a comment, your written reply struck home.
Many of us consider bridge to be worth not only playing, but rather diving into, just because of the worthwhile logic usually ingrained with useful arithmetical thinking, so well ingrained into so many areas of the bidding, play, and always include the psychology. As well as the also incredible counter balance of what not to do, because of the certain tale of what partner, by his inaction, is trying to tell us or, in other words, the bid pass meaning, what not to do.
Your persona, like mine, and after all these years of loving a mere game so much, just because it has developed a very keen way of voicing, in bridge, by doing what you are supposed to do, at your turn, just bidding, where the word pass and so
often, that being the key word in a poor result, instead of not exhibiting a zombie like interest, by taking a breather, when action (double) is deftly called for.
MirceaOctober 21st, 2024 at 3:15 pm
Hi Bobby,
Let’s say North’s hand in today’s column is:
K 5
10 7 5
K Q 10 7 6 2
K Q
Assuming that the action goes the same to 2NT by South, should he still bid 3NT now?
Suppose after taking 2 club tricks east reverts to heart instead of continuing clubs thereby deliberately giving the inference that he doesnt have quick entry for clubs to cash. Now there are not enough entries to establish spade suit if it is 4-2 and anyways 4 th spade trick is setting trick for defence. Suppose after winning second heart declarer clears spade and west after winning second spade exits with crafty 9 of diamonds. Now there is no complete count of EW cards but declarer is rescued by 4 of heart lead which if it is 4th best then east has 3 higher cards than 4 giving complete count. And declarer can safely finesse diamond 10 after cashing club Ace & Spade J and knowing club & Spade position.
My question is heart 9 lead practical & better then heart 4 or it only looks good only after seeing all four hands ?
regards
Shantanu Rastogi
bobbywolffOctober 22nd, 2024 at 3:09 pm
Hi Mircea & Shantanu,
Mircea, from a technical view, probably not to raise to 3NT,
but everything else being equal, bridge arithmetic tells us, because of the difficulty of defense and the scoring system, “taking a flier” and bidding game, even when percentage is likely against, has material advantages, both from point gain and, especially against non-cheaters, a valid and practical action.
IOW, don’t tell anyone I agreed it is OK to raise, but I don’t want to talk you into being conservative.
And Shantanu, while at the table, the #1 choice should always be directed to making the play which is more likely to work, against the specific pair you are playing against with the technical play, reduced to a poor second place choice. WINNING isn’t not only the thing to do, it becomes the ONLY CHOICE, at least in your opinion.
.
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HI Bobby,
It isn’t difficult to count to 13 but how many of us go onto auto-pilot (at least sometimes) and don’t bother? At pairs, mind you, with the position of the SA clear from an early stage, how many players might be tempted to take the 2nd club and run the diamonds? Ouch!
regards,
Iain
HI again,
Also, on LWTA, partner had the change to double 3S but didn’t do so. With (say) KQ109xx surely he ‘d have confirmed he wanted the lead here.
Regards,
Iain
Hi Iain,
In these many days of sometimes only mentioning a suggested bid, play, or conceptual bridge thought as a comment, your written reply struck home.
Many of us consider bridge to be worth not only playing, but rather diving into, just because of the worthwhile logic usually ingrained with useful arithmetical thinking, so well ingrained into so many areas of the bidding, play, and always include the psychology. As well as the also incredible counter balance of what not to do, because of the certain tale of what partner, by his inaction, is trying to tell us or, in other words, the bid pass meaning, what not to do.
Your persona, like mine, and after all these years of loving a mere game so much, just because it has developed a very keen way of voicing, in bridge, by doing what you are supposed to do, at your turn, just bidding, where the word pass and so
often, that being the key word in a poor result, instead of not exhibiting a zombie like interest, by taking a breather, when action (double) is deftly called for.
Hi Bobby,
Let’s say North’s hand in today’s column is:
K 5
10 7 5
K Q 10 7 6 2
K Q
Assuming that the action goes the same to 2NT by South, should he still bid 3NT now?
Hello Bobby Sir
Suppose after taking 2 club tricks east reverts to heart instead of continuing clubs thereby deliberately giving the inference that he doesnt have quick entry for clubs to cash. Now there are not enough entries to establish spade suit if it is 4-2 and anyways 4 th spade trick is setting trick for defence. Suppose after winning second heart declarer clears spade and west after winning second spade exits with crafty 9 of diamonds. Now there is no complete count of EW cards but declarer is rescued by 4 of heart lead which if it is 4th best then east has 3 higher cards than 4 giving complete count. And declarer can safely finesse diamond 10 after cashing club Ace & Spade J and knowing club & Spade position.
My question is heart 9 lead practical & better then heart 4 or it only looks good only after seeing all four hands ?
regards
Shantanu Rastogi
Hi Mircea & Shantanu,
Mircea, from a technical view, probably not to raise to 3NT,
but everything else being equal, bridge arithmetic tells us, because of the difficulty of defense and the scoring system, “taking a flier” and bidding game, even when percentage is likely against, has material advantages, both from point gain and, especially against non-cheaters, a valid and practical action.
IOW, don’t tell anyone I agreed it is OK to raise, but I don’t want to talk you into being conservative.
And Shantanu, while at the table, the #1 choice should always be directed to making the play which is more likely to work, against the specific pair you are playing against with the technical play, reduced to a poor second place choice. WINNING isn’t not only the thing to do, it becomes the ONLY CHOICE, at least in your opinion.
.