Re: Declaring NT: When to Play Your Weakest Suit

On Oct 5, 3:48 am, Andrew <agump...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On Oct 4, 6:40 am, ~|_ukasz <lukasz_niespamic_@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:



Jordan:

An example of declarer's and dummy's hands, and an explanation of your
reasoning, would be most helpful.

I have read some comments that it doesn't work
and experts don't do it, so...

Bermuda Bowl 2007, Round 10 (yes, yesterday),
Poland (5th place now) vs. South Africa (3rd).
Board #2.

T92
J7
KQJ3
Q982

K4 AJ86
AT3 9642
642 98
T7654 AK3

Q753
KQ85
AT75
J

W
1NT(12-14) pass....

Declarer is K. Martens.

Lead: H5.
1. H5, x, J, x
2. H7, x, Q, A
3. Dx, K(?!), x, x (yes, that's IT; DK is probably a falsecard)

This is a standard defensive carding convention when splitting honors.
When *declarer* leads a suit, the defender in second seat splits with
the highest honor.

Here is why. Suppose declarer had held the ace. If you split with the
king and declarer plays the ace, then partner knows you have the
queen. Why would you put up the king otherwise? If instead you split
with the Jack, and declarer plays Ace, partner will not whether you
started with QJ or KQJ.

Unless he thought the DK was stiff, South should have known he could
safely underlead the DA to the Queen.

Andrew

Can you quote any authoritative source or literature for what you deem
"standard defensive carding" ?
Who has lobbied for this "improvement" in signaling?
Personally I have my doubts and consider this not so simple.

Second hand has often to play high, particularly at notrumps to
protect partner's entry or in this case because North apparently
thought that clubs had to be led from his side. I do not buy that King
diamonds must be a stiff card if unprotected by lower honors. Can you
blame North, that he thought partner more likely to have the AJ of
clubs instead of the ace of diamonds when declarer leads a diamond?
Experts have been known to open one 1NT with a stiff king or ace (of
clubs) in a suit. As South I might well assume the King of diamonds
was played unprotected in case South had as here the ace.

There are good arguments for every honor

playing the jack from KQJ, which I consider standard,
the queen, which may be better, because it is less likely that you
would play this card without the King, but creates doubt about the
jack
the King, which I would not consider to be standard. I assume that
this would mean you would have to play the ace form ace king, which
is problematic.

Rainer Herrmann


.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Declaring NT: When to Play Your Weakest Suit
    ... Why would you put up the king otherwise? ... with the Jack, and declarer plays Ace, partner will not whether you ... but it was not an obvious play. ... the inferiority of splitting with the lowest honor in second seat. ...
    (rec.games.bridge)
  • Re: Ethics question
    ... the opps lead ambiguous king to understand 3d hand's play. ... There is no valid bridge reason to ask a question ... Both those that lead Ace from AK and King from AK say ... For the hand at play, I don't really see what information about ...
    (rec.games.bridge)
  • Re: 3NT opening or the casino players gambit
    ... At least Why not play it with a 8 cards lacking the Ace for example ... king - seehttp://www.pattayabridge.com/conventions/Gambling3NT_main.htm ... It describes your hand perfectly and partner ...
    (rec.games.bridge)
  • Re: Ethics question
    ... the opps lead ambiguous king to understand 3d hand's play. ... Both those that lead Ace from AK and King from AK say ... Against suit contract both those that lead 4th ... For the hand at play, I don't really see what information about ...
    (rec.games.bridge)
  • Re: Declarer pulls wrong card
    ... Declarer can never change a card played from his hand. ... Now declarer takes the Ace from his hand, moves it so it touches the table and turning it away from him at the same time and then immediatly takes it back and replaces it by the 2. ... he tells you that he wanted to play the 2, but accidently took the Ace first. ...
    (rec.games.bridge)
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