[karlson]

Suppose declarer takes an anti-percentage line and scores the beer. Does this count? Does it matter how antipercentage it is? (e.g. what if he had the rest in top tricks but pitched one to play for a squeeze and the beer).

[kfay]

I've been a believer that you can't pitch tricks en route to the beer.

But... if you engineer a squeeze to get the beer as a result maybe you should get it on style points. On defense though I know I'd always keep the diamond guard. Maybe that makes me a wet blanket.

[JoAnneM]

Maybe I am not the only one - what is a beer play?

[jdonn]

As long as he was trying, and didn't intentionally pitch any tricks, it counts. If either of those two doesn't hold then it doesn't count.

[awm]

I thought there was a rule that if declarer pitches a trick which he should've scored in an attempt to get the beer, then he owes dummy a beer.

So while one can take anti-percentage lines in order to increase the odds of beer, there is also this chance of failure...

[karlson]

awm, on May 5 2009, 01:25 PM, said:

I thought there was a rule that if declarer pitches a trick which he should've scored in an attempt to get the beer, then he owes dummy a beer.

That's definitely true.

Quote

So while one can take anti-percentage lines in order to increase the odds of beer, there is also this chance of failure...

That seems to be the most elegant version to me, but some people disagree (see above).

Of course it also runs into some issues. If you take a 50% line instead of a 75% one, is that a trick you should have scored?

[karlson]

JoAnneM, on May 5 2009, 01:21 PM, said:

Maybe I am not the only one - what is a beer play?

If declarer takes the last trick with the ♦7, making the contract, when diamonds are not trump, partner owes him/her a beer.

This also works on defense, if you set the contract.

If it's doubled, you get two beers.

Some people think overtricks/extra undertricks don't count, but the most common rule is that it counts as long as you go plus.

[rogerclee]

I have always played that if declarer claims a beer, and dummy can later prove that declarer misplayed the hand by a non-trivial percent, then declarer owes dummy a beer.

[kenrexford]

The solution is so simple.

If dummy claims that the line was anti-percentage, he gets a beer. After he drinks the beer, Declarer can usually convince him he was wrong all along and thereby score the beer back, plus another beer for the insult.

[mycroft]

We play that non-doubled, non-slam diamond contracts Don't Count (for declarer - get a defensive beer in 3D undoubled, and you'll have a story for years). Too easy.

[mr1303]

I beered the third overtrick in 3NT today.

Unfortunately the bar was closed (sobs)