[gwnn]

Axxx
AJ
Kxxx
AKT

xxx
Tx
QJ
QJ9xxx

1♦-1NT
3NT

heart lead to the jack and Q
heart to the ace
looks like hearts are 5-4
what do you do?

(sorry if this is obvious)

[Jlall]

I would just play a diamond in tempo and hope they forget to pop ace or that they block hearts.

A squeeze is impossible, it requires one hand to hold 5 hearts and 5 spades and the DA.

[barryallen]

J♦ and hope.

[Phil]

barryallen, on Oct 27 2009, 08:21 AM, said:

J♦ and hope.

Are we blocking clubs to attempt this little maneuver? Or just leading it from the wrong hand?

[barryallen]

Neither. By the time you get to lead the J♦ it will be obvious that you need a ♦ trick, the only question would be why do it in this manner? More than likely a poorer line after a couple of clubs but it could make the opposition believe you have something else in your hand, The question is will they work out the ♦Q is your entry back with a lie of the cards that favour you?

Not saying it is good, just the best I could come up with!

[nick_s]

How about leading the K♦? I'm trying to look like I'm trying to create an entry to the closed hand.

[Phil]

barryallen, on Oct 27 2009, 02:25 PM, said:

Neither. By the time you get to lead the J♦ it will be obvious that you need a ♦ trick, the only question would be why do it in this manner? More than likely a poorer line after a couple of clubs but it could make the opposition believe you have something else in your hand, The question is will they work out the ♦Q is your entry back with a lie of the cards that favour you?

Not saying it is good, just the best I could come up with!

I think the straightforward early diamond is best. Hearts may be blocking (and a few clubs gives them the chance to untangle them), although our OP might have been more specific about the spots.

[Jlall]

nick_s, on Oct 27 2009, 02:37 PM, said:

How about leading the K♦?  I'm trying to look like I'm trying to create an entry to the closed hand.

I think this is very inferior to leading a small diamond off dummy. Your best chance is just going to be RHO napping and ducking his DA. If you lead the king he is much less likely to be ducking (aces were meant to win kings etc). I don't think LHO will be confused into ducking regardless, especially after it goes K small J. Obviously you have QJ then and he knows you could have just led to your QJ if you want to create an entry.

[barryallen]

Phil, on Oct 27 2009, 02:38 PM, said:

barryallen, on Oct 27 2009, 02:25 PM, said:

Neither. By the time you get to lead the J♦ it will be obvious that you need a ♦ trick, the only question would be why do it in this manner? More than likely a poorer line after a couple of clubs but it could make the opposition believe you have something else in your hand, The question is will they work out the ♦Q is your entry back with a lie of the cards that favour you?

Not saying it is good, just the best I could come up with!

I think the straightforward early diamond is best. Hearts may be blocking (and a few clubs gives them the chance to untangle them), although our OP might have been more specific about the spots.

You are more than likely correct, but it may be possible to lay a seed of doubt regarding the exact lie of the ♥'s.

[gwnn]

I played a low diamond off dummy, maybe I thought too much but RHO, a middle aged lady who can't be described as an expert, instantly popped and I was 1 down. Teammates didn't lead a heart.

[dellache]

I don't believe I can get East napping if they lead 4th best. And If East has got the ♦Ace, they CANNOT block the ♥ suit. There's a distant hope of them blocking the heart suit though, if West has the ♦A. Depends of the remaining spots.

If I'm playing MP, I don't play a ♦ straight away. I start with AK♣, hoping that RHO will discard on the second round. I'm trying to look as if I get bad news (without overdoing it, for ethical reasons). Then maybe if I play a diamond from dummy NOW, East may think his side has all the suits locked up... and duck.

I would do the same at IMP. Early "suit misdirection" sometimes pay unexpected dividends. I would not expect to succeed very often here though.

[gwnn]

dellache, on Oct 28 2009, 12:44 PM, said:

I'm trying to look as if I get bad news (without overdoing it, for ethical reasons).

how can you do it even a little bid without being unethical?

[dellache]

gwnn, on Oct 28 2009, 01:17 PM, said:

dellache, on Oct 28 2009, 12:44 PM, said:

I'm trying to look as if I get bad news (without overdoing it, for ethical reasons).

how can you do it even a little bid without being unethical?

Tough. I would certainly not sigh or pause after second ♣, even for a short time. First I would take my time after ♥A (anyway this is the killing point). Then I would play ♣A, ♣K as if I were very concentrated about this suit, and then call a diamond in tempo, as if I already had made my plan at trick 3 to switch to diamonds should the ♣ be badly distributed.

[blackshoe]

dellache, on Oct 28 2009, 08:44 AM, said:

If I'm playing MP, I don't play a ♦ straight away. I start with AK♣, hoping that RHO will discard on the second round. I'm trying to look as if I get bad news (without overdoing it, for ethical reasons). Then maybe if I play a diamond from dummy NOW, East may think his side has all the suits locked up... and duck.

If you're attempting to deceive opponents by the order in which you play the cards, that's fine, but if you are trying to deceive them through your mannerisms, that's a violation of law 73D2.

[dellache]

blackshoe, on Oct 28 2009, 05:26 PM, said:

dellache, on Oct 28 2009, 08:44 AM, said:

If I'm playing MP, I don't play a ♦ straight away. I start with AK♣, hoping that RHO will discard on the second round. I'm trying to look as if I get bad news (without overdoing it, for ethical reasons). Then maybe if I play a diamond from dummy NOW, East may think his side has all the suits locked up... and duck.

If you're attempting to deceive opponents by the order in which you play the cards, that's fine, but if you are trying to deceive them through your mannerisms, that's a violation of law 73D2.

Do you mean you should look as if you absolutely don't care about what oppos play on Clubs, because actually you absolutely don't care ?

[jdonn]

dellache, on Oct 28 2009, 12:42 PM, said:

blackshoe, on Oct 28 2009, 05:26 PM, said:

dellache, on Oct 28 2009, 08:44 AM, said:

If I'm playing MP, I don't play a ♦ straight away. I start with AK♣, hoping that RHO will discard on the second round. I'm trying to look as if I get bad news (without overdoing it, for ethical reasons). Then maybe if I play a diamond from dummy NOW, East may think his side has all the suits locked up... and duck.

If you're attempting to deceive opponents by the order in which you play the cards, that's fine, but if you are trying to deceive them through your mannerisms, that's a violation of law 73D2.

Do you mean you should look as if you absolutely don't care about what oppos play on Clubs, because actually you absolutely don't care ?

You should attempt to look the same all the time. Then they aren't deceived.

[dellache]

jdonn, on Oct 28 2009, 06:01 PM, said:

dellache, on Oct 28 2009, 12:42 PM, said:

blackshoe, on Oct 28 2009, 05:26 PM, said:

dellache, on Oct 28 2009, 08:44 AM, said:

If I'm playing MP, I don't play a ♦ straight away. I start with AK♣, hoping that RHO will discard on the second round. I'm trying to look as if I get bad news (without overdoing it, for ethical reasons). Then maybe if I play a diamond from dummy NOW, East may think his side has all the suits locked up... and duck.

If you're attempting to deceive opponents by the order in which you play the cards, that's fine, but if you are trying to deceive them through your mannerisms, that's a violation of law 73D2.

Do you mean you should look as if you absolutely don't care about what oppos play on Clubs, because actually you absolutely don't care ?

You should attempt to look the same all the time. Then they aren't deceived.

That's why I always play with a balaclava and sunglasses. +

[blackshoe]

Terrorist bridge?

[qwery_hi]

jdonn, on Oct 28 2009, 10:01 AM, said:

dellache, on Oct 28 2009, 12:42 PM, said:

blackshoe, on Oct 28 2009, 05:26 PM, said:

dellache, on Oct 28 2009, 08:44 AM, said:

If I'm playing MP, I don't play a ♦ straight away. I start with AK♣, hoping that RHO will discard on the second round. I'm trying to look as if I get bad news (without overdoing it, for ethical reasons). Then maybe if I play a diamond from dummy NOW, East may think his side has all the suits locked up... and duck.

If you're attempting to deceive opponents by the order in which you play the cards, that's fine, but if you are trying to deceive them through your mannerisms, that's a violation of law 73D2.

Do you mean you should look as if you absolutely don't care about what oppos play on Clubs, because actually you absolutely don't care ?

You should attempt to look the same all the time. Then they aren't deceived.

I propose that all bridge be played behind face masks when screens are not in use.

[nige1]

gwnn, on Oct 26 2009, 01:40 PM, said:

Axxx AJ Kxxx AKT
xxx Tx QJ QJ9xxx
1♦-1NT
3NT
heart lead to the jack and Q
heart to the ace
looks like hearts are 5-4
what do you do?
(sorry if this is obvious)

dellache, on Oct 28 2009, 01:13 PM, said:

That's why I always play with a balaclava and sunglasses.  +

Excellent strategy Your main choices are between

• Stealing a ♦ immediately
  
• Stealing a ♦ after one or two rounds of ♣
  
• Running ♣, hoping that an opponent thinks he is squeezed. eg RHO has ♠K, 5 ♥, and ♦A.

I prefer the first option to the second. The pseudo-squeeze may have less chance of success than either but has the advantage that if you judge that opponents have done the right thing, then you can chicken out and settle for one down. The first two options may result in several down if hearts break worse than 5-4.