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A/Q for unblock just means if you lead the Q you unblock the J if you have it (aka KQT9).
Not a very clear way to say it but it's short.
Leading against NT A or K
#21
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Posted 2010-September-13, 04:35
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#22
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Posted 2010-September-13, 04:36
Seems like in the UK none of my partners have argued against A for Att, K for Count, so I presume that's pretty "standard", however I might be wrong.
In Singapore, well, er, I have seen all kinds of treatment so it's hard to say. Besides, very few people have a convention card!
I have no idea if it is superior, I just find it easy to remember.
In Singapore, well, er, I have seen all kinds of treatment so it's hard to say. Besides, very few people have a convention card!
I have no idea if it is superior, I just find it easy to remember.
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Unless explicitly stated, none of my views here can be taken to represent SCBA or any other organizations.
Unless explicitly stated, none of my views here can be taken to represent SCBA or any other organizations.
#23
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Posted 2010-September-13, 04:59
Quote
A/Q for unblock just means if you lead the Q you unblock the J if you have it (aka KQT9).
Not a very clear way to say it but it's short.
Not a very clear way to say it but it's short.
So if partner leads a Q and you have xxx(x) what do you discard ?
How do you know if he had lead QJ8x and wants attitude for a ten or if he had led from KQT9x and just want count ?
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Posted 2010-September-13, 05:16
A good rule is only to discard when you are out of the suit that's led.
and the result can be plotted on a graph.
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Posted 2010-September-13, 05:22
hanp, on Sep 13 2010, 11:16 AM, said:
A good rule is only to discard when you are out of the suit that's led.
Watson did not agree with this rule in his famous book but I have not really seen many more examples of this usage.
... and I can prove it with my usual, flawless logic.
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#26
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Posted 2010-September-13, 05:35
I lead Rusinov with strong king.
and the result can be plotted on a graph.
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Posted 2010-September-13, 05:44
Quote
A good rule is only to discard when you are out of the suit that's led.
Yeah, thanks for correcting me there. I should've used "what do you play".
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Posted 2010-September-13, 11:23
peachy, on Sep 12 2010, 04:27 PM, said:
My question is out of interest in how common one or the other is. This is yet another thing where I thought I knew what the standard is...
If you care to provide reasons why your chosen method is superior, please do!
If you care to provide reasons why your chosen method is superior, please do!
I played Rusnow for a while, then I found that I sometimes forgot the convention which may lead to bigger disasters, so now I just stick with the standard treatment. Q from KQ is quite counter-intuitive to me...
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Posted 2010-September-13, 11:55
hanp, on Sep 13 2010, 05:35 AM, said:
I lead Rusinov with strong king.
Roger's post was the most compelling for strong King, and I agree with you that, if you do that, you have to switch to rusinow.
Wonder if I am too old to change and remember.
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Posted 2010-September-13, 13:15
If I remember correctly, "the Journalist" recommended Rusinow leads against suits, but not against NT.
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#31
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Posted 2010-September-13, 13:59
Quote
If I remember correctly, "the Journalist" recommended Rusinow leads against suits, but not against NT.
Yes, Journalist vs. NT was A for count/unblock, K standard, Q standard (+KQT9), J denies, T from both AT9/KT9 and AJT/KJT, 9 from T9.
My admittedly fuzzy memory of 50s and 60s era bridge books is that Journalist was the START of using A for count/unblock against notrump, and that one idea from Journalist became standard (but the ten and nine leads never achieved the popularity of ancient-standard or of zero-or-two-higher.)
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Posted 2010-September-13, 14:04
As I understand it, the "strong Ace" convention means:
AKJT
KQT9
QJ98
which is what I play. Otherwise simply high from (inner) sequences.
AKJT
KQT9
QJ98
which is what I play. Otherwise simply high from (inner) sequences.
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Posted 2010-September-13, 14:28
bluecalm, on Sep 13 2010, 06:44 AM, said:
Quote
A good rule is only to discard when you are out of the suit that's led.
Yeah, thanks for correcting me there. I should've used "what do you play".
"play" covers all of "lead", "discard", and "follow suit"
#34
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Posted 2010-September-13, 14:53
To echo a couple of things already said:
A/Q for attitude, King for unblock/count is virtually universal among good English players, and seems to be exactly the opposite to North American practice.
You can't stop with your A & K leads you have to consider the lower cards as well.
FWIW I play something my partner taught me which he claimed was derived from a Rubens book:
- A for attitude on the queen (you might encourage with other holdings depending on dummy, the auction etc)
- King for ublock or failing that for count
- Q from a weak KQ holding or a strong QJ holding, initially expecting attitude on the jack (with a strong QJ holding such as QJ109 you don't need attitude on lower honours, and partner knows they can overtake with the king)
- J from a weak QJ holding or a strong J10 holding, same logic as queen leads
- 10 strong, from an interior sequence. Although we are probably about to stop playing strong 10s, because they seem on average to help declarer more often than the defence.
- pip leads attitude (not relevant to the original questions)
The "weak" Q and J leads both tell partner whether it is safe to unblock with the next card up, and allow you to lead an honour from holdings such as QJxxx against a 2NT opening, or KQ9xx, even KQ8x without fearing too much honour unblocking from partner.
A/Q for attitude, King for unblock/count is virtually universal among good English players, and seems to be exactly the opposite to North American practice.
You can't stop with your A & K leads you have to consider the lower cards as well.
FWIW I play something my partner taught me which he claimed was derived from a Rubens book:
- A for attitude on the queen (you might encourage with other holdings depending on dummy, the auction etc)
- King for ublock or failing that for count
- Q from a weak KQ holding or a strong QJ holding, initially expecting attitude on the jack (with a strong QJ holding such as QJ109 you don't need attitude on lower honours, and partner knows they can overtake with the king)
- J from a weak QJ holding or a strong J10 holding, same logic as queen leads
- 10 strong, from an interior sequence. Although we are probably about to stop playing strong 10s, because they seem on average to help declarer more often than the defence.
- pip leads attitude (not relevant to the original questions)
The "weak" Q and J leads both tell partner whether it is safe to unblock with the next card up, and allow you to lead an honour from holdings such as QJxxx against a 2NT opening, or KQ9xx, even KQ8x without fearing too much honour unblocking from partner.