Wednesday, March 21, 2012

SCARY NAME Bridge technique for dummies

Having started my blog with a series of 'advanced' articles, I decided to devote an article (and maybe a few to follow up) on more basic stuff.

This article is about a concept that apparently scares the heck out of many of my fellow bridge players.

When I sit down and discuss the concept, they often quickly say "I don't quite follow SCARY NAME Bridge technique".

Or, "am still learning SCARY NAME Bridge technique, and I haven't quite got the hang of it yet".

Here is an example of SCARY NAME bridge technique in play from a hand I played tonight on BBO:

http://www.bridgebase.com/tools/handviewer.html?myhand=M-3344813-1332394134

Both tables got to the same 4 spade contract. This was in a close IMP game (Barometer scoring), I made it using SCARY NAME Bridge technique play, and the other table didn't, so we ended up winning comfortably.
You can review the play yourself at the table where the declarer went wrong. At the point when declarer ruffs with the spade Queen, let's say you are in the 'hot seat', and instead ruff with the spade 7.
Do you see how to execute the SCARY NAME Bridge technique play that I executed at the other table?

It's not rocket science. After 3 rounds of clubs (KA, club ruff), both opponents cannot guard club simultaneously. Our side had 2+4=6 clubs, so even whether the suit is 3-4,2-5,1-6 or 0-7, BOTH opponents cannot have a club left in their hand.
For simplicity, let's assume the opponent with a club left is LHO of declarer (I will separately 'prove' that it "can't be" RHO).
So if diamonds are 3-3, then unless LHO also has QJx diamond, the diamond guard is "split". IF you cash your trumps, LHO can bring himself down to 2 diamonds and let his partner keep Honor-x-x and stop the suit.
Therefore either LHO needs to have QJx diamond or any 4 card Diamond suit.
As long as this holds, simply cashing your 2 trumps executes SCARY PLAY Bridge technique on LHO.

If he throws a club, you keep club in dummy and discard the D loser.
If he keeps the club, you throw dummy's club on the last trump and play out your big diamonds, diamond Ten will score as long as the cards are dealt for SCARY PLAY Bridge Technique to work.

Yes, SCARY PLAY Bridge Technique is the Bridge Squeeze. No prizes for figuring that out.

There could be prizes however if you help me understand human psychology: what makes this play so SCARY as a bridge player? Why is it so scary to cash your 2 trumps? I could show this hand to my bridge partners/friendly opponents and I would expect 75% of them to be mortally scared of cashing the 2 trumps. I read the same bridge books, I expect this play to be passe/par for the course. I do find my results from hands with SCARY PLAY technique on offer are significantly above average when I'm playing the hand than when my partner is (and gains more often than it 'should' when my opponent is playing the hand).

Side note: RHO cannot have the 13th club because RHO had 5 hearts, at-least 2 spades, and with 4 clubs, only 2 diamonds, which would mean barring a bizarre deal (Honor singleton, or QJ doubleton with RHO), you weren't going to make the contract, and assuming you can't make the contract is not a useful or acceptable assumption.

No comments:

Post a Comment