Worst Plays

[cloa513]

I don't mean misguesses everone does that and certainly there are people who do rediculous things deliberately.

 

 

Auction ends in 4H X EW (Doubled by North.)

 

 

I don't remember the full hand and I was kibitzing but this is the key suit clubs

 

North

♣AKJx

Dummy

♣Qxx

Lead ♣9 from 9xx

 

Dummy plays

low and North plays

♣ A

 

Only way for opponents to make the contract.

 

Here is another one.

 

 

[hv=d=e&v=e&n=sjxxxxhk98djcaxxx&w=sxxhxxxdak10xxxcxx&e=saqhaqjxxxxdqxckq&s=sk10xxh10dxxxxcj10xx]399|300|[/hv]

Contact 4 hearts (I was dummy in EW) after 1♥,2♥ raise, 4♥

 

Lead ♣x, win ♣A

Return small ♥ and we took the finesse- obviously surely even from North viewpoint the only way to make the contract- later enter into dummy with A♦ and retake finesse. Partner unfortunately didn't note the drop of the J♦ and took the spade finesse otherwise we would have made +1.

[kenberg]

I'm sympathetic. When you have a 7-3 heart fit it is unlucky to have the outstanding hearts split 3-1.

[inquiry]

I will not show the hand or give the name of the player. But, he considered himself to be much better than me (well, much better than almost everyone)....

 

After an auction where we never bid, the opponents ended up in 6NT. My parnter holding AKJTxx in SPADES, and on lead, found the double (good) and found the SPADE ACE lead (great). Dummy had a doubleton small spade and I (his partner played low). At the time, we played attitude on the opening lead.

 

At trick 2, he SWITCHED (very bad). The reason? He actually explained his logic as "so that when you get in, you can lead a spade through declarer's queen.

 

Of course, they had all the tricks after the switch. For the rest of the story, the Spade QUEEN was doubleton.

 

I am sure I will never forget this play, or this comment.

[Cascade]

I will not show the hand or give the name of the player. But, he considered himself to be much better than me (well, much better than almost everyone)....

 

After an auction where we never bid, the opponents ended up in 6NT. My parnter holding AKJTxx in SPADES, and on lead, found the double (good) and found the SPADE ACE lead (great). Dummy had a doubleton small spade and I (his partner played low). At the time, we played attitude on the opening lead.

 

At trick 2, he SWITCHED (very bad). The reason? He actually explained his logic as "so that when you get in, you can lead a spade through declarer's queen.

 

Of course, they had all the tricks after the switch. For the rest of the story, the Spade QUEEN was doubleton.

 

I am sure I will never forget this play, or this comment.

I have made 6NTX after an ace lead from a player holding two aces.

 

Apparently the dummy wasn't up to her expectations so she got greedy and tried to set up a third trick.

 

I had an undisclosed seven or eight card solid suit (hearts from memory) - i had bid them once and then punted no trumps which got raised.

 

The run of the hearts squeezed the opening leader and eventually she had to throw away her second ace (or her set up trick) and i won my 12th trick.

[Cascade]

The absolute worst play i have ever seen occurred last thursday night at trick 12.

 

Declarer had ♠QT with the ace and king having gone and led towards her hand. When I showed out she played the ten and partner unsurprisingly won the jack and cashed a winner in another suit.

[kenrexford]

This layout in clubs:

 

[hv=n=shdca864&w=shdcj975&e=shdcq3&s=shdck102]399|300|[/hv]

 

Playing 7NT, Declarer needed four tricks from clubs to make the contract. There was no other chance for 13 tricks.

 

Partner's opening lead was the nine of clubs.

[nigel_k]

This layout in clubs:

 

[hv=n=shdca864&w=shdcj975&e=shdcq3&s=shdck102]399|300|[/hv]

 

Playing 7NT, Declarer needed four tricks from clubs to make the contract. There was no other chance for 13 tricks.

 

Partner's opening lead was the nine of clubs.

After you put in the queen, did declarer play partner for 9753?

[Phil]

[hv=d=n&n=sakqxxhaxxdxcajxx&w=sjxxhtxxxdqtxxc98&e=sxxhkjxxdk9xxctxx&s=stxxhqxdajxxckqxx]399|300|Scoring: MP[/hv]

 

Chris Larsen and Mark Itabashi played in a NAOP Qualifier at my club on Friday. They reached a hopeless 7♣ on this board.

 

Chris needed two heart tricks to salvage -1 which he hoped would be OK if spades were 4-1 and 6♠ failed. So early on he led a heart toward his Qx.

 

RHO, a well trained player who understands '2nd hand low', DUCKED. :) :)

[the hog]

David Bird based one of the characters in his Monk series, Brother Herman, on a brilliant but extremely quirky player. (His nickname is also Herman incidentally).

"Herman" is on lead against 6NT, which he doubled, holding 2 bullets. He cashes one. looks at dummy and believes he can take the contract 2 off, so he switched. Declarer had a long suit which had not been mentioned in the bidding and ran this. "Herman's" partner, a well known bridge author and a very fine player himself had to defend card perfect to take the contract off. At the end of the hand he picked up his cards and threw them in "Herman's" face.

[jjbrr]

Uday as declarer led J from AJ tight against me with xxx in dummy in a suit contract and I ducked with KQxx or something. LOL@me. I really wanted partner on lead :)

[mohitz]

One of my friends managed to play the following suit combination for one loser.

 

AKxx

 

QJx

[Flameous]

This isn't so much a stupid play just playing small in tempo without thinking.

 

QJxx

xx

AQx

AQxx

 

 

AKxxx

QJxx

Kx

K9

 

I've ended up in one of the not so good 6♠ contracts and I get club 10 lead which ran to my K.

My "legimate" chace would be to lead low towards ♥Q to get a squeeze in rounded suits, but I knew my lefty, a good player that would never play diamond after getting in with the heart so I had to try something little less legimate. So I played spade to the queen and a small club. RHO plays small in tempo and 9 scores a trick and I claim :D

[JLOGIC]

Any play that is 0 % when you had a 100 % line available is the stupidest possible to me. Unfortunately I think we've all done a few of these! :D

[kenrexford]

This layout in clubs:

 

Dealer: ????? Vul: ???? Scoring: Unknown

♠ [space] ♥ [space] ♦ [space] ♣ A864 ♠ [space] ♥ [space] ♦ [space] ♣ J975 ♠ [space] ♥ [space] ♦ [space] ♣ Q3 ♠ [space] ♥ [space] ♦ [space] ♣ K102

 

Playing 7NT, Declarer needed four tricks from clubs to make the contract.  There was no other chance for 13 tricks.

 

Partner's opening lead was the nine of clubs.

After you put in the queen, did declarer play partner for 9753?

No. Declarer knew my partner too well.

[ArtK78]

Three from the mental archives.

 

1) I was kibbitzing a team match many years ago. Friends of mine (declarer is now a grandmaster) reached 3NT in an uncontested auction and the opening lead was a small spade. Third hand held the AQx of spades and dummy had a small singleton spade. Third hand, apparently thinking that he needed to maintain communications with his partner, played the Q. Declarer's singleton K won the trick (yes, opening leader held Jxxxxxxx of spades).

 

2) This was reported to me. A friend of mine was defending a grand slam in spades in a team match. The opening lead was a small diamond. Declarer's holding in diamonds was an undisclosed 11 card fit missing the K, with the Ace in dummy. Declarer finessed.

 

3) One time many years ago a partner of mine had a huge brain fart. With a holding of Ax opposite Kx he won the A in dummy and unblocked his K.

[cloa513]

I'm sympathetic. When you have a 7-3 heart fit it is unlucky to have the outstanding hearts split 3-1.

I don't mind partner for missing that- I mean the shock of a free finesse was a lot to bear.

[cloa513]

Any play that is 0 % when you had a 100 % line available is the stupidest possible to me. Unfortunately I think we've all done a few of these! ;)

I know it that I misplay 7NT- opponents were squeezed out of hearts . The alternative wasn't 0% but it was zero chance on that hand.

[billw55]

Three from the mental archives.

 

1) I was kibbitzing a team match many years ago. Friends of mine (declarer is now a grandmaster) reached 3NT in an uncontested auction and the opening lead was a small spade. Third hand held the AQx of spades and dummy had a small singleton spade. Third hand, apparently thinking that he needed to maintain communications with his partner, played the Q. Declarer's singleton K won the trick (yes, opening leader held Jxxxxxxx of spades).

I have books that say Q from AQx is correct, to prevent declarer from holding up the king. So is this one bad or just unlucky?

[cloa513]

Three from the mental archives.

 

1) I was kibbitzing a team match many years ago. Friends of mine (declarer is now a grandmaster) reached 3NT in an uncontested auction and the opening lead was a small spade. Third hand held the AQx of spades and dummy had a small singleton spade. Third hand, apparently thinking that he needed to maintain communications with his partner, played the Q. Declarer's singleton K won the trick (yes, opening leader held Jxxxxxxx of spades).

 

2) This was reported to me. A friend of mine was defending a grand slam in spades in a team match. The opening lead was a small diamond. Declarer's holding in diamonds was an undisclosed 11 card fit missing the K, with the Ace in dummy. Declarer finessed.

 

3) One time many years ago a partner of mine had a huge brain fart. With a holding of Ax opposite Kx he won the A in dummy and unblocked his K.

While these are examples of not so good play

1) is extreme on the spectrum of the unbelieveable positions after lead situations though how playing the Q keeps communication is not clear.

2) is declarer logically gives up on his contract or just can't count after the lead situation.

3) is 　probably inappropriate use of an extreme strategy (there are cases when that play is right- either force a sluff and ruff or force opponents to open up a side suit or face a sluff and ruff) if it was wasn't for the brain freeze part.

[ArtK78]

3) is 　probably inappropriate use of an extreme strategy (there are cases when that play is right- either force a sluff and ruff or force opponents to open up a side suit or face a sluff and ruff) if it was wasn't for the brain freeze part.

I would agree with you that an unblock with Ax opposite Kx is right in the remarkable case where you need to throw in an opponent to create a double ruff sluff.

 

However, given that the contract was notrump, my partner's play may not have been best. ;)

[ArtK78]

Three from the mental archives.

 

***

 

2)  This was reported to me.  A friend of mine was defending a grand slam in spades in a team match.  The opening lead was a small diamond.  Declarer's holding in diamonds was an undisclosed 11 card fit missing the K, with the Ace in dummy.  Declarer finessed.

 

***

 

 

***

 

2) is declarer logically gives up on his contract or just can't count after the lead situation.

 

***

I think it is remarkably funny. However, if you want to analyze the situation, do you really think declarer decided to play for down one in a grand slam by playing the opening leader to underlead Kx in an unbid suit against a grand slam as opposed to playing the A to make the grand slam whenever the lead was a small singleton?

[Fluffy]

After cashing his side ace in 6♥ a player though that any other suit was too dangerous that best was to underlead trump ♥Kx into declarer's AQ, sadly they had 10 or 11 trumps.

 

 

I ducked a queen with dummy having AKJx and making the finese in 7NT. However my excuse is that I missheard the card played from dummy when director announced the next round at the same time.

 

During the years I've seen twice players discarding wrong when dummy has 2 cards left and is leading and scoring the 12th for sure.

 

Also I've scored my stiff ♠K after declarer made the finese, they had 12 trumps and partner discarded but that didn't stop declarer from finesing.

[Codo]

This weekend I played 6 ♠ with:

 

AT8

AJ9

AQJ87

KQ

 

opposite

 

KJ7654

KQ75

K

87

 

I got the lead of the ten of diamonds to my king.

I played the king of spades- all follow.

I played the jack of spades, small one- I thought about what to do????

 

I played the ace, the right one discards a club.

 

I claimed one down, loosing the ace of club and the queen of trumps.

 

How does these things happen?

Why didn't I spot the obvious solution to discard my clubs on diamonds and claim 6?

 

I have no idea....

 

Thanks to everyone who pointed out the wrong layout...

Edited August 30, 2010 by Codo

[dburn]

Well, not to worry. Since the pack apparently contained 53 cards none of which was the queen of spades, your result presumably did not stand in any case.

[JLOGIC]

Well, not to worry. Since the pack apparently contained 53 cards none of which was the queen of spades, your result presumably did not stand in any case.

good one!