duck club

[kgr]

All Vulnerable

[hv=pc=n&s=sak2ha2dq943ca832&n=sqt43h8753daktcj4]133|200[/hv]

South showed a max 1NT without 4c Major, North showed 2 4c Majors.

1NT-2D (15-17; transfer H)

2H-2S (No 4cH; 4cS)

3C-3NT (No 4cS-max; to play)

 

LHO leads ♣K.

How often should you did if given the possibility by the opps.

At MPs or at IMPs; (does it matter if opps are expert or not?)

[mikeh]

I would have already found out, before the lead was made, what the opps' carding methods were.

 

I would then play the spot from my hand that most makes RHO's card look encouraging, assuming that his card is supposed to be attitude. I'd also falsecard, if possible, to mislead on count if that is their priority.

 

In any event, I would duck the first club unless rho showed out.

 

They might switch to hearts, but they usually won't.

 

I duck at all forms of scoring and against all opps.

 

Winning might save an undertrick against bad lies and a heart switch, but I think ducking will more often give me a slightly enhanced chance of making, so I'll duck even at mps.

 

I'd certainly consider ducking again, btw, if LHO keeps the suit coming, tho I'd want to be at the table to know whether to do that...and I'd definitely want to know their carding methods, their tempo, and the cards they played.

 

What follows is a very generic and far from always true assertion, but if one watches indifferent players and good players, good players tend to lose tricks early and bad players lose them late....and more often. That doesn't make holding up always the right move, but improving players, who find themselves routinely winning trick one as declarer, should at least start thinking more about ducking early tricks.

[SteveMoe]

I would duck only if RHO encourages. If not, win, and play on the pointeds, hoping that 3-3, Jxxx-xx or xxxx-Jx happen in either.

[kgr]

I thought it was best to duck 3 times at mp's and 4 times at imp's. even if RHO discourages club. Is a heart switch worse for declarer then not ducking?

[kgr]

In any event, I would duck the first club unless rho showed out.

 

They might switch to hearts, but they usually won't.

 

I duck at all forms of scoring and against all opps.

 

Winning might save an undertrick against bad lies and a heart switch, but I think ducking will more often give me a slightly enhanced chance of making, so I'll duck even at mps.

 

I'd certainly consider ducking again, btw, if LHO keeps the suit coming, tho I'd want to be at the table to know whether to do that...and I'd definitely want to know their carding methods, their tempo, and the cards they played.

 

I would duck only if RHO encourages. If not, win, and play on the pointeds, hoping that 3-3, Jxxx-xx or xxxx-Jx happen in either.

The quoted text that I did put in bold made me think that I might miss something...

My question came from bar discussion. I said that I would always duck 3 times (it was played at MP's), others said to duck only once or twice because of the danger of a Heart switch.

LHO started ♣K - small discouraging ♣ from RHO (I played my 2nd smallest hoping LHO would continue ♣);

and LHO continued with ♣Q, another small ♣ from RHO (no T or 9 appeared).

I thought it was best to duck 3 times if possible (duck 3 clubs or 2 clubs and a heart).

- weaker opps will possibly not find the H-switch and RHO might have more problems with his discards.

- I don't see how not ducking a 2nd time would help against expert opps.

Is that correct or is there an advantage of taking 1st/2nd/3rd club?

...And I thought it is best to duck 4 times at IMPs (if possible)?