Card Reading

 

The art of card reading involves assembling all the pieces of the puzzle and figuring out what layout of the missing hands is consistent with all that information.  Easier said than done, the clues are numerous and sometimes conflicting, and there are negative inferences which are easy to miss (in other words, not just what was done, but also what was not done).

 

Related Play Problems            Play Problem 13

                                                  Play Problem 101

 

Related Extracts from Past Wednesday Games

 

27	♠ KT9842 ♥ 7 ♦ K832 ♣ T6	From 21st March, 2007
♠ J7 ♥ 94 ♦ AT976 ♣ K943	North West             East           South	♠ A5 ♥ AKJ6532 ♦ ♣ J875	Dlr     South Vul     None
© BES, Inc  All Rights Reserved	♠ Q63 ♥ QT8 ♦ QJ54 ♣ AQ2	South   West    North   East  1♦        Pass    1♠        4♥ Pass    Pass    Pass

 

South leads a low Spade won by Declarer’s Ace.  The AK♥ are cashed, and when the Queen does not come down, Declarer is in dire straits, he needs some luck in Clubs.  He leads a low Club towards the board and South must fly with the Ace (not an obvious play), cash a Spade and the Q♥ and exit a Spade, ruffed by Declarer.  Now, Declarer must guess the Club situation, by figuring out whether South started life with 3-3-5-2 or 3-3-4-3 distribution.  He'll cash the remaining trumps, and hope that he can figure out the 3-card ending.  North may well give away the game by pitching the Eight and then the Two of Diamonds, marking her with an initial holding of K8xx.  Now, Declarer will play South for 3-3-4-3 distribution, including the Q♣, and will lead the J♣ at Trick 11, pinning North's Ten.  Nice card reading!

 

 

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