[1eyedjack]

MP, robot tourney, best hand South, Traveller 1908-1373825281-69996202

---

Not that the bidding explanation is of much interest I include it for completeness.
1C: Minor suit opening -- 3+ C; 11-21 HCP; 12-22 total points
XX: 4- C; 10-11 HCP; 12- total points
1S: Length -- 4+ S; 11- HCP; 12- total points
2C: 6+ C; 11+ HCP; 12-15 total points; 4- controls
3C: 2-4 C; 10-11 HCP; 12- total points

Anyway I kick off to a crackingly bad opening lead of the Club 7, nicely picking up the trumps for him. Although interestingly he does not run it round to hand, which would block the trump suit but hops up with the Q and takes a second round finesse, placing absolute trust in my lead not being away from the J. Note to self, remember that for later, but not the point of this post.

Declarer draws trumps, and I pitch a Spade and a Diamond, and now we come to the point of the hand:

Declarer leads the Heart Q, spotlight on South.

I suppose that he might be attempting a "Chinese finesse", trying to induce me to duck when he never held the J to back up the Q (incidentally, as an aside, does GIB ever do ruses like that?). Anyhoo I correctly assumed that declarer had the J, and the question arises whether (or when) to cover with the K, given that dummy may well be entryless (I am not sure of the Spade position yet. Perhaps I should assume that declarer has the King, but if doubleton King then dummy is still entryless).

If declarer has QJ bare, then I can limit him to 2 tricks in the suit by one of two methods: Cover the Q or duck twice. Ducking the Q and covering the J gives access to the 10 and a third trick in the suit.

If declarer has QJx, then I can limit him to 3 tricks in the suit by one of two methods: Cover the Q or cover the J. Ducking twice gives declarer a third finesse and fourth trick in the suit. However had declarer's third heart been the 4 instead of the 7, then covering the first round costs, as the suit is not blocked for a finesse against the 8. Declarer has a losing option to play for the drop but I think would get it right due to the informative auction.

So I ducked the Q. An accurate count signal from North, which I was led to expect from yesterday's online lecture by Leo, would reveal all.

Trouble is, partner played the 4 on first round from 9 4, and I dutifully ducked the J and gave away 4 tricks in the suit.

Playing with humans, I appreciate that giving an honest count in defence can in some cases aid declarer more than the defence. I would appreciate it if someone advised me of any rules that govern under what circumstances we can rely on GIB giving accurate count and when it plays randomly.

[1eyedjack]

1eyedjack, on 2013-July-15, 00:20, said:

If declarer has QJx, then I can limit him to 3 tricks in the suit by one of two methods: Cover the Q or cover the J. Ducking twice gives declarer a third finesse and fourth trick in the suit. However had declarer's third heart been the 4 instead of the 7, then covering the first round costs, as the suit is not blocked for a finesse against the 8.

Ah. Correction. If declarer started with QJ4 instead of QJ7 there is nothing that I can do to stop him picking up 4 tricks in the suit.
So it seems that covering the Q is the best play.

That said, it does not detract from the fact that I would still have survived ducking the Q had North given correct count.

[Leo LaSota]

The robot does not give count by wasting a spot if the spot could be important. The 9 is a potentially valuable spot card, that is why the robot played low on the first heart. This is the same that one should practice in live bridge. Do not waste a potentially useful spot card.

[1eyedjack]

Thanks. I absolutely agree that you should not (usually) signal with an active card (I am sure that there are exceptions; there always are). And I would not expect GIB to signal with an active card.

But I had not appreciated that the H9 was an active card. I still can't see that, but assume that is just down to me.

It is sufficient for my purposes that you have confirmed that had the H9 not been an active card (or thought by GIB to be such) then it is a situation in which it would have given count.

[Leo LaSota]

When GIB is looking at something like AKQJx of a suit in dummy and declarer leads the suit, GIB is programmed to play the 9 from 9 doubleton to give standard count. This is because the 9 is clearly NOT an important spot card in the suit.