Drawing Inferences from the Opponents' Bidding and Play

It is sometimes possible to draw inferences or clues from the opponents
- Their bidding (or failure to bid)
- Their play
- Their discards

[@andrewwebb4635]

I’ve only just discovered your channel. It’s gold-dust to this oldish player. Thank you very much for your thoughts. It’s almost a philosophy of bridge, just as I’ve said to the learners in my club it’s so important to THINK. every bid and every card may be a message!

[@TonyStawBridgeClass]

Andrew, thank you so much for your very kind remarks. It’s so nice to get positive feedback. Thanks. Tony

[@williamthurl2607]

Dangerous to play up to HA and run C10 as it blocks the Clubs . If West is alert enough to play a Heart now when HQ is with East we may go down as we can't reach the 5th Club. Having worked out that the Diamond position is safe from attack by West , it is bettet to play off CA followed by CQ to guarantee 4 Club tricks and the contract ( 4 Clubs , 2 Hearts , 1 Diamond and 2 Spades = 9 tricks )

[@jerseyrab]

Another super lesson from Tony

[@TonyStawBridgeClass]

Thanks again!

[@blueninjasix]

Excellent! And reminds me of what Holmes would say to Watson....Elementary...

[@TonyStawBridgeClass]

Thanks!

[@d95mback]

On hand 1, non vuln vs vuln first to bid you can preempt a level higher pretty safely to make life more difficult for the opponents.

[@williamthurl2607]

You should keep an extra Spade in Dummy . You will probably need an extra entry to hand in case East keeps Qxxx of Hearts and covers neither HJ nor H10. A Diamond less in Dummy is irrelevant as there is no legitimate finesse in Diamonds lacking the 10.

[@ulrichdaullary3886]

B3: very risky trying the club finesse. If W returns a heart, you are down.

[@TonyStawBridgeClass]

If you are talking about the hand where you are in 6NT, then even if the club finesse fails, you still make 12 rather than 13 tricks. You still have stoppers in the major suits.

[@ulrichdaullary3886]

Hi Tony, 3NT after 18 min. You can‘t reach your fifth club because of the blocked suit and the missing entries (after the ace of heart disappeared). You can make the club finesse but you should overtake the ten of clubs with J or Q and hope Kx is with East.