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Points Schmoints - CHAPTER 18
Discarding: Throw Losers, Keep Winners

© Marty Bergen

 
 
   

Order Points Schmoints here   Other Bergen books
Index

Prior Chapter:
CHAPTER 17 - THE DEFENSE NEVER RESTS                                 155



Note: Only summaries are included below -
see book for details

Give to Charity But Keep Parity                                                             169

Accentuate the Negative                                                                          173

Improve Your Discards — Even the Odds                                              176


Give to Charity But Keep Parity

A difficult aspect of defense is deciding what to discard. This is especially true when one defender has several suits that need protecting. In fact, my worst nightmare is a situation like this:

 I’m on lead after 1NT (16–18) – P – 6NT. My hand is:

  North
A7
AQ75
9872
AK5
 
West
J1098
J1032
J654
4

     6NT

J  Lead

 

With my lovely spade sequence, the opening lead is no problem — I choose the J. Declarer wins with dummy's ace, partner contributing the two. South now continues with the AK as partner follows with the two and six. The time has come for my first, but not last, discard.

I do not want to discard a spade; that could set up declarer's fourth card if he began with KQxx. I don’t want to discard a red card, either; I would like to retain my length in each of dummy's four-card suits. Not only am I stuck for a discard here, but I’m afraid more clubs are on their way. “Wow, what a nightmare.”

Fortunately, I wake up. Thank goodness, it really was a nightmare. I don’t have to make any discards. (Some would refer to this as an imaginative avoidance play on my part.)

What is the answer?  Although not all bridge problems are solvable, this one is. (If you cannot wait, the answer is on page 172.)

Page 169
© Marty Bergen


Answer to Nightmare

I do not like our chances of defeating 6NT if declarer has the K.  The only real hope is that the cards are distributed as follows:

  North
A7
AQ75
9872
AK5
 
West (Marty)
J1098
J1032
J654
4

      6 NT

J Lead

East
6432
K94
10
108762
  South
KQ5
86
AKQ3
QJ93
 

West          North         East            South
—              —              —              1NT
P                6NT           All Pass

I led the J, which declarer won in dummy with the ace. He cashed the A and K, partner following up the line. My turn to find a discard.

My best chance is to keep all of my diamonds, discarding hearts, then spades. Now, declarer is unable to take more than his 11 top tricks.

Page 172
© Marty Bergen


Accentuate the Negative

“Should I discard a high card in the suit that I want led, or a low one in the suit I don’t?”

Although many players prefer to encourage in their strong suit, a better method is available, especially against notrump contracts. Preserve length in your good suit, hoping to win as many tricks as possible. You can easily afford to discard in your weak suit. After all, why keep garbage?  At the risk of misquoting a leading psychiatrist, my advice is: “Instead of accentuating the positive, discard the negative(s).

...


Improve Your Discards — Even the Odds

Standard discards serve as attitude signals — high cards encourage, low cards discourage. Unfortunately, these methods are often inadequate. Consider the following situations:

1.    How do you show interest with AQ32?

2.    How do you deny interest with 1098?

3.    What do you do when you cannot afford to discard in the suit you want led (e.g., you hold AQJ, KQ10)?

Problems, problems! There is a better way. On your first discard, play an odd card to encourage. An even card would discourage and imply suit preference. This proven discarding technique is known as odd-even discards (Roman discards). Odd-even discards allow great flexibility. Most players take to them as easily as ducks do to water!

Odd-even discarding is an example of a convention involving signals. Yes, there are conventions for defense just as there are for bidding. Defensive conventions must be announced (and explained, if requested) before play begins.

...

Page 176
© Marty Bergen


CHAPTER 19 - OPENING LEADS: STOP, LOOK, AND LISTEN    179


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