Friday, January 26, 2007 12:23 AM


Panic Point

 

PITBULLS:

 

          In the game of Hockey , there is a term called a “panic point”. The player is in front of the net , panics and just shoots. The puck invariably hits the goaltender and another lost opportunity. Wayne Gretzky did not have a “panic point” per se and somehow found Kurri open who scored.

 

          In Bridge ,  a penalty double quite often causes a panic point on defense. Instead of taking your time and relying on the defense fundamentals of applying patterns & HCP’s , you make a reflex action that makes no sense. Here is a hand tonight if my partner panicked,  we would have received +300 instead of the obvious +800.

 

          Hoy Chow somehow got himself up to 4♣X  . He was a passed hand and showed a two suiter in hearts & clubs.

 

Q

K

x

x

x

 

x

x

x

 

x

x

x

 

x

 

 

 

x

 

        My partner had opened 1NT with ♠Axx ♥Jx ♦KQJ109 ♣Axx  and I led my doubleton diamond,  a suit she had bid during the auction. Hoy won his diamond Ace and led a heart . I won the heart Ace and partner unblocked with her jack. I returned the 8 of clubs and partner won her Ace & returned a club won by Hoys jack. Hoy ruffs a heart with the last trump and leads a spade away from the spade queen. Which spade should partner play ? This one is easy as Hoy a passed hand as shown up with the diamond Ace and the KQJ10x of clubs. There is no room for any more points. I also had Q bid during the auction so I must hold the remaining HCP’s . I win the spade spot and return the jack of spades which Hoy ruffs . Hoy draws partner’s last trump and leads a heart which I won with the 9 spot. We now tap Hoy out of his last trump and we claim for +800.

 

          Counting HCP’s and applying patterns is defense. The clues are there from the bidding. In this case,  Hoy showed his distribution and was a passed hand. This is “public knowledge” so we defenders are allowed to use it for our defensive purposes. In doubled contracts , we sometimes imagine demons like a passed hand having a spade honour when there is no room for a spade honour & panic. Applying the fundamentals prevent such plays.