Why a bad boy can get the girl

One of the attributes of successful bridge players is that they know when to break “the rules”.  Not the rules found in the ACBL game regulations, of course, — there is another name for players who break those rules — but the general rules for telling partner about the location of your high cards and your distribution in key suits.

Here is a hand (taken from my old e-mail archives) from a club game of a year or two ago to illustrate:

You are East.  After a 1NT-3NT auction of the opponents, your partner leads a fourth best ♦3.  What is your defensive plan as East?

Dealer: Vul:	North ♠ JT73 ♥ Q8 ♦ 9 ♣ AQT873
West ♠ ♥ ♦ (3) ♣		East ♠ Q652 ♥ T76 ♦ AK85 ♣ J6

If you are a good boy, one who follows the rules, you will win Trick 1 with your ♦K (lower of touching honors) and return the ♦5 (fourth best).  But if you are a bad boy, one who breaks the rules when it suits your purposes, you will win the ♦A at Trick 1 (presumptively denying ownership of the ♦K) and return the ♦8 (third best).  Here was the whole hand:

Dealer: Vul:	North ♠ JT73 ♥ Q8 ♦ 9 ♣ AQT873
West ♠ 98 ♥ J953 ♦ J7432 ♣ K4		East ♠ Q652 ♥ T76 ♦ AK85 ♣ J6
	South ♠ AK4 ♥ AK42 ♦ QT6 ♣ 952

If you play as would a good boy, declarer might guess to play the ♦Q at Trick 2, soon wrapping up the contract with three overtricks and winning the prize (or “girl” to hark back to the title of the post).  But if you play as does a bad boy, chances are declarer will play the ♦T, losing to partner’s ♦J, after which partner can play a diamond to your ♦K, and, with the suit conveniently unblocked, partner can run the suit when you return your ♦5, taking the first five tricks.  And you “win the girl”!