The street scam known as Find the Lady or Three-Card Monte is very old, and comfortably pre-dates bridge.
The Game of Monte in the Streets of Mexico by Claudio Linati (1828)
The scam persuades punters to bet on the location of a queen with sleight of hand being used to move it from its original location before it is revealed.
There are three possible locations for the queen in the scam, but in bridge it can only be in one of two positions. Was there anything to guide Ken Barnett this week?
Graham Horscroft opened 1C. Ken Barnett, East overcalled 2S (weak) and South, your scribe, stretched slightly to bid 3C. Liz Clery's 3S ended the auction and the top spot was reached.
South led the four of clubs and North won with the king and switched accurately to the jack of diamonds. After three rounds of diamonds had been cashed, East had to "find the lady".
There is a saying in bridge "eight ever, nine never" which means that with eight trumps you should finesse for the queen, with nine, you should play for the drop. Ken played for the drop and had a very bad score as most made this contract.
The opening lead marks South with a club honour and the play showed that he started with the ace of diamonds. Would he have bid three clubs on xx xxxx Axx Qxxx? Maybe, but on his actual hand he was more likely to do so, and I think the odds favour playing South for the queen of spades. But then I would have slipped that card across the table using sleight of hand, wouldn't I?
North might have made it harder for declarer by winning the first club with the ace and later returning a low club after cashing three diamonds. If South has the king of clubs, he is much less likely to have the "lady".
Hi Paul, Good switch by Graham here. Can anything be inferred about the spade layout from the fact Graham didn't bid 4C - might this not suggest he is less likely to have five clubs / spade shortage? AKA the dog that didn't bark....... Cheers, Liz
ReplyDeleteAnd certainly South might have a singleton spade with minimum values for a raise to 3C.
ReplyDeleteIt might just be me but I actually prefer 3C with xx xxxx Axx Qxxx than the actual hand (although agree you should raise on both although only in a 4cM structure).
ReplyDeleteI think Liz is right - if someone had a stiff spade and five clubs they might have bid 4C whereas if spades are 2-2 no one is even thinking about it.