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.
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Q |
K |
x |
x |
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x |
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x |
x |
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x |
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x |
x |
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x |
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x |
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x |
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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.