From: ted@welchgate.welch.jhu.edu (Ted Ying)
Subject: Re: hesitating with a singleton
Organization: Johns Hopkins Univ. Welch Medical Library
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 22:17:48 GMT

In article <1992Apr8.183647.29084@leland.Stanford.EDU> daveshao@leland.stanford.edu (David Shao) writes:
>Suppose partner has made an opening lead in a suit in which you have
>a singleton, and your usual practice is to spend a few moments
>studying the dummy.  Declarer plays a card almost immediately after
>seeing the dummy.  Do you have to play the singleton at the 
>fastest pace at which you play a card, or can you take your usual
>time after the opening lead?
>
	First of all, the common misperception is that you can pause to
	look at the dummy at your first opportunity to play.  Many
	people will state, "I have no difficulty with the trick, I would
	just like to study the hand."  If you have no difficulty with
	the trick, then you should play to the trick and then hold the
	card face up and do not turn it over.  This requests that the
	trick be held so that you can consider the rest of the hand
	then.  I have noted some people who will claim no difficulty
	with the trick and then consider what to play to the first trick.
	This is an unethical method of misdirection.  If you are
	considering the first trick, don't say you have no difficulty
	with the trick and are considering the hand.

	It is correct to play to the first trick as soon as you know what
	you will play to the trick and then pause after the trick is
	played out to consider the whole hand.  You can pause to
	consider the trick if you have a problem with the trick, but not
	because you are considering the whole hand.

>It seems to me that if you must play as fast as possible, you
>automatically tell both partner and declarer what you holding is
>if they are familiar with your habits.
>
	Which is why you should always attempt to play the first trick
	in tempo or as soon as you have decided and make your
	considerations for the whole hand after the first trick is
	completed.  Hold this trick up until you are ready to continue.

>It also seems to me that later in the play there can be situations
>where allowing pauses would minimize the inferences that a defender
>could draw about his partner's holdings.  For instance, if declarer
>plays two rounds of trump, partner capturing the second round, and
>you started with two trumps, then a pause by partner would always
>imply he has at least one more.  And why would he want to pause with
>only one card left?  Perhaps he wants to think about his discards
>should declarer run the rest of the trumps.  But my understanding
>about the rules is that one can never pause later in the play when
>you have no choice about which card to play.
>
	You should never pause after the first trick.  You always have a
	right to consider your cards, however, if you have no choice
	(for example, only one card remaining) you should never pause
	before playing it when required to do so.  If you want to think
	about discards, etc then you should do so *AFTER* you have
	played to the trick and then merely avoid turning the trick
	over.  The opponents *MUST* wait to play to the next trick until
	you have turned the previous trick over.

	Not only is this more ethical, it is more difficult for your
	opponents to glean any information from your tempo of play.

	Ted Ying			ted@welch.jhu.edu

#include <std.disclaimer.h>

	Tommy Thrush: "Captain Buffalo, I'm hungry, can we eat now?"
	Captain Buffalo: "Well, alright Tommy, how about here?  They
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	Tommy: "Can I get the Mud-pie?  It comes with a special Mudman
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	Captain Buffalo: "Hmmmm...."