[EricK]

When you are visualizing what the other players have, what form does that visualization take? eg does it look like playing cards, or how a hand appears in books or magazines, or as it appears on BBO, or is it not really a picture at all, and more like a collection of words, or it nothing like any of these?

And, assuming it is some sort of picture, if you have some doubt about the contents of the hand, how do you picture that (eg you know West started with either 4 or 5 spades; or you know his suit will be headed by either the K or the A)? Do you keep separate pictures, one for each option, or some sort of "fuzzy" picture with maybe question marks, or "A/K" type symbols?

[1eyedjack]

Just numbers

[FrancesHinden]

For me it is a collection of words, but I am a very verbal / non-visual person.

[diana_eva]

Strings of numbers and symbols for me, adjusting each string as more info leaks (move an x to another suit for example, remove honor cards etc.). I start with a whole picture, even if it's 13x 4 times then place info where it fits.

[inquiry]

I start with shape so it begins as something like 4441 for each unseen hand. Then with the aid of declarer's or defenders line of play and defender signals, I try to locate the missing HCP, eventually getting an image similar to how hands appear in books. Some of the honor locations a fix in place, some are iffy... so I keep a group of iffy locations, like east has both black queens or the missing king of hearts... (on top of the shape image).

[barmar]

I'm similar to Inquiry. I think of all hands, including my own, in terms of hand shapes and likely honor locations.

When someone comes up to me and says "You hold....", the first thing I do after he lists all the cards is translate it into shape. "So you mean 5431, 16 points, with most of my strength in hearts and diamonds?"

[helene_t]

As a text string like I would write it on BBF, but I don't usually "see" AQxx with the x's, rather as AQ86 or AQ75 or such where the exact pips may be somewhat vague. I am not quite sure how I distinguish the suits, I think the symbols are there somewhere but the colour (grey for clubs, orange for diamonds) is the main clue.

[manudude03]

I think of it as the distributions and then the hand layout, so something like 5-4-1-3 AQ-to-5 A-to-4 stiff K-to-3, I tend to ignore the pips I can't see most of the time unless it's late in the play.

[Fluffy]

I do with numbers when I am tired, when I am concentrated it is 13 cards with 5 colors (white is for unknown suit)

[blackshoe]

Heh. Mostly what I see when trying to visualize a hand is white space.

[kuhchung]

Are you guys counting cards? Isn't that like, cheating?

[akwoo]

Hmm - I don't visualize hands. Maybe I should.

What I do is keep a running mental list of all the data I have about unknown hands as it comes in. Sometimes I'll make inferences and consolidate the data as I go along. (For example, I'll consolidate information on the distribution of a suit when someone shows out.)

When I actually need to make a decision, THEN I start trying to organize my data into information. For example, when I need to decide who to finesse for the queen, then I try to recall the whole hand and what honors the opps have played and what the bidding was. (There is one exception; I tend to keep a running tally of partner's possible remaining hcp when declarer has opened 1NT or 2NT.) This can mean a long tank at some junctures as I try to recall everything and add it all up and make the necessary inferences.

[inquiry]

akwoo, on 2014-April-14, 17:52, said:

Hmm - I don't visualize hands. Maybe I should.

What I do is keep a running mental list of all the data I have about unknown hands as it comes in. Sometimes I'll make inferences and consolidate the data as I go along. (For example, I'll consolidate information on the distribution of a suit when someone shows out.)

When I actually need to make a decision, THEN I start trying to organize my data into information. For example, when I need to decide who to finesse for the queen, then I try to recall the whole hand and what honors the opps have played and what the bidding was. (There is one exception; I tend to keep a running tally of partner's possible remaining hcp when declarer has opened 1NT or 2NT.) This can mean a long tank at some junctures as I try to recall everything and add it all up and make the necessary inferences.

You are waiting too late to take advantage of information. More importantly, it sounds like you may not be cooperating fully with partner to help him organize the information he needs. Let's look at one recent example you played that cost you over 8 imps (we could just as easily found way too many of my own mistakes that cost a lot more). You need to start trying even before you lead to trick one.

Here is a hand you played recently on line. You were West, let's see how much you can visualize and how in theory you an help partner visualize your hand and make it EASIER for him not to fall for what Rodwell call the "SPEED OF LIGHTENING PLAY."

Before you lead, your partner already has a reasonable view of your hand. You didn't open so less than some agreed number (say 12 hcp when holding a five card plus major), you didn't open a weak two spades, so he will likely imagine you likely with only five spades. Also, should you play precision, he will figure you for no more than 10 HCP.

Better players may be able to offer much better visualization and clues than I will below, but I will try to do as best I can do on this, the first hand I found in Double dummy solver where your pair dropped a trick (or more) on defense. Since you seem to be using standard count and attitude (based on the ♠4 and ♣8, and ♦4 I used standard signals in the discussion below).

Partners should help each other visualize their hands by signal clues during play. Partner raised your spade simply. You expect three of four spades. Partner had both enough to raise and the opponents stopped short of game, so partner will have at least 6 HCP (giving them 24 max), and more likely 8 to 10 (especially if one of they show up with a singleton spade early in play). Dummy of course will have three card heart support for the support double. Did your partner have a redouble, and 2♦ or 2♥ cue-bid available to show different kind of raises? With potentially four different raises to raise to 2♠ you could have a better picture of what partner holds, if some or all of the non-2♠ bids removed some possible holdings partner could have for his 2♠ that would help you visualization of unseen hands.

In addition to considering what other ways partner had available to raise you, you would want to know the answer to at least one more question before you lead: was 3♣ forcing? This is important because if it was not, it would indicate that South has only four hearts. LOOKING at all four hands, they clearly had a bidding misunderstanding. North would have tried 3♦ over 3♣ if he had any idea his partner was running away from a 4-3 heart fit. During the play you may not get the information you need to draw the right conclusions. I am sure they would say they have no agreement, because, looking at their two hands, they had no agreement (A flaw in support doubles is it says how many card support they hold, but not if they have a good or bad hand).

Anyway, you can slowly click through the play and see if you can build a picture of your partner's hand and see if you can help him build a picture of yours.. try to forget that you can actually see all four hands. We will also see how declarer can build a picture or your hands).

TRICK ONE. ♠5 = if you have an agreement to lead 4th best but from known long suit, but with six card or longer, lead lowest, this lead would confirm a five card suit. Lacking that agreement, your partner will place you with a five or six card suit. From your partner's side of the table, he can account for all 13 spades when declarer follows suit so he knows you had only five spades. Declarer will assume from this lead that spades are most likely 5=4 because you didn't open 2♠ and that East has at least one top spade honor.

TRICK ONE. ♠4 = hard to read. But partner needs at least three spades for his raise. His possible holdings after declarer shows the SIX are T42, Q42, QT4, and QT42. Would you give count here or attitude? If he signals attitude the only logical holding he could have is Q42 (he could clearly afford TEN with QT42, or QT4). If he signals standard count, then the only holding that makes sense is QT4 (with QT42 again he could afford the Ten). I think after this auction, lead, and play from dummy, even if I routinely give "attitude", using the attitude>count>S/P I would signal count with the clear ♠TEN at trick one.

Trick TWO, your ♣8 shows an even number. Since South has real clubs on this auction, your partner should be able to work out that this is a doubleton, so he knows how many clubs declarer has and how many spades (if he had only three spades and you lead 6th or 4th best from known long suits he would still know you had five spades, not six). So your partner now has a picture of 5S=xH=hD=2C in your hand. The most likely distribution perhaps is 5=3=3=2, but if 3♣ was forcing, you shape becomes more likely 5=2=4=2. You showed up with the KJ of spades (since partner knows declarer had only 1♠, so you need some more HCP somewhere to bid vulnerable.

TRICK THREE. Partner returns the ♠2 and to your surprise declarer ruffs (well to my surprise as I would not have played the ♠4 from QT42 in this situation). This is where you say you will now constructed the shape of the spade suit ("For example, I'll consolidate information on the distribution of a suit when someone shows out.)" But this is also where you need to HELP partner construct his view of your hand. You played the ♠3, Traditionally when you lead 4th best from a five card suit, you play the lower card to confirm it was a five card suit. Here that IS NOT NECESSARY-- so that whatever else the ♠3 shows, it should NOT be to confirm you had a five card spade suit... partner can SEE you had a five card suit when declarer ruffs, just like you know he had a four card suit. Your lowest spade SHOULD show that you have value in the lowest side suit (here clubs). Actually you have nothing in clubs, you could have place emphasis on the DIAMOND suit by playing the ♠King to show the ♦Ace.

If you had shown the Diamond ACE by playing the spade king, declarer might well play diamonds correctly by leading up the King. This is a risk of giving signals. However, declarer could mark your hand (west) with the ♦ACE at this point no matter which spade you play. Why? Because without it you would not have overcalled -- after your partner has shown up with ♣AJ.. declarer will also note that you will not have the ♠KQJ or even ♠KQ, so he has marked ♠K or ♠Q with East as well. So, it is IMPORTANT TO NOTE: declarer knew you had the ♦Ace after partner won the ♣ACE rather or not YOU SIGNAL the possession of the ♦ACE to partner or not. If you are worried about giving declarer information he always has, you might try a different ploy, of playing a more delicate signal (say the ♠J or 9), anything but the 3). Had you played a very high spade, your partner would have been able to visualize your hand as five spades to the KJxxx, the Diamond Ace (that is 8 HCP). If your side knew that 3♣ was not forcing, your full hand distribution would be know to your partner (if South is known to hold only four hearts, then both you and your partner would know you each have 3 hearts, so your hand is marked as 5=3=3=2, and your partners is 4=3=x=y, where x has to be at least 1. Why? If partner was void in diamonds, south would have 4D making him 4=1=4=4 and he would not have rebid a non-forcing 3♣, but would instead have rebid 3♦. So partner is either 4=3=1=5, or 4=3=2=4, or 4=3=3=3. It is highly unlikely that south has eight clubs (making partner 4=3=4=2)

TRICK FOUR/FIVE - Club KQ, you ruff the queen and dummy overruffs. Partner plays the ♣3 then the ♣9 = the club 3 shows odd remaining count, so partner started with four clubs. Partner will also know that for your VULNERABLE overcall you must have one of the unseen red aces (but not both for that would be 12 HCP), you might also have the unseen ♥Queen. You know that partner had the ♣A the ♠Q, and since declarer had a singleton spade, partner rates to have a few more hcp than the six he has shown. The missing honors from your side is the ♥AJ and the ♣J. Try to imagine declarers hand. Would he have bid 3♣ over 2♠ with just ♠x ♥Jxxx ♦Qx ♣KQT9xx? The answer is no. Even with a fifth heart without the ACE he would at most have competed with a direct 3♥ bid if not passed. So declarer will have the ♥Ace, and if he had the ♥A (especially if fifth) with the ♦Queen, he would have bid game. So you can place the ♥Ace with declarer and the either four hearts with or without the ♦Queen or five hearts without the ♦Queen.

TRICK SIX - the ♦Ten from dummy, and partner with ♦Qx plays low "AT THE SPEED OF LIGHTENING". (It is surprising how often this play works).

Partner made a clear mistake, really clear if you had signaled the diamond ACE earlier. Partner could win the ♦Queen and return a trump and declarer has to play to set up clubs to avoid down three (but still end up going down two vul). Even if you had not signaled the ♦ACE he should play the ♦Q. Why? You had no HCP in clubs, only five spades to the [KJ], so you needed more values. The heart queen would not be enough to overcall, so you must have at least one red ace, with or without the ♥Q.

So your partner could visualize your hand as one of the following. If you had known 3♣ was passable it would be either.

KJxxx
Ax8 (with or without the queen)
xxx
xx

or

KJxxx
xx8 (with or without the queen)
Axx
xx

You may, or may not, have the heart queen in either hand. The winning play on the second had is clearly the ♦Queen, on the first hand, looks like playing the ♦Queen or not doesn't matter. Since in one case you can play high or low, in the other you must play high, the speed of lightening play is wrong. Give declarer a fifth heart and one less diamond, and give declarer AQ of hearts, it still doesn't hurt to put up the ♦Q and declarer goes down (assuming partner has the ♥98 doubleton). So not playing the ♦Queen was a mistake that can be worked out by building the unseen hands. You could have helped, declarer could have taken mild advantage of your help by leading to the ♦king instead of the third club, but he would still be down one (1♠, 1♦, 1♣, 2♥ or a 2nd club) assuming you can duck the low diamond from declarer's hand.

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