No peeking even when you can see the cards

“If an opponent holds his cards carelessly so I can see them,” Cy the Cynic told me, “I think I’m entitled to look. What do you think?”

“I had a college professor who delivered an injunction before every exam,” I replied. “He said, ‘You can look up for inspiration or look down in exasperation, but you can’t look side to side for information.’ I would tell my opponent to hold his hand back.”

Some players have the same attitude as Cy: “Win any way you can.” But it’s a greater pleasure to see your opponent’s hand with your mind’s eye.

In today’s deal, South ruffed the third diamond and took the ace of trumps. He next cashed dummy’s A-K of clubs and ruffed a club. Declarer then led a trump, and when West followed low, South finessed with dummy’s jack. East discarded, so South drew the last trump and went looking for the queen of spades. He judged correctly to play West for the queen and made an overtrick.

“I need to hold my hand back,” West growled. “Declarer’s percentage play in trumps was to cash the ace and king. He must have known something.”

I don’t know how South guessed the queen of spades. As far as I can see, he had no indication about which opponent had that card. Players are entitled to guess right.

But South’s “guess” for the queen of trumps was no guess: When he finessed with the jack, he had a sure thing. If East took the queen, he would be endplayed: East would have to lead a spade, picking up the queen for declarer, or lead a minor suit, letting him pitch a spade and ruff with dummy’s remaining trump.