[the_clown]

Hi all,

In a recent IMP Game the following was a side KQ10xx in Dummy opposite J9. I won trick one and at trick 2 I played the king and 9 from hand ducked all around. At this point I asked about the count signals(didn't want to ask before the play since that might persuade them to give wrong count. Convention card was not available.). No matter what explanation I got, I was always going to play the Diamond Queen next. It was ducked all around as well. After the hand my opponent, a well known ethical player suggested that it would have been to ask after I have played the diamond queen.

So what do you guys think, was it unethical to ask at that time?

Thnx in advance

[gnasher]

In general, if you have a choice of when to ask a question, you should try to do so at a time which won't either mislead the opponents or give away information about your hand. At trick one, before looking at dummy, is a good time.

However, I can't see how the opponents could be misled by the timing of your question, so your opponent is wrong on this occasion. Furthermore, what he's suggesting would give him information to which he's not entitled: if you follow his recommended approach, when you do ask he knows you're considering playing some other suit.

And if he's such an ethical player, why didn't he bring a convention card, as required by the rules?

[barmar]

Many players prefer to ask after the players have (presumably) given a signal. If you ask before, it warns the opponents that you're watching their signals, and they may be more likely to falsecard. That seems to be your reasoning as well, and I don't see a problem with it.

I'm not sure what the opponent's point was. He seems to agree that it's OK to wait, but he thinks you should have waited yet another trick. I guess he thinks you were trying to mislead them about your hand with the timing, but I don't see how this does that. It's a routine question.