Player A – 8♠, 8♦, 8♣, 10♦, 9♣, 6♥, 6♣, 4♣, 3♣, 3♥, A♦
Player B – K♣, Q♣, J♣, 10♣, 10♠, 7♦, 3♦, 3♠, 2♠, A♣
Conditions: This hand is the third hand of a set. Player A has already scored on the first two games, while Player B has not scored on any. The knock card is a 2♠, so it is a double hand.
Play of the Hand:
Player A – Having the odds in his favor, he throws his most useless card, the A♦. He is more concerned with retaining all of his combinations than holding a knock card at this point.
Player B – Realizing that his hand must be played for nine melded in order to affect a knock, he has no interest in picking the A♦. He picks from the deck the 7♣ and discards his A♣.
Player A – Going to the deck, he draws the K♠ and discards it.
Player B – Picks the 5♦ from the deck and now discards the 10♠ as his safest choice. He realizes that it was a hanger on the end of a four-card run and could be used to develop another meld, but every other card in his hand is combined, so the 10♠ is thrown.
Player A – Picks the 9♦ from the deck, which now gives him tremendous offensive combinations with his three 8’s. In addition, since his opponent just threw the 10♠, it is likely that this card could be followed with either the 10♣ or 9♠. He discards the 3♥ rather than the 6♥ since the 6♥ could tie up a needed 8♥, whereas the 3♥ could not tie up anything.
Player B – Takes the discarded 3♥. Of course, he will remain with his 7♣, 7♦, 5♦ combination and he has the choice of either throwing the dead K♣ or retaining the 2♠ for a knock. While the 2♠ is less safe, there would be no point in throwing off his run at this early stage. For this reason he discards the 2♠.
Player A – Picks the Q♠ from the deck and discards it.
Player B – Draws the 5♣ from the deck and discards the 7♣ as being the safest card.
Player A – Taking the discard, he now has seven melded cards and has a choice of discarding either the 8♠ or the 6♥. The 6♥ can be used by his opponent either for 6’s or in a heart run, while the 8♠ can only be used for a spade run. The 6♥, in addition, offers another opportunity for nine melded so he discards the 8♠.
Player B – Going to the deck, he pulls the 4♥. Not knowing whether the 7♣ is being used for 7’s or for a club run; he does not have a safe card to throw unless he throws from his run. Even if he did, he would not be in a position to knock, and if he bought his nine melded he would then be faced with the same problem. He therefore discards the 4♥.
Player A – Picks from the deck the 7♥, which he discards. It would be an excellent card to hold with the 6♥ since 8’s have been established and he would not have to disclose to his opponent how the 7♣ is being used. However, if he threw the dead 4♣ he would then be faced with the problem of the 3♣, since his opponent has already picked the 3♥. He discards the 7♥.
Player B – He is aware now that Player A holds a club run and he will not release the 5♣. He picks and discards the Q♥.
Player A – Draws the 2♣ from the stock, ginning the hand in the only way possible at this point.