Player A – K♣, K♥, Q♠, J♠, 9♥, 8♦, 7♣, 7♥, 2♠, 2♦, A♣
Player B – Q♥, Q♣, J♦, 10♠, 9♦, 9♣, 5♦, 5♠, 2♥, A♠
Conditions: This is the third hand of a game. Player A has already scored in the first two games and if he wins this hand the score will be entered in all three games. The knock card is the 2♥.
General Comment: Player A is aware of the fact that the odds are at least 4 to 1 in his favor and perhaps 8 to 1 in the event of a schneid. The dealer is also aware of the odds. Although both are expert players who normally play a middle of the road game, Player A will play more aggressively and Player B will play more defensively than normal. The advantages to each are increased because of the double value of the hand created by the 2♥ knock.
Play of the Hand:
Player A – Discards the 8♦ as the most useless card in his hand, but it is also a salesman. In addition, if his opponent takes it, he will have an indication of what not to play for.
Player B – Going to the deck, he pulls the Q♦ for a meld and limits his choice of discards to the J♦, 9♦, or 8♣. He certainly cannot afford in this hand to open up, even in the beginning, with a totally wild card. Both the J♦ and 9♦ have a better safety value than the 8♣, so he throws the J♦ as the higher of the two.
Player A – Picks from the deck the K♠, which gives him a meld in either of two ways, either three Kings or K♠, Q♠, and J♠. He is not as yet ready to retain the A♣ as a knock card, so he discards it rather than break any of his possibilities.
Player B – Draws the 10♣ from the stock, and throws the A♠ as his safest card.
Player A – Picks the 3♥ from the deck and discards it.
Player B – Picks the 10♥ and discards the 9♦ because of its safety factor. While the 2♥ has the same safety factor, it was retained both for its knock value and as a lower card.
Player A – Pulls from the deck the 7♠, giving him his second meld. He discards the 9♥.
Player B – Going to the deck, he draws the 4♦. It leaves him with an excellent offensive combination for a two-point knock. To take full advantage of his hand, he is forced to discard the 8♣, which he still has doubt about since the first throw of his opponent was the 8♦.
Player A – Picks the 7♦. He now has a decision to make. Should he play with seven melded and play for gin? If so, which of his combinations should he break? Or should he play for nine melded and the knock? If he decides to play for gin, he is limited in whichever combination he breaks to just two cards which could gin him; that is, unless he buys a match to one of his combinations. If he discards to play for the knock, he would throw one of his four 7’s and be left with an opportunity to buy any one of four cards for his nine melded, two of which would allow to knock on the same pick. Since there is almost no possibility of his winning any game with a gin, he takes advantage of the better odds offered in knock opportunities and discards the 7♣.
Player B – Picks and discards the 9♠.
Player A – Picks and discards the 9♣.
Player B – Going to the deck, he pulls the 6♦ and knocks with two points. He wins the hand. Player A, counting his losses, makes sure to meld his three Kings and lay off the Q♠ rather than meld as a spade run. This cuts his loss from 22 points to 12 points.