BridgeHands

Crocodile Coup - A tactic of playing a top Honor to avoid partner from being forced into an unprofitable lead resulting in an endplay of the defender.  The defender usually must upset the declarer's timing by taking a card before the "crocodile" sets the final trap.  Example:

	K J 6 5
6 4 A Q		Q 8 7  K
	10 9  10 9

South needs 2 tricks to make game, leading the H10 tempting West to take the trick cheaply with the HQ. But alas, ducking the trick forces East to win with the HK and lead into the dummy's SK and SJ "crocodile", winning 2 tricks.  

However, a perceptive West will cash the HA despite the HA crashes with partner's HK.  Next West cashes the HQ, followed by the S6 through North's SK-SJ tenaces to East's SQ thus restricting declarer to 1 trick.

See Coups, Vienna Coup, Morton Fork Coup, and books on Coups, Squeezes