Shooting is an approach in bridge to the bidding or play of a hand which aims for a favorable result by making a choice that is slightly against the odds.
It is regarded as contrary to the proprieties if a player, perhaps angry with his partner, starts bidding and playing every hand in ways that disregard winning technique.
In contrast, a player who is shooting makes a bid or play that is only slightly inferior, in the hope that the cards lie in such a way that the normal, percentage action will lose.
Miles gives these hands as examples of shooting in the play:[3] NS West leads the ♠4 against a typical 3NT contract.
At rubber bridge or IMPs, South should play to ruff two hearts in dummy, to guard against either opponent's holding of queen-fourth of spades.
If South wants to shoot, Miles notes that declarer could adopt the rubber bridge approach of ruffing two hearts, in effect playing for the spades to split badly.