Lead problem

[temp3600]

You are North and hold 5 - J8632 - KT52 - T73, red vs white at imps. West deals and the auction goes (1♠) - (3♠) - (4♠).

3♠ shows 10 - 11 support points with 3 or 4 trumps.

 

What suit do you lead ?

 

Also, do you have strong feelings in favor of or against the lead of a certain suit ?

 

Michael

[luke warm]

i lead the ♥2 .... partner might have 4 trumps, which might be unpleasant for declarer especially if hearts can luckily force him to ruff

[Winstonm]

No long suits to run for their side and they may have been pushing it a bit to get to game so I don't want to blow anything on lead....a club looks most passive from my hand so that is my lead.

 

Winston

[kenrexford]

I lead the diamond 10. I expect partner to have Q9x, dummy Jxx, and Declarer Axx, or, even better, partner Q87 and declarer A9x.

 

Why? Almost all posted lead questions feature either (1) partner making a stupid lead or (2) something sexy. No lead is truly stupid here, so I expect sexy. No suit offers more sex appeal than diamonds, as these two layouts are tremendous.

[Guest Jlall]

I lead a diamond. I pretty much lean towards leading agressive whenever it's reasonable at imps.

[mike777]

5 of D attack!

[Kalvan14]

A small diamond. If there has to be a force, diamonds are more likely to force than hearts. 10♦ is attractive, but i doubt that anyone could pull such a lead in real life :P

[Limey_p]

I figure Spade is the worst, any of the others could be OK. My choice was between diamond and club, I picked club.

 

A

[P_Marlowe]

Hearts, trying to create a forcing defence,

altough diamond may get the job done better.

 

Not a trump (single), not a club

(most likely declarers suit).

 

Marlowe

[Chamaco]

The choice is between a heart or a diamond (a trump might trap pard's Hxxx holding, and a club from xxx rarely is appealing) , according to whether we want to lead aggressively or passively.

 

They had a limit auction, and trumps might break badly.

I'll chicken out and avoid underleading my ♦KT tenace.

 

All in all, it is entirely possible my J will be of help to pard in developing the tricks we need.

And as Garozzo always preached, "Passive leads vs game contracts, active leads vs slams".

I do not follow always the Garozzo motto (I indeed like to lead active) , but when in doubt, I am becoming more sensitive to some dangerous leads vs game contracts :-)

 

Also, do you have strong feelings in favor of or against the lead of a certain suit ?

 

Between diamonds and hearts it's close.

I hate any black suit lead here.

[Walddk]

♦5.

 

Roland

[Finch]

I tend to be an aggressive opening leader, particularly at imps.

Low diamond.

[kgr]

I'm surprised that the experts choice is low ♦. As a beginner they teached me not to underlead A or K against a trump contract.

Here opps did bid to game via a limit so I don't feel the need to lead aggresive, and also I have a singleton trump giving my partner extra trump length. I don't want to give them an extra trick by leading a low diamond.

Can the experts explain me why they think a ♦ lead is better here?

Remark: most of the time I play MP's and I almost never underlead an A or a K. Probably logic at MP's?

[Chamaco]

Can the experts explain me why they think a ♦ lead is better here?

I am no expert, but I'll try to give a first shot to this q.

 

The logic behind undeleading honors at trump contract is that often, the struggle between declarer and defenders is a race of knocking out early the respective stoppers in the suit to develop the trick to fulfil or beat the contract.

 

Leading passively usually does not waste but does not develop tricks, hence declarer is left undisturbed to try to find the missing tricks.

 

Leading actively does risk blowing tricks, but basically is aimed to try opening a suit where we need the less for for partner to develop tricks.

 

========

 

Hence, it seems to me that the "always lead aggressively to develop tricks (even risking to blow a trick)" o "always lead passively to avoid blowing tricks (although sacrificing a tempo)" are both a partial view: the real difficulty is try to understand whether the auction calls for an active lead or a passive lead (such as when opps have stretched and won't find the 10th trick if we do not blow it on lead).

[Finch]

Hence, it seems to me that the "always lead aggressively to develop tricks (even risking to blow a trick)" o "always lead passively to avoid blowing tricks (although sacrificing a tempo)" are both a partial view: the real difficulty is try to understand whether the auction calls for an active lead or a passive lead (such as when opps have stretched and won't find the 10th trick if we do not blow it on lead).

Quite so.

Unrevealing auctions such as this one are often the hardest to lead against.

 

When you are guessing, here are two good rules unrelated to the given hand for deciding whether to be active or passive:

 

i) What is your partnership style? If partner knows you are an aggressive leader then he won't play you to have led from 3 low at trick one (where he might have a guess if you have an honour or not), or if you do lead from say 3 low he knows that you didn't have an attractive aggressive lead elsewhere. Alternatively, if partner likes passive leads then he knows if you do lead away from a king that you didn't have a passive lead available.

 

(of course, this information should also be made available to declarer)

 

ii) aggressive leads tend to make the defence easier, if they don't blow the contract at trick 1. When they work you often know how to defend for the rest of the hand - it's not always obvious what continues to be passive.

 

And one final argument for being aggressive: it might look like a passive lead, but 3 low or even 5 low may not be, it may pick up partner's holding.

 

If I wanted to go passive on this hand I'd lead my 5-card heart suit, not 3 low clubs.

[luke warm]

well there you have it... 3 real experts lead a diamond, so i have to think that lead tends to work out best overall... i'd be interested in their take on what partner might have, though... it isn't impossible for trumps to split 4/1, and it isn't impossible for declarer to lose control..

 

of course it isn't impossible for partner to have ♦A,Q either

[Guest Jlall]

It's too hard to construct hands based on this auction, that's why as Frances said these are the toughest auctions to lead against. Basically all you have to fall back on is experience. If you want the "logic" behind it, it is what Chamaco said. The defense has the advantage of the opening lead, and often timing is everything. They could have discards coming on clubs (or hearts) and we need to get diamonds going immediately. We could have a ruff coming in diamonds (if pard has Ax). We could be leading into the AQ. It's really impossible to say, but my experience has been to lead agressive at imps on these auctions. They have 9 trumps and RHO has the strength and I have nothing behind him (except the DK). It looks like other than the 3-1 trump split, the hand will be favorable for him.

[Chamaco]

We could be leading into the AQ. It's really impossible to say, but my experience has been to lead agressive at imps on these auctions.

As Jimmy noted, the experts seem to have unanimity on an aggressive lead vs the plain limit raise.

 

I would like to know their line of thinking in case the auction went:

1S-2S-3S-4S (yes I know, sounds like a comic auctions, but hell, I always seem to find people who bid like that ;) )

[Winstonm]

I'm surprised that the experts choice is low ♦. As a beginner they teached me not to underlead A or K against a trump contract.

Here opps did bid to game via a limit so I don't feel the need to lead aggresive, and also I have a singleton trump giving my partner extra trump length. I don't want to give them an extra trick by leading a low diamond.

Can the experts explain me why they think a ♦ lead is better here?

Remark: most of the time I play MP's and I almost never underlead an A or a K. Probably logic at MP's?

No world class player here but pretty well read.

 

My understanding is that the choice of opening leads is based on what type of overall defensive scheme you believe is right for the hand.

 

There are 4 basic defensive concepts:

 

1) Active defense.

2) Passive defense

3) Forcing defense.

4) Trump leads

 

The choice of schemes depends on what hand-types you expect to be up against.

 

Active:

When the auction has shown some type of length in dummy as a source of side tricks or when it's obvious the opponents have plenty of HCP for their contract, it us usually right to lead aggressively and try to build tricks fast before declarer's losers in those suits are discarded....so even low from KJx becomes a choice.

 

Passive:

When it appears the opponents have barely enough for game or have stretched and no long suit for discards is apt to be lying around, then the object becomes not to help declarer and let him find his own way....in these cases, underleading a Kxxx might blow the trick needed for make or break.

 

Forcing:

This is when either you hold or you suspect partner holds length in trumps - try to force opponents to ruff so you end up with equal or longer trumps then your winning cards cannot be ruffed away. Long suit leads usually work best here.

 

Trump leads:

The most difficult to know when it is right - usually either 100% right or totally wrong. The key is to estimate how many times you will be able to lead trumps verses the number of trumps estimated to be in dummy compared to the number of losing cards declarer will need to ruff - not easy to do.

 

I chose on this hand to select a passive stance, letting declarer find his own 10 tricks - although argued against by some, a club looks to me to be both passive and somewhat active: if pard has QJxx and the others are divided Axx, Kxx we have got a head start on building a club trick; conversely, if declarer hold AKJ opposite xx or xxx I have not given him anything that wasn't his to begin with - the Queen is onside.

However, I'm also aware of some risks in a club lead....Jxx in dummy and AK9 in declarer's hand and he guesses right or worse yet, KJxxx in dummy and declarer with Axx.

 

There was a time in my life when I shied away from the leads from 3 small like the plague - but over time saw so many experts find these leads when they were right that I lost my bias against them and now routinely make this lead if I think it is the suit that should be led.

 

So I would classify the club lead as Passactive - an attempt at a passive lead that has some active overtones.

 

Winston

[Winstonm]

Note on this hand:

 

There is, I believe, a compelling argument for a trump lead as well. First, dummy has 4 trumps and partner has 3 most likely, so we should be able to lead enough trumps to be of benefit - especially if partner holds Axx - along with my weakness makes it appear he will have an entry to lead the third and possibly killing trump.

 

The trump lead will work out best when dummy has 4441, 4432 or 4135 with a real weak long suit.

 

Tempo of bid may be a clue. If it appears LHO hesitates slightly it may be because he is trying to decide whether to make a limit raise or a 2/1 when holding a 4135 pattern - a good clue to go active; however, if he quickly bids 3S he is most apt to hold a more classical limit raise and a trump lead might work out nicely.

 

For those higher ranking players, does playing behind a screen affect this ability to judge hesitations in the bidding?

 

Winston

[Al_U_Card]

I like the idea of the H lead, but hate my H holding so I opt for a low D. Never like pickling my pard's trump honors and D may force as well as H esp. since pard can have a few more of them than H.

[mike777]

I'm surprised that the experts choice is low ♦. As a beginner they teached me not to underlead A or K against a trump contract.

Here opps did bid to game via a limit so I don't feel the need to lead aggresive, and also I have a singleton trump giving my partner extra trump length. I don't want to give them an extra trick by leading a low diamond.

Can the experts explain me why they think a ♦ lead is better here?

Remark: most of the time I play MP's and I almost never underlead an A or a K. Probably logic at MP's?

No world class player here but pretty well read.

 

My understanding is that the choice of opening leads is based on what type of overall defensive scheme you believe is right for the hand.

 

There are 4 basic defensive concepts:

 

1) Active defense.

2) Passive defense

3) Forcing defense.

4) Trump leads

 

The choice of schemes depends on what hand-types you expect to be up against.

 

Active:

When the auction has shown some type of length in dummy as a source of side tricks or when it's obvious the opponents have plenty of HCP for their contract, it us usually right to lead aggressively and try to build tricks fast before declarer's losers in those suits are discarded....so even low from KJx becomes a choice.

 

Passive:

When it appears the opponents have barely enough for game or have stretched and no long suit for discards is apt to be lying around, then the object becomes not to help declarer and let him find his own way....in these cases, underleading a Kxxx might blow the trick needed for make or break.

 

Forcing:

This is when either you hold or you suspect partner holds length in trumps - try to force opponents to ruff so you end up with equal or longer trumps then your winning cards cannot be ruffed away. Long suit leads usually work best here.

 

Trump leads:

The most difficult to know when it is right - usually either 100% right or totally wrong. The key is to estimate how many times you will be able to lead trumps verses the number of trumps estimated to be in dummy compared to the number of losing cards declarer will need to ruff - not easy to do.

 

I chose on this hand to select a passive stance, letting declarer find his own 10 tricks - although argued against by some, a club looks to me to be both passive and somewhat active: if pard has QJxx and the others are divided Axx, Kxx we have got a head start on building a club trick; conversely, if declarer hold AKJ opposite xx or xxx I have not given him anything that wasn't his to begin with - the Queen is onside.

However, I'm also aware of some risks in a club lead....Jxx in dummy and AK9 in declarer's hand and he guesses right or worse yet, KJxxx in dummy and declarer with Axx.

 

There was a time in my life when I shied away from the leads from 3 small like the plague - but over time saw so many experts find these leads when they were right that I lost my bias against them and now routinely make this lead if I think it is the suit that should be led.

 

So I would classify the club lead as Passactive - an attempt at a passive lead that has some active overtones.

 

Winston

Great Post WistonM thank you. I also love that given this hand and auction posters found reasons to make all 4 choices.

[Fluffy]

♥: I don't lead agressively against balanced dummies. Specially when the game can be an overbid.

[temp3600]

Here is the full hand :[hv=d=w&v=n&n=s5hj8632dkt52ct73&w=sakj962hkdqj4cqj2&e=s743haqt7d8763ca4&s=sqt8h954da9ck9865]399|300|Scoring: IMP[/hv]

A trump lead picks up partner's queen for declarer. A heart also makes it easy for declarer.

On a club lead, declarer will probably go down.

A diamond lead makes the defense interesting. If we return the ♦9 and partner gives us a ruff, then the defense only takes three tricks. However, if partner finds the nice defense of a club switch at trick 3, declarer can go wrong.