lead vs 3NT

[Apollo81]

♠ 10942

♥ 8753

♦ A65

♣ J9

 

1♦-1♠

2♦-3♣

3♥-3NT

 

Your opponents are AVG- for the field, which is an A/X BAM.

[gwnn]

I'd surely lead a high heart at the table without much thought. Partner should have at least 3 of them but more likely would be 4. Even with a double stop we could get a few tricks or at least not give away tricks.

[Apollo81]

I'd surely lead a high heart at the table without much thought. Partner should have at least 3 of them but more likely would be 4. Even with a double stop we could get a few tricks or at least not give away tricks.

I guess I should add that I was virtually certain that North had 4 hearts on table feel, if anyone is wondering.

[kenrexford]

I'd surely lead a high heart at the table without much thought. Partner should have at least 3 of them but more likely would be 4. Even with a double stop we could get a few tricks or at least not give away tricks.

The problem, I believe, needs one thing clarified -- what is 3♣?

 

If 3♣ is natural, then hearts seems to be the fourth suit. However, if 3♣ is NMF, bid with 5♠ but not 4♥, then Opener seems to have a diamond-heart two-suiter, making clubs the fourth suit.

[Apollo81]

I'd surely lead a high heart at the table without much thought. Partner should have at least 3 of them but more likely would be 4. Even with a double stop we could get a few tricks or at least not give away tricks.

The problem, I believe, needs one thing clarified -- what is 3♣?

 

If 3♣ is natural, then hearts seems to be the fourth suit. However, if 3♣ is NMF, bid with 5♠ but not 4♥, then Opener seems to have a diamond-heart two-suiter, making clubs the fourth suit.

In the real world you dont get these kinds of things clarified always cause opps either dont know what theyre doing or are having a misunderstanding or something

 

I can tell you that I wasn't sure about 3♣ and on table feel I was assuming a 4 card heart suit was coming down.

[jdonn]

I would lead a spade, I don't think hearts are either as safe or productive as it looks if it's a problem condition that we are so sure LHO has 4.

[kenrexford]

I suppose I might ask what 3♣ means, especially if I get a muddled answer. Wild eyes and arguments by the opponents may help me on lead more than a straight answer.

 

But, I suppose the problem is down to me guessing what 3♣ must mean.

 

I want to lead something that kills dummy's late entry to diamonds, but I cannot know for sure what that is. Hearts might be right, something like KQx(x)? Clubs might be right, if dummy has something like QJ tight, or Ax (partner with the King). Spade might be right for that, but this seems remote. Spades does seem to be the safe lead, in the sense of not establishing an honor trick.

[mike777]

8H

[Guest Jlall]

3H really showed 4? That's weird, I would lead a small spade if that was the case.

[Fluffy]

I'd surely lead a high heart at the table without much thought. Partner should have at least 3 of them but more likely would be 4. Even with a double stop we could get a few tricks or at least not give away tricks.

I guess I should add that I was virtually certain that North had 4 hearts on table feel, if anyone is wondering.

By North you are meaning LHO right?

 

If opponents ain't good you are better making the field lead and then using your skills (and their lack) to get a trick more than others.

 

But if 3♥ is nat there is no standard lead, I'd go with a ♣

[Apollo81]

Declarer held AKJxx AQx Kx xxx and dummy held x K109x QJ10xx KQx. A club produces the best result (630 or set depending on how declarer plays it). I led a heart at the table because I wanted to make the field lead against a weak team. Unfortunately, the other table wrongsided 3NT and received the club lead.

[sathyab]

Declarer held AKJxx AQx Kx xxx and dummy held x K109x QJ10xx KQx.  A club produces the best result (630 or set depending on how declarer plays it).  I led a heart at the table because I wanted to make the field lead against a weak team.  Unfortunately, the other table wrongsided 3NT and received the club lead.

As an aside, what should the hand holding AKJxx AQx Kx xxx bid after 1d-1s-2d ? If you had held AKJxx xxx Kx AQx you'd bid 3c, forcing and showing club stoppers, inviting partner to bid 3nt with hearts well stopped otherwise probably support spades with Hx perhaps. But with the holding in the rounded suits reversed, bidding 2h would be natural so you can't do that, especially as pd who could easily have four hearts would raise. Is there any other bid says "I have hearts stopped, bid 3nt if you've clubs stopped" ?

[jdonn]

Declarer held AKJxx AQx Kx xxx and dummy held x K109x QJ10xx KQx.  A club produces the best result (630 or set depending on how declarer plays it).  I led a heart at the table because I wanted to make the field lead against a weak team.  Unfortunately, the other table wrongsided 3NT and received the club lead.

As an aside, what should the hand holding AKJxx AQx Kx xxx bid after 1d-1s-2d ? If you had held AKJxx xxx Kx AQx you'd bid 3c, forcing and showing club stoppers, inviting partner to bid 3nt with hearts well stopped otherwise probably support spades with Hx perhaps. But with the holding in the rounded suits reversed, bidding 2h would be natural so you can't do that, especially as pd who could easily have four hearts would raise. Is there any other bid says "I have hearts stopped, bid 3nt if you've clubs stopped" ?

2♥ is obvious. It doesn't promise 4, it's forcing and can just be an ongoing move on a hand like that.

[sathyab]

2♥ is obvious. It doesn't promise 4, it's forcing and can just be an ongoing move on a hand like that.

 

So partner raises to 3h, over which you bid 3s and partner now bids 3nt with a club stopper realizing that 2h was a temporizing bid ? Is partner allowed to bid 4h with a slightly stronger hand or is there no need as 2h is GF ? I've played a bunch of treatments like Gittelman over 1m to solve other problems but never quite come across this situation.

[jdonn]

2♥ is obvious. It doesn't promise 4, it's forcing and can just be an ongoing move on a hand like that.

 

So partner raises to 3h, over which you bid 3s and partner now bids 3nt with a club stopper realizing that 2h was a temporizing bid ? Is partner allowed to bid 4h with a slightly stronger hand or is there no need as 2h is GF ? I've played a bunch of treatments like Gittelman over 1m to solve other problems but never quite come across this situation.

Partner is not allowed to bid 4♥ over 2♥. If he bids 3♥ and you bid something else below game (3♠ or 4♦) that is natural and forcing. Everything tends to work itself out quite nicely.