Chamaco Posted July 20, 2004 Report Share Posted July 20, 2004 Hi all, I would like to have moreinsight on the best card to lead from 3 cards tenaces composed of 3 of the top 6 honors (including the 9).I have quite a few books on opening leads (Blackwood, Ewen, Lawrence, Sowter, and others specifically on opening leads + Kantar's defence books) and a few others), but none of them deals in details with these sequences. Assuming that: 1) you play J denies, T and 9 = 0 or 2 higher honors2) vs Notrump, A and Q leads ask for unblocking or count3) vs suit contract, A and Q ask encouragement, K asks count Given the following holdings, what do you lead ?The question is due to the following potential problems: 1) HJT/HJ9: if lead the J, it denies a higher honor, pard with a good holding may switch and lose a tempo; lead T or 9 may work, but potential blockage ?2) AQT/AQ9: similar problem3) HT9: similar to HJT: leading 9 here promises, but pard has no idea of potential blockage4) in some instance, I have seen world class leading the highest honor from those sequences, as unblocking play. How to recognize these situations ? AQTAJTAQ9AJ9AT9KJTKJ9KT9QT9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free Posted July 20, 2004 Report Share Posted July 20, 2004 AT9, KT9, QT9 => lead the 9AJT, KJT => lead the 10 don't touch the others :D : AQTAQ9AJ9KJ9 Too much chance to give away tricks. If you really have to (also depends on the auction), I'll probably lead as follows: AQT => AAQ9 => 9AJ9 => J - falsecard, whateverKJ9 => J - falsecard, whatever Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chamaco Posted July 20, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2004 AQT => A Dangerous vs notrump, since pard will drop the K or J if he has it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearmum Posted July 20, 2004 Report Share Posted July 20, 2004 I would try my hardest NOT to lead from any of the tenances you asked about :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chamaco Posted July 20, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2004 I would try my hardest NOT to lead from any of the tenances you asked about :D LOLLSure thing, now you have used the easy answer... :) However sometimes you HAVE to :)(ready to listen to the tougher anwer.... :) ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luke warm Posted July 20, 2004 Report Share Posted July 20, 2004 Assuming that: 1) you play J denies, T and 9 = 0 or 2 higher honors2) vs Notrump, A and Q leads ask for unblocking or count3) vs suit contract, A and Q ask encouragement, K asks count 1) HJT/HJ9: if lead the J, it denies a higher honor, pard with a good holding may switch and lose a tempo; lead T or 9 may work, but potential blockage ?2) AQT/AQ9: similar problem3) HT9: similar to HJT: leading 9 here promises, but pard has no idea of potential blockage4) in some instance, I have seen world class leading the highest honor from those sequences, as unblocking play. How to recognize these situations ? AQTAJTAQ9AJ9AT9KJTKJ9KT9QT9given your rules: my lead: 1) J 10/9 unless no trump2) 10/9 10/9 unless suit bid on left, then Q3) 10 94) 10 10 unless bid on left, then Q 10 10 9 9 or Q 9 9 9 9 10 10 9 9 9 9 9 9 my leads: 10/9 unless no trump, then J10/9 unless suit bid on left, then Q910 unless bid on left, then Q109 or Q9910999 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luis Posted July 20, 2004 Report Share Posted July 20, 2004 1) HJT/HJ9: if lead the J, it denies a higher honor, pard with a good holding may switch and lose a tempo; lead T or 9 may work, but potential blockage ? Playing J denies I guess that if you really think pd has length in this suit then it depends on where the entries to the defensive hands are. If you only have HJT and nothing else you can probably lead the T, if you have an entry the highest honor (A or K) is better. 2) AQT/AQ9: similar problem The Ace is here usually better, then you can catch a doubleton King or Jack depending on the count. 3) HT9: similar to HJT: leading 9 here promises, but pard has no idea of potential blockage Same. 4) in some instance, I have seen world class leading the highest honor from those sequences, as unblocking play. How to recognize these situations ? I think the idea is not only to prevent a blockage but also to get the count to know if you can pin a doubleton honor in dummy or declarer's hand.From the positions you mention there's one potentially blocking position that many players don't know and it's ATx or KTx (same with A9x or K9x) where the right lead is the T (or 9) to prevent a blockage. Luis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fluffy Posted July 20, 2004 Report Share Posted July 20, 2004 AQT => A Dangerous vs notrump, since pard will drop the K or J if he has it That is only when you play that Ace asks for unblock, switch it to King asking for unblock+Ace asking for attitude and you are in a better position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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