How to be a better opening leader

[bd71]

My growing dataset of matchpoints/pairs hands that I've played on BBO -- 80% of which is in ACBL robot tourneys -- leads me to the conclusion that opening leads is a big shortcoming in my game.

 

So, what advice can people give me on the best ways to improve on opening leads? Are there specific books you would recommend? Specific exercises or ways to practice? Any advice would be appreciated...

 

 

 

 

For what it's worth, data below shows hands when I am declerer ("Dec"), dummy ("Sit"), defending on lead ("Lead"), and defending but not on lead ("Def").

 

# MP Make%

1713 52.4% 68.0%

Dec 843 52.1% 66.8%

Sit 387 54.4% 73.9%

Lead 182 45.8% 70.9%

Def 257 55.1% 55.6%

PO 44 50.9% 100.0%

[quiddity]

I found Lawrence's "Opening Leads" to be very helpful at a B/I level.

[nigel_k]

If you analyze after seeing all four hands then opening leads are a big shortcoming in everyone's game. Two main pieces of advice are:

 

1. Read books. In this case it probably doesn't matter which ones.

 

2. Work on using the bidding to build up a picture of the the other hands

[Echognome]

My growing dataset of matchpoints/pairs hands that I've played on BBO -- 80% of which is in ACBL robot tourneys -- leads me to the conclusion that opening leads is a big shortcoming in my game.

 

So, what advice can people give me on the best ways to improve on opening leads? Are there specific books you would recommend? Specific exercises or ways to practice? Any advice would be appreciated...

 

 

 

 

For what it's worth, data below shows hands when I am declerer ("Dec"), dummy ("Sit"), defending on lead ("Lead"), and defending but not on lead ("Def").

 

# MP Make%

1713 52.4% 68.0%

Dec 843 52.1% 66.8%

Sit 387 54.4% 73.9%

Lead 182 45.8% 70.9%

Def 257 55.1% 55.6%

PO 44 50.9% 100.0%

The statistics seem to show that your partners are better than you. (Sit > Dec and Def >> Lead)

 

I don't understand why you're declaring over twice as many hands as your partners (843 vs 347).

 

Anyway, to answer your question, I would think reading and practicing. There are plenty of books about opening leads. They will talk a lot about listening to the auction and visualizing the layouts of the hands. Practice the visualization. Before you lead imagine what the opposing hands look like. Then after you lead don't just ignore all you thought about. Does dummy look like you expect it? If not is it because you don't agree with dummy's bidding? or is it because you hadn't considered dummy's hand as a possibility?

 

What about after the play is done? Try to make a little note on what you thought declarer's hand looked like when you lead. You don't want to spend time right after the board finished analyzing it, but if you can study the hand records afterwards, then you have an opportunity to analyze your thought process versus the actual hands.

[dkharty]

Are there specific books you would recommend?

Easley Blackwood's "Complete Book of Opening Leads" is a good one. It's old but hardly outdated.

[bd71]

The statistics seem to show that your partners are better than you. (Sit > Dec and Def >> Lead)

 

I don't understand why you're declaring over twice as many hands as your partners (843 vs 347).

80-90% of these hands are ACBL robot tourneys where it is me and 3 GIBS...and where I get the best hand, explaining why I declare more often. And I think the right conclusion from the "Sit" vs. "Dec" comparison is that my bidding is better than the field bidding when GIB is declarer (probably because I don't hog contracts) by MORE than my declaring is better than the field (which isn't much).

 

Anyway, appreciate the advice from all.

[Ant590]

Akin to the reason why you declare more, it may well be the case that by having more points you are endplayed into making more dangerous leads at trick one compared to the GiBs.