andy_h Posted November 13, 2011 Report Share Posted November 13, 2011 IMPs - 3rd seat, favourable. You hold ♠AQ103♥Q102♦A862♣53 Auction, with partner as dealer:Pass-(1♣)-Double-(1♥) (Edit: So sorry, it was 1♥, not 1♠ response)Pass-(3NT)-All Pass. 3NT=explained as good hand with (almost) running 6+club suit.Your lead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenrexford Posted November 13, 2011 Report Share Posted November 13, 2011 ♠A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BunnyGo Posted November 13, 2011 Report Share Posted November 13, 2011 I hate underleading Axxx against 3NT, but I think in this case with the club suit threatening for 6 or 7 tricks, the spades favorably positioned for them, I'm down to leading a heart or a diamond (I could go REALLY passive and just lead a club, but I don't think that's correct as they are likely to set up spade tricks with that tempo). A heart lead is tempting if partner holds KJxxx (not too likely, but not horrible either). For a diamond lead to be right, I need partner to have QJxxx or something close to it in addition to the A or K of hearts (or a club stopper...). I'll lead the heart Q or T (probably the T) since I don't need him to have anything but hearts for this to work out, and I need a parley for the diamonds to be right. Edit: Ken's idea to see the dummy with the spade A is interesting. Either see that they don't have spades stopped or see an obvious switch, but I'm too worried about it losing big when dummy hits with KJxx of spades and we don't have 5 tricks off the top (and now they have 9). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whereagles Posted November 13, 2011 Report Share Posted November 13, 2011 ♠A seems best. Combines the chance of running spades with a later diamond switch. You're gonna look silly if spades break across AQTx // xxxx (dummy) // Kx // Jxx but then again, leading a small spade is just too deep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrAce Posted November 13, 2011 Report Share Posted November 13, 2011 ♠A, declarer seems to have solid ♣ suit and he is probably bidding it after hearing ♠ bid by his pd. It is a textbook agressive lead situation imo, we need to collect our tricks quick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy_h Posted November 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2011 Sorry guys, a slight edit - responder had bid 1♥, not 1♠. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whereagles Posted November 13, 2011 Report Share Posted November 13, 2011 Well, diamond now. If pard can cooperate with the king, a spade switch might kill this. And if he happens to have ♦KQ even better. I'm sure Ken would now lead the HEART QUEEN :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_w Posted November 14, 2011 Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 Great - we doubled because we didn't know what to lead and partner helped us by ... passing. I lead the ♥T. Because (1) it might hit partner's suit, (2) it's unlikely to give up th 9th trick (though it could give up a tempo) (3) partner won't play us for the ♥J like they would if we lead the Queen (4) partner won't play back a heart (from dummy and their hand they'll know the Ten was a short suit lead and will hopefully find the spade switch). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aguahombre Posted November 14, 2011 Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 (edited) Great - we doubled because we didn't know what to lead and partner helped us by ... passing. I lead the ♥T. Because (1) it might hit partner's suit. We doubled because it looked like a takeout double of 1C. Partner did help us by passing. Partner doesn't have hearts, because he helped us by passing. whatever I lead will not be a heart. If I had not doubled, then the heart ten would look pretty good. Edited November 14, 2011 by aguahombre Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S2000magic Posted November 14, 2011 Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 A bit off-topic: "Pick a card, any card" is my line. ;) ♦2 (4th best) or ♦6 (3rd & 5th). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyman Posted November 14, 2011 Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 We doubled because it looked like a takeout double of 1C. Partner did help us by passing. Partner doesn't have hearts, because he helped us by passing. whatever I lead will not be a heart. If I had not doubled, then the heart ten would look pretty good. My thoughts exactly. ♦2 for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
655321 Posted November 14, 2011 Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 Heart for sure, I would lead the Queen because it seems more straightforward somehow, but I can see the Ten working too.Opener will often have a singleton heart on this auction. I would have led the ♠A against the original auction (1♠ response). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrAce Posted November 14, 2011 Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 The problem with small ♦ lead is, it is not really helping pd to switch to ♠ suit when it is right thing to do. He is likely to play it back. I would lead ♥ T but if i was convinced to lead a ♦, i would give a thought about Ace lead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
han Posted November 14, 2011 Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 I see two possible leads. Either we lead the diamond ace (and continue with a high one if partner encourages, else try to find partner with the spade king or heart ace) or lead a heart. I think a small diamond is far too commital. I think it is close between the heart queen and the diamond ace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnasher Posted November 14, 2011 Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 What heart layout are the heart-leaders hoping for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fluffy Posted November 14, 2011 Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 ♦A for me, I guess someone has said so already, but ♦A is less likelly to give away the contract than ♠A because we can run spades even if declarer has ♠K, but running diamodns requires a lot more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLOGIC Posted November 14, 2011 Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 What heart layout are the heart-leaders hoping for? I am a heart leader. I am hoping for a layout where declarer does not have 9 unless i lead an ace, and I can set up some tricks in hearts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
han Posted November 14, 2011 Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 Partner with an entry in hearts and the spade jack would also be good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnasher Posted November 14, 2011 Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 I am a heart leader. I am hoping for a layout where declarer does not have 9 unless i lead an ace, and I can set up some tricks in hearts.Yes, I gathered that, but I was hoping for a slightly more specific reply. Given the way the auction started, do you think it possible that partner has ♥A9xx or ♥K9xx, or ♥Jxxx plus an entry? Or are you hoping to get one heart trick and then switch? Regardless, if we're going to lead hearts I think it's clear to lead the queen. That gives us more chance of getting partner in, may mislead declarer about the layout, and may smother declarer's jack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeh Posted November 14, 2011 Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 I made my choice of the ♥Q before reading the comments. It really comes down to the elimination of other options, plus the possibility of a home run. Leading either a spade or a diamond rates to give him an immediate trick, and my club holding suggests that he will score 6 or 7 clubs, plus the trick we give him on the opening lead (and a low diamond may give him two tricks early). That puts him too far ahead, in my view. The heart almost can't give him a trick he hasn't got coming...and, if it does, we probably couldn't beat the contract anyway. In the meantime, as little as A9xx in partner gives us an immediate beat (on a spade switch), if declarer has the stiff J. K9xx gives us a delayed beat. And the stiff J is the holding we are hoping for, and why the Queen seems the right choice, compared to the x or the 10. And on many other hands, the heart succeeds by not being an immediate (or slow) loser. On such hands, the choice of the Q or the 10 probably matters not, but, generally speaking, the 10 loses more often than does the Q. Partner's silence really doesn't tell us to stay away from hearts....we don't need anything like what he'd have to justify his bidding 2♥ over 1♥ or doubling then or later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_w Posted November 15, 2011 Report Share Posted November 15, 2011 Yes, I gathered that, but I was hoping for a slightly more specific reply. Given the way the auction started, do you think it possible that partner has ♥A9xx or ♥K9xx, or ♥Jxxx plus an entry? Or are you hoping to get one heart trick and then switch? Regardless, if we're going to lead hearts I think it's clear to lead the queen. That gives us more chance of getting partner in, may mislead declarer about the layout, and may smother declarer's jack. Unfortunately the ♥Q might confuse partner too (I don't mind the lead - it could be a big winner). As for Heart layouts - this wasn't as important as the rest of the hand. Us Heart leaders are trying not to blow a trick on the opening lead. If dummy has the ♥A and we lead a Spade or a Diamond then declarer might now have 9 tricks. And if partner has the ♥A then we've found partner's entry - hoorah - what a great lead. The worst layout is dummy has the AK, declarer has 7 clubs and claims - when we could have cashed out Diamonds or Spades (or maybe both!!)) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnasher Posted November 15, 2011 Report Share Posted November 15, 2011 Unfortunately the ♥Q might confuse partner too (I don't mind the lead - it could be a big winner).I'll be surprised if partner has enough high cards for the confusion to matter. Us Heart leaders are trying not to blow a trick on the opening lead. If that's your sole objective, it seems to me that a club is better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
han Posted November 15, 2011 Report Share Posted November 15, 2011 How about posting your thoughts for once instead of asking questions and nitpicking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLOGIC Posted November 15, 2011 Report Share Posted November 15, 2011 :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnasher Posted November 15, 2011 Report Share Posted November 15, 2011 How about posting your thoughts for once instead of asking questions and nitpicking.I'll post whatever I feel like posting. Nobody forces you to read it. On this hand, I'm not sure what is best, partly because I'm not sure what is the least that partner can have for a double of 1♥. I know that I'd double 1♥ with ♥A9xx or ♥KJxx and nothing else, but I'm not sure how typical that is. Hence I would be interested to learn what heart holdings people are hoping for when they lead a heart. Is that OK with you Han? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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