Opening Lead against 3N

[SteveMoe]

[hv=pc=n&e=sq76hkj62d5432ct7&d=s&v=n&b=15&a=1cp3nppp]133|200|2/1[/hv]

Matchpoint Pairs

Advanced player declaring.

Intermediate LHO and Advanced Partner.

You are on lead - what do you do? ... and why?

Submitted as an extension to

Lead Problem posted earlier.

 

Will provide full hand later.

[dake50]

I want partner to expect 4th from longest/strongest.

Don't have a reason to deviate.

[ColdCrayon]

Definitely calls for active defense - if I understand the bid right, declarer is showing a trick source in clubs, with partial stops in the other suits, particularly the majors. That's as far as my opinion goes - working through "Killing Defense" right now where problems like this have you leading, say, the J♥ and it's way over my head..

 

Anyway, I'm strongest in hearts, but I can't see 3NT being bid without the AK or jack in declarer's hand, so a spade lead seems in order.

[sharan28]

[hv=pc=n&e=sq76hkj62d5432ct7&d=s&v=n&b=15&a=1cp3nppp]133|200|2/1[/hv]

You are on lead - what do you do? ... and why?

Submitted as an extension to

Lead Problem posted earlier.

 

Will provide full hand later.

 

 

i will prefer lead 2 odf H

[MrAce]

Definitely calls for active defense - if I understand the bid right, declarer is showing a trick source in clubs, with partial stops in the other suits, particularly the majors. That's as far as my opinion goes -

 

 

This is what i love about this game. It always amazes me how two people (for example you and me) can listen to the same auction and expect totally two different things about what declarer holds.

 

 

Anyway, it would be helpful to know whether i am leading to defeat 3NT or to take as many tricks as we can without giving advantage to declarer ( OP did not mention scoring and this has been a fashion lately even in expert forums) Although with the hand we hold it may be irrelevant anyway.

 

I would lead a major suit. If opponents are playing a borderline game pd is supposed to hold about 9-10 hcp, and if they are playing power 3NT (which i think they do unless opener is very light or responder is minimum 12+12 12+13 ) then pd has 8 or less hcp. It of course depends on how light you overcall at 1 level w/r, but in this auction pd did not overcall 1♠. This alone reduces the merits of a ♠ lead. This makes me lean towards ♥ lead a little more, hoping to make 4♥ tricks + 1 any.

[rhm]

You do not tell us whether this is matchpoints or IMPs, which is a major differentiator for opening leads.

 

With regard to opening leads, the first question to ask is what suits are suggested by the auction.

You best answer this question without looking at your hand.

In this case it is obviously a major and you should have good reasons to override this, like a semisolid minor with an outside entry.

Active or passive is important, but matchpoints or IMPs influences this decision.

While a heart is active, a spade is not as active, but neither any safer than a heart lead.

So a small heart needs less in partner's hand and will gain more often than a spade lead.

 

So in this case I happen to lead from my longest and strongest but for different reasons. I guess if my diamonds were longer or stronger I would still lead a major in most cases.

 

Rainer Herrmann

[rhm]

deleted

[SteveMoe]

You do not tell us whether this is matchpoints or IMPs, which is a major differentiator for opening leads.

Rainer Herrmann

Corrected above - MPs

Dummy is weakest player.

3N = 13-15 HCP Balanced, no 4-card Major.

[akhare]

Can I defer the reply until after I finish reading Bird's book on the topic B-)?

 

In due seriousness, a ♥ lead ranks to work on this auction even at this form of scording, admonitions regarding leads from KJXX notwithstanding. More than anything else, pard's failure to overcall 1♠ at favourable seems to point to the "other major"...

[SteveMoe]

Heading out to Dayton/Columbus Flying Buckeye Regional - will be off bBo until Monday Aug 6 - will post hand and results then. Hint: Average plus result was NS down 1. Top board was NS down 2. Two pairs made 3N.

[awm]

In general I like to make passive leads at matchpoints, and I don't think this auction calls for doing anything different.

 

However, on this hand there really is no safe lead. Leading from a spade is potentially riskier than leading a heart, and with less reward when you're right. A minor suit lead might look passive, but these are the suits declarer is most likely to look to for tricks; burning the ten of clubs could easily save declarer a trick (imagine dummy with KJxxx and declarer A9x) and leading a diamond could easily give a guess that declarer is likely to get wrong (i.e. say partner has Qx).

 

Since every lead is potentially risky, I'll go with the heart which has the highest reward if correct.

[dboxley]

My original inclination was to lead top diamond but without much enthusiasm. After giving it some more thought and reading the other posts I am a definite convert to small heart for all of the reasons quoted. The main reason being that any lead has drawbacks so you might as well make the lead that pays off if you are correct. I am now embarrassed by my original choice. Maybe one of these days I will learn to make opening leads.

[steve2005]

yes have to go with small ♥.

it too possible that the safe T♣ or small ♦ might end up giving a trick away and certainly gives up a tempo

so go with the what might give best reward

[fromageGB]

I expect partner to have about an 8 count or less, and I would be horrified if he overcalled with that, so I certainly don't rule our a 5 card spade suit. In my view a spade lead is less likely to give a trick away that a heart lead, and more likely to set up tricks.

[billw55]

I consider myself lucky to hold KJxx in an unbid major - a hand where I don't have to spend mental energy on my lead! I will save my thinking for when I need it.

[Fluffy]

I think the same as billw55, I hav an easy lead and do it, save my energy for more important things.

[SteveMoe]

Back from a full week in Columbus/Dayton. Good results to report. To the "reveal" on this hand, here it is:

 

[hv=pc=n&s=s953hqt9da7caq963&w=skjt4h754dj98ckj8&n=sa82ha83dkqt6c542&e=sq76hkj62d5432ct7&d=s&v=n&b=15&a=1cp3nppp]399|300|MPs - WNE Advanced S Beginning[/hv]

 

I led the ♠6 hoping to find partner's length and avoid giving declarer an unwanted trick in ♥ the strategy paifd off handsomely this time. Judging from the responses here, playing with the field seems common.

 

I wonder if this is simply luck with a touch of resulting or if there is indeed a good strategy that says when majors are indicated and partner is weak or equal, lead the shorter major (or, avoid giving away a positional trick)?

 

What are your thoughts??

 

Play went ♠, {spades], ♠ won by Ace, ♣hook, 4th ♠ East signalling ♥, ♥ switch. Declarer lost 3♠, 2♣ and 1♥.

 

Here are the results:

 

...........Scores.......Matchpoints

BD 15...N-S.....E-W.....N-S.....E-W

3.NT.N..630.............6.5.....0.5

3.NT.N..630.............6.5.....0.5

3.NT.N..600.............5.......2

3.NT.S..........100.....3.......4

3.NT.N..........100.....3.......4

3.NT.N..........100.....3.......4

3.NT.N..........200.....1.......6

3.NT.N..........400.....0.......7

2.♣.S...........110.....3.......0

1.♦.N............90.....1.5.....1.5

2.♣.S............90..... 1.5.....1.5

3.NT.S..........100.....0.......3

[fromageGB]

I wonder if this is simply luck with a touch of resulting or if there is indeed a good strategy that says when majors are indicated and partner is weak or equal, lead the shorter major (or, avoid giving away a positional trick)?

 

What are your thoughts??

Good strategy. When you want to lead a major, lead your Qxx rather than KJxx when

 

1) partner is likely to be as strong or stronger than you

2) your suit is not long - partner's may be longer

3) you have no entries if you start with your suit and declarer holds up

4) your suit is leading away from a tenace

 

All the above apply with this holding.

Seems standard to me, but I was amazed at the number of contributors who lead ♥

[P_Marlowe]

Hearts, 4th best, reasonable suit implied, Active.

 

Playing MP, passive is ok, and I prefer passive defence.

 

The problem is, I have no passive lead, declarer will have diamonds,

and a diamond lead will pick up the suit, simmilar clubs has its risks,

 

So the majors are left, and that means active, and hearts 4th best.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[MrAce]

 

 

I led the ♠6 hoping to find partner's length and avoid giving declarer an unwanted trick in ♥ the strategy paifd off handsomely this time. Judging from the responses here, playing with the field seems common.

 

I wonder if this is simply luck with a touch of resulting or if there is indeed a good strategy that says when majors are indicated and partner is weak or equal, lead the shorter major (or, avoid giving away a positional trick)?

 

What are your thoughts??

 

 

Any lead can be killing at any time. You made the winning lead and thats what matters for this hand.

 

Imo leading spade is a mistake though when pd failed to overcall at 1 level and it is not even close to be any safer than ♥ lead. I would not argue with someone who leads spade, but whoever claims spade lead is standart and this hand has everything that calls for it and it is auto does not make much of a sense. Whether you were lucky or not can be discovered by a simulation. The number of people who advocated ♥ lead should not be important for you also, imo you should check who advocated ♥ lead and their reasons, decide from your forum experience the good players and check their decisions.

 

When you asked this question in expert forum, i admit i was about to post " i lead ♥ but i know this is the losing option due to being posted here" Nobody would bother to post this hand if the ♥ lead was winner, most of us knew that, but it is usually not welcomed when we say this upfront, so i kept my mouth shut and posted what i would lead at the table anyway with my reasons.

[P_Marlowe]

<snip>

 

I led the ♠6 hoping to find partner's length and avoid giving declarer an unwanted trick in ♥ the strategy paifd off handsomely this time. Judging from the responses here, playing with the field seems common.

 

I wonder if this is simply luck with a touch of resulting or if there is indeed a good strategy that says when majors are indicated and partner is weak or equal, lead the shorter major (or, avoid giving away a positional trick)?

 

What are your thoughts??

<snip>

 

Having written the post, I realized, that the post is more suitable for another forum, ... but ...

 

What do you know about deal, at the time you have to decide on the lead?

 

Depening on your overcall style, partner wont have a reasonable 5 card major, what ever reasonable

means, he could have overcalled 1H / 1S, but he did not, some may even overcall a strong 4 card

major. So the best, you can expect is hitting a reasonable 4 card suit, heavily depend on partnership

agreement / style.

 

Partners spade holding is quite good, by may not have made the cut for a 4 card overcall.

 

Further you know, that declarr will have no 4 card major either, he will have a bal. hand, his

honors distribute across his suits, so you go the risk, that you lead into declarers tenances,

removing a possible guess for declarer.

 

Of course this is also a problem for the heart lead, it is likely, that declarer will have the Ace

of hearts, he may have gone slower with a Qxx heart holding, ... or not.

 

When deciding between suit, one question to answer is, what support do you need from p, and is there

a chance, that he can give you the support?

If you attack hearts, you need the Queen, if he does not have the Queen, the lead may not give anything

away, if he is short, say you find opener with 109xx - they will always have 2 tricks.

If you attack spades, you need at least 2 spade honors with p, counting the 10 as honor, take your pick,

what is more likely, to decide, you need to know, what got ruled out, by partners decision to pass over

1C.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[ColdCrayon]

This is what i love about this game. It always amazes me how two people (for example you and me) can listen to the same auction and expect totally two different things about what declarer holds.

 

 

Except when you're right and I'm wrong and I'm your partner. I was thinking of an auction that goes 1m-1M-3N, which would be a trick taking hand with a long suit. When responder jumps to 3NT, it's a balanced 15-17, as they teach in bidding 101 of course. http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/sad.gif