Low from doubleton vs. suits

[hautbois]

What are the pros and cons of this agreement?

[aguahombre]

For starters, we must pre-alert it at the beginning of every round, and endure inane questions and stupid comments.

 

Other than that, we have many years of experience with it. We only lead low from doubleton at trick one, and not in a suit partner has shown in any way during the auction.

 

We consider in an extension of attitude based opening leads where leading lowest shows an honor or a doubleton....and leading other than low denies both.

[awm]

I think the main issue here is what you lead from three small. If you never lead from three small you're probably fine playing high from doubleton and low from an honor...

 

If you play high from doubleton, then leading high (or middle) from three small will mislead partner that it may be a doubleton. If you lead low from three small, partner may think you have strength in the suit. In either case partner can easily mess up the defense.

 

The benefit of playing low from doubleton is that then you can lead high from three small and partner will always know what you have. The "confusion" is that when you lead low, partner will not know if it's from doubleton or from length to an honor... but either way you want partner to return the suit so you're probably okay.

[akhare]

For starters, we must pre-alert it at the beginning of every round, and endure inane questions and stupid comments.

 

Other than that, we have many years of experience with it. We only lead low from doubleton at trick one, and not in a suit partner has shown in any way during the auction.

 

We consider in an extension of attitude based opening leads where leading lowest shows an honor or a doubleton....and leading other than low denies both.

+1 -- except for the annoying need to pre-alert, it works pretty well.

 

Our adaptation to lead low from 8x and below (to account for coded T/9), but it's not strictly necessary.

[GreenMan]

If you play high from doubleton, then leading high (or middle) from three small will mislead partner that it may be a doubleton. If you lead low from three small, partner may think you have strength in the suit. In either case partner can easily mess up the defense.

 

The benefit of playing low from doubleton is that then you can lead high from three small and partner will always know what you have. The "confusion" is that when you lead low, partner will not know if it's from doubleton or from length to an honor... but either way you want partner to return the suit so you're probably okay.

 

I read somewhere that, when leading from xxx, opening leader may lead high if he believes it's more important to deny strength, or low to deny shortness. Is this a useful approach? I realize it may conflict with other schemes.

[akhare]

I read somewhere that, when leading from xxx, opening leader may lead high if he believes it's more important to deny strength, or low to deny shortness. Is this a useful approach? I realize it may conflict with other schemes.

 

This is the classic MUD (middle up down) scheme of leading. The main argument against it is that's supposed to be difficult to read, but the latest Bridge Bulletin had a supporting article.

 

IMO, it's good to have the flexibility of occasionally leading 2nd best even when playing 3rd and 5th, but others may convincing arguments on why it's wrong.

[aguahombre]

An opening lead of low from doubleton does not complement MUD for us. The second play in a suit with 3 or more small is "down" to deny an honor or a doubleton in case there is still doubt. So, the lead is "MDU", or "UDM"

[benlessard]

IMO leading small from xx is a totally different philosophy of leads. When you lead low you are not really showing a doubleton you are just saying that partner can return here. When you lead high youre saying that partner need to switch.

 

EX if 2 small 24 and 2 medium 67 and the K is missing.

 

K7642

 

 

24,26,27,46,47,67

 

 

none of the lead will give the idea of the doubleton. while in standard the 7 will be obvious and the 6 could be from K76 but more likely from 64,62 or stiff 6. I like to lead doubleton because its often "safe-agressive".

 

and general crappy hands with a doubleton

 

xxx

xx

xxx

Kxxxx

 

are more likely than hand you need a switch but cant lead you suit.

 

xxx

xxx

AQT

xxxx

[Zelandakh]

Another related form of the OP topic is Combine Carding, that is leading low from xx and Hxx but high from xxx(x)(x). For the high leads the second card gives count. From Hxxx the leads is 3rd then 4th; from Hxxxx 5th then 4th; from Hxxxxx 4th then 6th. The suporters of this method believe that it, in combination with mixed signals, provides more information and therefore allows more defensive problems to be solved. Ignoring the honour leads from the system for a moment, the pip leads are close to a combination of 1-3-5 leads and low from a doubleton. It does seem like a natural extension of the OP idea and certainly provides fast attitude and count information in almost all cases. Is this the same way as you play it agua?

[aguahombre]

low from a doubleton. It does seem like a natural extension of the OP idea and certainly provides fast attitude and count information in almost all cases. Is this the same way as you play it agua?

We have been made aware of those count extensions, but have not adopted them. We let count take care of itself at the moment, usually becoming apparent very early.

[guido]

I think the relative value of small from two depends on your opening lead style. If your partnership leads conservatively, this is an excellent apporach. It is less helpful if the partnership often leads from Hxx(x)

[johnu]

The benefit of playing low from doubleton is that then you can lead high from three small and partner will always know what you have. The "confusion" is that when you lead low, partner will not know if it's from doubleton or from length to an honor... but either way you want partner to return the suit so you're probably okay.

 

I've read that some top level international players play this way, but I've wondered about the ambiguity between doubleton and low from an honor. If declarer is drawing trump and partner gets on lead, you probably don't want your doubleton suit returned if you don't have a ruff coming. This seems to be the opposite of the low from odd, 3rd from even lead camp.

[awm]

If declarer wins the lead and pulls trump you typically have some opportunity to signal suit preference (i.e. order of trump spot plays) so that's not usually a problem. The question is what pd should do if he wins trick one (or maybe trick two) where you may not have had a chance to signal.

[aguahombre]

It seems that when we lead other than lowest, the spots played at trick one, seen in dummy, and possessed by partner usually reveal enough about opening leader's holding. There is also an auction to guide us. All in all, the opening lead of low from doubleton vs. suit contract is very rare for us, since we don't do it if partner has shown the suit and tend to lead agressively as a general rule.

 

Count seems to almost always take care of itself even in other situations. Count signals by us are rare. We tend to just throw away cards we don't want to keep.