You are on lead. Which card would you play? Why?

[arepo24]

The opposition has bid 4 Diamonds and all have passed, without any intervening bids.

Your hand:

 

D: 865

S: A984

H: A782

C: K8

[nige1]

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arepo24 writes "The opposition has bid 4 Diamonds and all have passed, without any intervening bids."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Your choice of lead will probably depend on the auction. But. OK.

Let's assume that you are West, on lead after South opened 4♦.

I rank

1. ♥A. Take Rixi's advice to lead an ace against a pre--empt..

2. ♦A. Similar reasoning.

3. ♣K. Hoping for a ruff.

4. ♠x. At least GIB would approve [/hv]

[Vampyr]

hv=pc=n&w=s865ha984da872ck8&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=4dppp]133|200|

arepo24 writes "The opposition has bid 4 Diamonds and all have passed, without any intervening bids."

 

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Your choice of lead will probably depend on the auction. But. OK.

Let's assume that you are West, on lead after South opened 4♦.

I rank

1. ♥A. Take Rixi's advice to lead an ace against a pre--empt..

2. ♦A. Similar reasoning.

3. ♣K. Hoping for a ruff.

4. ♠x. At least GIB would approve ;[/hv]

 

I agree, except for the fact that I think the hand has been presented in jumbled-up order.

[Tramticket]

I agree, except for the fact that I think the hand has been presented in jumbled-up order.

 

Yes, second one in recent day: (See here).

 

Can I advise posters to use the hand diagram (spade symbol with two red bars to left and right).

[balasu]

I would lead the A of hearts as a lead and survey the land before proceeding

[arepo24]

What's wrong with leading the 8 of Trump?

[mikeh]

What's wrong with leading the 8 of Trump?

The trump 8, or any low card in diamonds, can win on some rare layouts. For example, if we lead the heart Ace, dummy might hit with great hearts, headed by the KQ, and declarer ruffs, and has a quick entry to dummy. So a low trump saves us from that disaster.

 

I’m not a big fan of simulations in most contexts, but here is a situation where a simulation might help. Of course different people will differ on the constraints Does south promise 7 or 8 diamonds?

 

What’s the vulnerability? Which affects the constraints for 4D and may affect th3 constraints for partner who, despite being short in diamonds, passed.

 

Once one has agreed on constraints, then a sim may well let us evaluate the lead

 

Personally, I lead a heart (the ace), despite the risk of setting up dummy’s suit while dummy has entries (note that this is a risk even when the ace holds the trick).

 

I have no great confidence in this choice. About the only 2 cards I am sure are heavy losers are the diamond A and the small club.....and even they could be the winning leads😊

[johnu]

About the only 2 cards I am sure are heavy losers are the diamond A and the small club.....and even they could be the winning leads

OP posted the suits out of order. There is no ♦A in the hand so it can never be the "right" lead but it may have been the winning lead :)

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

 

if the hand is as in original post, I am leading a trump from xxx

if the hand is as in nige1's post, I am going with a spade, less convinced

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[AL78]

For example, if we lead the heart Ace, dummy might hit with great hearts, headed by the KQ, and declarer ruffs, and has a quick entry to dummy.

 

That very thing happened to me once in a very similar auction.

[nekthen]

A trump lead is dubious. If opps diamonds are solid, why did he not open 3N?

I think I try the K♣, the ace rates to be in dummy or with partner so may be the best chance to defeat the contract if declarer has a major void

[P_Marlowe]

A trump lead is dubious. If opps diamonds are solid, why did he not open 3N?

<snip>

 

The issue with a trump lead is, that it looses a tempo, it is the safes lead, it wont

blow tricks most of the time.

Asssuming partner has a diamond honor, it is quite likely singelton, we have 3,

opener has 7-8, now Kx with partner is possible - dummy holding 0, and in this holding

the lead costs, because there is no finesse.

With only one trump in dummy and a 71 fit missing the king, declarer may decide to give

up the finesse in order to preserve dummies entries, which again let the lead cost.

 

But obviously Dummy having the Ace to nothing, with opener holding Qx is not a high

probability for you.

 

Giving up a tempo is dangerous, but then we block all 3 suits outside trump, i.e. there are

no fast discards, ... unless we produce those fast discards.

 

PS: Not opening a 3NT can have various reasons, one being, it may not have be a possible option.

[AstridM38]

The opposition has bid 4 Diamonds and all have passed, without any intervening bids.

Your hand:

 

D: 865 5D

S: A984

H: A782

C: K8

[AstridM38]

The opposition has bid 4 Diamonds and all have passed, without any intervening bids.

Your hand:

 

D: 865

S: A984

H: A782

C: K8

6D

[miamijd]

The opposition has bid 4 Diamonds and all have passed, without any intervening bids.

Your hand:

 

D: 865

S: A984

H: A782

C: K8

 

I think there is some confusion. Is the hand:

 

♠ A984

♥ A872

♦ 865

♣ K8

 

or is the hand:

 

♠ 865

♥ A984

♦ A872

♣ K8

[arepo24]

I think there is some confusion. Is the hand:

 

♠ A984

♥ A872

♦ 865

♣ K8

 

or is the hand:

 

♠ 865

♥ A984

♦ A872

♣ K8

 

The contract is 4D by opponent. I have the lead. Here are my cards as arranged in my hand to play the 4D contract:

Trumps are the first suit in my hand:

D:865 (trumps)

S:A984

H:A872

C:K8

WHAT IS MY LEAD?

Lots of responses all over the place. I would rarely lead an unsupported A in a non NT contract unless maybe the contract was in slam. Nor would I lead away from an Ace (which is even worse). As for the CK? That's obvious!

My answer: I led the Trump Diamond 8.

I could have led the trump diamond 5 but then I thought my partner might think I had a high trump card in my hand.

[pescetom]

The contract is 4D by opponent. I have the lead. Here are my cards as arranged in my hand to play the 4D contract:

Trumps are the first suit in my hand:

D:865 (trumps)

S:A984

H:A872

C:K8

 

 

You could have avoided a lot of confusion and difficulty for everyone who reads by using the hand diagram tool, as nige1 attempted to do for you.

Using a browser it is invoked with the icon that looks like ♠ at the far right of the line of icons starting with Bold Italic Underline.

[shyams]

... or perhaps writing the suits in the standard order (♠ then ♥ then ♦ then ♣). The fact that diamonds are trumps does not mean it has to be listed first in the order of priority.

[P_Marlowe]

<snip>

My answer: I led the Trump Diamond 8.

I could have led the trump diamond 5 but then I thought my partner might think I had a high trump card in my hand.

Why should the 5 promise a honor?

Either go with the card you would lead from a no trump suit, or play something like Lavianthal in the trump suit.

Leading trump tells declarer usually, how the trumps are distributed, and locates missing Queens, it also cuts down

defensive ruffs.

[Tramticket]

Here are my cards as arranged in my hand to play the 4D contract

 

Here are my thoughts arranged in the order of my mother's date of birth:

 

WHAT A SILLY POST.

[TomSawyer4]

Skipping all of the discussion about a different hand:

 

Partner probably has a decent hand (10-11+)without a long major. Declarer could easily be void in either major.

Leading a diamond does nothing for the defense, and could easily finesse partner holding Kx(dummy void).

 

Leading either Ace could set up overtricks when the board shows up with the right cards.

I can quickly design hands with eight diamonds, a major suit void opposite a key five, running 13 tricks by ruffing the major suit ace at trick one.

 

Declarer's contract appears to be sound.

 

That leaves the club suit:

Its more likely declarer has clubs than either hearts or spades.

 

Leading the King could be easily be self-finesse, even given its more likely than not declarer doesn't have the Ace.

 

On the eight of clubs I'm hoping to find partner with the ace, a club return or major suit finesse at trick two, and hopefully results in set before yielding control to declarer.

In the alternative, if dummy has the ace, my King is probably dead anyway, but declarer is forced to make a key decision at trick one, when he has less information.

 

If partner doesn't have the ace, the doubleton is unlikely to be recognized in time, and I'll probably still get the King of clubs in any scenario where I would have gotten it with protection.

 

More simply, baring the king of clubs by leading the eight most likely leaves me no worse off, and could result in a quick set. Any other card could result in overtricks.

 

I lead the eight of clubs.

[nige1]

[hv=pc=n&w=D865SA984HA872CK8&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=4dppp]133|200|

arepo24 writes "Here are my cards as arranged in my hand to play the 4D contract: Trumps are the first suit in my hand: "

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Some don't sort their cards at all. And that would be even less helpful :)

I would still lead an ace, with ♣K as 3rd choice. [/hv]

[arepo24]

[hv=pc=n&w=s865ha984da872ck8&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=4dppp]133|200|

arepo24 writes "The opposition has bid 4 Diamonds and all have passed, without any intervening bids."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Your choice of lead will probably depend on the auction. But. OK.

Let's assume that you are West, on lead after South opened 4♦.

I rank

1. ♥A. Take Rixi's advice to lead an ace against a pre--empt..

2. ♦A. Similar reasoning.

3. ♣K. Hoping for a ruff.

4. ♠x. At least GIB would approve [/hv]

Big problem with the above: There IS NO A of Diamonds

[arepo24]

... or perhaps writing the suits in the standard order (♠ then ♥ then ♦ then ♣). The fact that diamonds are trumps does not mean it has to be listed first in the order of priority.

Thanks for being kind enough to tell me that. I am fairly new here and frankly had no idea what some posters were referring to.

I was just trying to show my hand as arranged and ready to play the particular hand with the trump cards on my left. What do I know?

Thanks for making it simple to understand what others were trying to tell me.

[miamijd]

The contract is 4D by opponent. I have the lead. Here are my cards as arranged in my hand to play the 4D contract:

Trumps are the first suit in my hand:

D:865 (trumps)

S:A984

H:A872

C:K8

WHAT IS MY LEAD?

Lots of responses all over the place. I would rarely lead an unsupported A in a non NT contract unless maybe the contract was in slam. Nor would I lead away from an Ace (which is even worse). As for the CK? That's obvious!

My answer: I led the Trump Diamond 8.

I could have led the trump diamond 5 but then I thought my partner might think I had a high trump card in my hand.

 

A few comments:

 

1. Next time, please arrange the suits in standard order: S H D C. Please do NOT put trump on top or at the left. No one does that. It is confusing.

 

2. If you think the answer is so obvious, then why ask the question to begin with?

 

3. Contrary to what you believe, the answer is not at all obvious, as shown by the myriad responses. Indeed, just about anything could be right.

 

Cheers,

Mike

Mike