Opening lead guidelines

[AL78]

Lead top of a sequence.

Avoid leading unsupported aces in suits partner hasn't shown.

 

Following that advice worked very badly on this hand:

 

[hv=pc=n&s=sqt63h6542da8ckq4&w=s75hkqj97d65ct832&n=saj9842ht8dt72ca7&e=skha3dkqj943cj965&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=p2s3d4sppp]399|300[/hv]

 

My 3♦ overcall is very marginal, but I was getting sick of doing little but passing and following suit by this stage. In the absence of anything from partner, lets try the top of sequence lead, that is usually a decent lead.

 

Not this time. Dummy wins, and three rounds of clubs follow, declarer pitching a heart. Even taking the finesse into my stiff king couldn't stop ten tricks for 22.9% to us.

 

I have to lead ace and another heart, then a third heart guarentees making the spade king, and we end up with a diamond trick, one down.

 

I'm not good enough to know when it is right to break these fundamental rules (guidelines).

[akwoo]

This one is just luck. I'm almost sure that, at MPs, the right opening lead without seeing all 4 hands is the diamond. I'm less sure but still pretty sure at IMPs.

[haka9]

The problem is lack of information. You know that W hasn't opening hand and neither has N, who has on average 6 ♠. W can have next to nothing or 11-12 p. S has at least some ♠ and next to nothing or a real game try. I would lead ♦ nine times in nine deals.

[apollo1201]

Easy ❤️A lead for the robots🤣

Ah no, they lead the spade K😉

 

And the overcall is not marginal btw (at least to me). It is min given a bare K in opener’s suit, but is nonetheless quite normal.

[FelicityR]

This one is just luck. I'm almost sure that, at MPs, the right opening lead without seeing all 4 hands is the diamond. I'm less sure but still pretty sure at IMPs.

 

It also depends how your evening/afternoon session at MPs has gone thus far? If you know it is going well you lead the ♦K. However, if you get the feeling it has gone badly up to this board, you lead the ♥A. Finishing bottom of the field by trying novel bids and leads (if your partner agrees to this action) is no more disgraceful as being placed in the bottom half of the field by playing sensibly. But at least you made an effort to improve your score by playing against the field :)

 

Many a time my regular partner and myself have won at MPs by adopting such tactics. Aggressive bidding and leads sometimes pay off.