Trumpace Posted June 14, 2005 Report Share Posted June 14, 2005 You hold Q743, KT7, Q92, T98. RHO opens 1NT (15-17). You pass. LHO passes. Partner also passes. What would you lead? Is it obvious?Assume everyone is intermediate. (If that helps...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jlall Posted June 14, 2005 Report Share Posted June 14, 2005 spade...many will try the club ten and it may be right but its just not me ;) textbooks would probably tell you to lead CT too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walddk Posted June 14, 2005 Report Share Posted June 14, 2005 ♠3. Fourth best from my longest and strongest. Nu guarantee of success; there is no obvious lead. As the Swedish author and expert player, Jan Wohlin, said many years ago: "Don't ever lead"! There is a lot of truth to that statement. Many contracts hinge on the opening lead. Roland Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helene_t Posted June 14, 2005 Report Share Posted June 14, 2005 As the Swedish author and expert player, Jan Wohlin, said many years ago: "Don't ever lead"! I used to think it was a joke but maybe it's meant as a case for agresive bidding? Especially when RHO opens 1NT and opps play uncontested transfers but natural in competition. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joker_gib Posted June 14, 2005 Report Share Posted June 14, 2005 ♠ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P_Marlowe Posted June 14, 2005 Report Share Posted June 14, 2005 Hi, spade. I think club is better, at least when playing MP, because it seems to be the safest lead, but even then, I would leada spade, if it is wrong, it is simpler to explain, why you leadspade: it is your longest suit, it is a mayor. It would probably help a bit, if you would know, if the opponentsplay garbage stayman, i.e. if they would use stayman with 4-4and zero points, but probably not very much. With kind regardsMarlowe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kgr Posted June 14, 2005 Report Share Posted June 14, 2005 Hi, spade. I think club is better, at least when playing MP, because it seems to be the safest lead, but even then, I would leada spade, if it is wrong, it is simpler to explain, why you leadspade: it is your longest suit, it is a mayor. It would probably help a bit, if you would know, if the opponentsplay garbage stayman, i.e. if they would use stayman with 4-4and zero points, but probably not very much. With kind regardsMarloweAlso small ♠ for me and I also wondered if it would be better to start ♣ at MP's.But at the other hand:It looks like declarer will have to play for his 7 tricks. I don't expect that there will be long suits around (dummy didn't transfer, partner didn't bid). Giving away a trick will cost the same in IMP's as in MP's. So I'm not sure if you would have to lead different in MP's and IMP's on this hand. This also make some argument for ♣ T....don't know. I will either play small ♠ or ♣ T. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luke warm Posted June 14, 2005 Report Share Posted June 14, 2005 ♣10 for the obvious reasons Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerben42 Posted June 14, 2005 Report Share Posted June 14, 2005 So Luke, tell me the obvious reasons. There is no "obvious" lead. I'll go for ♠3, fourth best of longest and strongest. A flexible and positive lead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
han Posted June 14, 2005 Report Share Posted June 14, 2005 I think club is better. I would leada spade, if it is wrong, it is simpler to explain. I can't tell you how much I hate this argument! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P_Marlowe Posted June 14, 2005 Report Share Posted June 14, 2005 I think club is better. I would leada spade, if it is wrong, it is simpler to explain. I can't tell you how much I hate this argument! Hi, I agree, that this is no real argument :), but thenI cant tell you, how much I hate it to argue about spilled wine. My regular partner is nice and accepts a decision, may the decisionbe successful or not, especially if not, but sometimes I play with complementairs , who cant stop arguing.And if I kill all pairs, with such behaviour, I would need to increasemy search radius in case I want to play f2f IMP's. But there is another arguement in favor of the spade lead, it will probbaly be the choice of the majority.Hopefully you can you accept this argument? With kind regards Marlowe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ochinko Posted June 14, 2005 Report Share Posted June 14, 2005 So Luke, tell me the obvious reasons. There is no "obvious" lead. I'll go for ♠3, fourth best of longest and strongest. A flexible and positive lead.I don't know Luke's reasons, but I'd lead the C10 too :) My reason is that partner obviously has more points than me, so chosing a lead that could benefit him makes more sense. C10 is less likely to give away a trick than a small spade. In NT middle cards count, especially at the lower levels, and my best middle cards are in clubs. If the NT was from LHO, then the small spade would be more appropriate, but then the lead would not be my problem but CHO's. Petko Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inquiry Posted June 14, 2005 Report Share Posted June 14, 2005 ♠ at imps, ♣Ten at matchpoints. ♠ gives you a chance to develop a long trick and saves a tempo by starting "your suit" such as it is. Thus the spade lead gives us the best chance to set the contract should partner have some useful cards. Leading blind from the queen also gives you a chance to give up an extra overtrick. At matchpoints, I am more worried about giving them an unwarrented trick as I am about setting them. Here, I will look for the "safe" field lead and plan to outplay the field due to my partners superior defense later on the hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jlall Posted June 14, 2005 Report Share Posted June 14, 2005 So Luke, tell me the obvious reasons. There is no "obvious" lead. I'll go for ♠3, fourth best of longest and strongest. A flexible and positive lead. Just because the reasons for leading the club ten are obvious does not mean there is an obvious lead. There could be obvious reasons for 2 leads but it is a very close call, such is the case here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pclayton Posted June 14, 2005 Report Share Posted June 14, 2005 I think I'd lead the 10♣ against 3N, but vs 1N, I want to try to get the spades going at the risk of revealing my Q or blowing a trick in the suit. I don't know if I've ever beaten 1N playing passive. B) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fluffy Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 ♠3, and I think it is pretty clear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luke warm Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 So Luke, tell me the obvious reasons. There is no "obvious" lead. I'll go for ♠3, fourth best of longest and strongest. A flexible and positive lead. Just because the reasons for leading the club ten are obvious does not mean there is an obvious lead. There could be obvious reasons for 2 leads but it is a very close call, such is the case here. justin is right, i didn't say there was an obvious lead, only that the reasons for leading the ♣10 were obvious... and i agree with ben that the club would be better at matchpoints, though i'd lead it at both the 'obvious' reasons all revolve around not giving up a trick (or three)... it's possible i have 2 or 3 tricks in my hand if i don't give any away by my lead... and btw, i'd lead the same vs. 3nt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winstonm Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 spade...many will try the club ten and it may be right but its just not me Only because you hold the 4 and 3. I know how you think; if it were 32 you'd lead a club just like the rest of us. B) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winstonm Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 There are only 4 ways that I know to determine exactly which lead is superior: 1) The direction in which your pard's pencil is pointed. 2) How many times and with which foot did partner accidentally tap your toes. 3) How many fingers is partner holding on the backside of his cards. 4) Who physically dealt the cards. Without these sophisticated (and totally illegal) methods, it's a guess. A lot for me would depend on the tempo of the 1N bidder....did he have a problem deciding what to open? WinstonM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luke warm Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 it's only a guess inasmuch as any lead could work out well on any one specific deal, even a lead that would be considered inferior (in theory) especially at matchpoints, i think it's important to let declarer do his own work... that's why passive leads (given no hints from the bidding) tend to work out better in the long run (or so i've been told :rolleyes:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pmacfar Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 I think I'd lead the 10♣ against 3N, but vs 1N, I want to try to get the spades going at the risk of revealing my Q or blowing a trick in the suit. I agree with pclayton. 3♠ against NT partial game to get the 'Tempo' of setting up my four card suit. 10♣ against NT game, make user work for the tricks. You don't know if declarer has a four card major, or which one it is. In partial game, not leading the spade you run the risk of giving declarer overtricks he doesn't deserve because he is able to run a 5 card minor suit and squeeze you to discard before your trick has been established. If partner is lucky enough to hold A or K ♠, setting up your Q unless declarer holds up his winner, it will make selecting discards a little easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luis Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 Heart Ten unblocking the suit, the spade suit seems to be the best way to blow a trick a close decision between a heart and a club. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifee Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 Low ♠ You have 7 hcp. Opener has max 17. Dummy probably 7 or less, so that leaves partner with minimum 6 pts and could have up to 18 although highly unlikely since he did not take an action. Partner probably has 6-14. If he was nearer the top of his range with a suit, he would have overcalled, so I am betting he is in the 10-13 HCP range and has help in several of the suits so why not try to hit him :D No problem with any other lead or reasoning. Certainly none clear cut. BTW, why are we asking this question? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trumpace Posted June 15, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 No problem with any other lead or reasoning. Certainly none clear cut. BTW, why are we asking this question? This hand had come up in f2f bridge sometime back. On the actual hand, I led the club Ten and declarer made overtricks. The others then said that a spade lead was obviously better. I didn't see any reason for that, and one hand is certainly not proof. I just wanted to know the experts' opinion on this forum, hence the question. Also, thanks everyone, for the replies. I am now even more confused :D :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jlall Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 Heart Ten unblocking the suit, the spade suit seems to be the best way to blow a trick a close decision between a heart and a club. funny you think a lead from Qxxx is more likely to blow a trick than from KTx? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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