[kgr]

If you play 3rd / 5th leads what do you lead...

In a suit that partner overcalled, but you didn't have the chance to support?:
T962
T842
9842
T92
T82
982

In a suit that was not called by partner:
T9642
T962
T842
9842
T92
T82
982

(I gues from JT... the J is clear?)

[skjaeran]

6, 4, 4, T, 2, 2
2, 6, 4, 4, T, 2, 2

[Phil]

Agree with Harald but sometimes I'll lead the 2 from T92.

[kgr]

skaeran, on Oct 11 2009, 08:43 PM, said:

6, 4, 4, T, 2, 2
2, 6, 4, 4, T, 2, 2

Why do you lead 6 from T962 and T from T92?
Is there a reason to lead 3rd best from 4 card and high from 3 card? I would would have expected this the other way around because high from 4-card will less often be confused with a doubleton then high from a 3 card?

[Winstonm]

Playing 3rd and 5th leads I would lead 3rd and 5th unless I held a sequence, in which case I'd play the top card - I know, uninspired.

[mike777]

kgr, on Oct 11 2009, 01:30 PM, said:

If you play 3rd / 5th leads what do you lead...

In a suit that partner overcalled, but you didn't have the chance to support?:
T962    
T842    
9842    
T92     
T82     
982     

In a suit that was not called by partner:
T9642   
T962
T842
9842
T92
T82
982

(I gues from JT... the J is clear?)

I play attitude leads vs nt so this is about suit contracts.




Lowest from odd
high,Highest spot card you can afford from even


Quite often third is best but it might be 2nd if you are leading from something like:
K532.

[woefuwabit]

kgr, on Oct 12 2009, 02:30 AM, said:

If you play 3rd / 5th leads what do you lead...

In a suit that partner overcalled, but you didn't have the chance to support?:
T962
T842
9842
T92
T82
982

In a suit that was not called by partner:
T9642
T962
T842
9842
T92
T82
982

(I gues from JT... the J is clear?)

In a suit my partner called, I usually lead count (low from odd, high from even).
So, T 8 9 T 8 9

T T 4 4 T 2 2

[ONEferBRID]

Edit: See my corrected post below for the case when you have NOT supported partner's suit.

Edit 2: If you have 3 to an honor, say Q 8 2, and you have SUPPORTED, then
you would lead LOW ( the 2 ) promising an honor. Otherwise, with no honor you should lead top-of-nothing (when you have supported -- implying at least 3 cards ).

[ONEferBRID]

"In a suit that was NOT called by partner",   then I would lead 3rd/5th:

T9642
T962
T842
9842
T92 ( although I'm not so sure about this one, Ten may be better )
T82
982

[skjaeran]

kgr, on Oct 11 2009, 09:44 PM, said:

skaeran, on Oct 11 2009, 08:43 PM, said:

6, 4, 4, T, 2, 2
2, 6, 4, 4, T, 2, 2

Why do you lead 6 from T962 and T from T92?
Is there a reason to lead 3rd best from 4 card and high from 3 card? I would would have expected this the other way around because high from 4-card will less often be confused with a doubleton then high from a 3 card?

That's because I'd normally lead top of a half sequence from a 3-card suit. I'd not do that from a 4-card suit - at least not when it's as low as the ten as the top card.

[ONEferBRID]

Below is a change from my earlier post.
This time I consulted with Phillip Alder, syndicated bridge columnist and instructor.

It was in his column that he has said time and again:

If partner has bid a suit and you have NOT supported, then lead low from 3 small cards ( say 2 from 9 8 2 ) .

But I always wondered about when you have 4 cards -- say 9 8 5 2 .

Again, he says, " lead LOWEST from 4 cards unless you use third-and-fifth-highest leads, then 5 from 9 8 5 2 ".

The point is you would NOT lead HIGH lest partner may think you are leading Hi=Lo from a doubleton. ( You want to avoid a ruff/sluff ) .
The main information you are giving partner when leading LOW is that it is from MORE than 2 cards.   You are NOT giving Count per se.
The ONLY Count situation is leading HIGH from TWO cards
He went on to say: " there is some risk of confusion for partner, but three cards is much more likely than four because you did not raise. "

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
In a suit that partner overcalled:
           NOT
      Supported    Supported
T962      6            T   (Top of Nothing)
T842      4            T
9842      4            9
T92        2            T
T82        2            T
982        2            9
       Showing
     more than
     two cards
    ( 3rd/5th )

Note: If NOT playing 3rd/5th, you play the LOWEST, or 4th best, ( the 2 here in all cases )
when you have NOT supported partner's suit

[kgr]

Thanks all for the answers:

Seems like following set of agreements makes sense:
- In a supported suit lead top of nothing
- In a not supported suit lead 3th best (or smallest if your 3th best could be confused with a doubleton).
- In a not bid suit lead 3th/5th best, but lead high from honour sequence like JTx.., T9x... (98... should not be considered a honour sequence).

I still have following open question from one of the posts:

Quote

Why do you lead 6 from T962 and T from T92?
Is there a reason to lead 3rd best from 4 card and high from 3 card? I would would have expected this the other way around because high from 4-card will less often be confused with a doubleton then high from a 3 card?

Remark: I have the additional rule with my partner that we give count with our lead. From a sequence, we lead highest with an even number of cards and 2nd with an odd number of cards (HESO: High=Even, Second=Odd).