[mike777]

T2=J8=J76543=A83
unfav. vul, imps.

1H=P=1NT=P
2C=P=2H=P
P=2S=P=P
P

The good news was your were invited to play a late night 12 board imp game against some very good players, some are World Class. One opp. at the other table is a frequent Forum poster. You have played brilliantly, if I may say so myself, the first half and the score is 0-0. .

The bad news is the hands if anything seem to be getting tougher and your quality of play has declined. Worse your pickup expert partner has been making sarcastic remarks about your play in front of a crowd of Kibitzers and you feel like crap. On top of that some of the Kibitzers are pointing out your earlier play of the hands could use an upgrade despite your making the contracts. .


I really "heard it" after this hand but I know you can do better. As it turns out your teammates are going for minus 800 on a different partscore board but still....

Your lead against 2s and why?

[inquiry]

Hard to get to excited here... but.... ♦3

Partner is unlikely to be 6-5 in the hearts and clubs (amd may not have even four clubs). I think, (expect) that he has two or three spades on this auction. Five hearts, four/five clubs, two/three spades means short diamonds.

A diamond lead might get a ruff on the go, or set up a ruff after partner grabs teh lead with a top spade. The small diamond is a little deep. IT is meant to imply a desire for a club back. Why? Partner will be able to workout fairly quickly that I have long diamonds (I didn't pass 2♣ and there will be a handful o fhearts in dummy on this auction), so he will figure out this is not an honest fourth best, I hope. This doesn't mean return a club per se, but it certainly would imply an unusual return, and since I raised hearts the usual would be hearts, so I think this will imply a ♣.

Agan, doubt we are beating this anyway, but maybe two diamond ruffs, and club ace will get us started on the right track.. we will need something like that on this auction.

[han]

At the table I might have lead the straightforward heart jack, but I like Ben's ♦3. We are not setting this unless partner has short diamonds.

[Kalvan14]

2♠. Why RHO waited 2 rounds to come in with spades? I would expect that he has some hearts, and a spade lead will take away ruffs from dummy

[luke warm]

anything could be right or wrong but i'd also lead the ♥J... there's no law against hearts splitting 3/3 and partner having the A,K.. for the diamond lead to work (it seems to me), partner needs a quick trump entry, he needs to find my ♣A, hearts still need to be 3/3 and he still needs the ♥A,K

i've seen a lack of class by some "experts" also, i've seen comments they make to the kibbers and either they don't know how it can affect a person or they don't care

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

I would go with the jack of hearts as well,
but if dianonds turns out better ...,

Another option would be a trump, we contol
hearts, clubs and diamonds, but ... do it right.

Marlowe

[Fluffy]

There are few things that I hate more than having to lead when all 4 suits are possible ones.

One of them is having to lead when the 4 suits are possible but also different cards on a suit (♣s).

At MP I woul lead a ♦ to get themaximum amount of trricks, but at IMPs I don't think we will defeat this contract unless partner has 4♠ and we can shortnen declarer quick. That makes ♥J the best lead.

[pclayton]

♠2 (the 10 might be valuable later).

My guess is that the balance is on a 4 card suit with possibly some heart length.

If pard has specifically a stiff diamond AND a trump control, a diamond looks good, but the odds look pretty long to me and it gives up an important tempo. There is no reason why partner needs 4 clubs, much less 3 (4=5=2=2). Furthermore, I only have one entry, so its not like we are getting a sea of diamond ruffs here. There are also a lot of hands where we trade tricks wven when we get a diamond ruff, since pard has used his 3rd trump on a ruff, so they can't be led.

2nd choice is a heart, but it might blow open the suit if they are 4-2 and the honors are poorly placed as I fear.

Last choice is a club.

[Al_U_Card]

They rate to be in a 4-4 ♠ fit. I dont't have a trump control, but I do have a ♣ entry so I think that a ♥ lead is preferred here......pard has values and short ♦. We want him to be able to play trumps when it is right....(like after I score a ♥ ruff maybe?) this looks like a hand that the "critics" will be able to whet their apetite for blood on.....poor you

[Kalvan14]

That's true. Whatever you choose, you are playing odds of almost 4 to 1 against you. Af if you don't choose right...

[mike777]

Scoring: IMP

---

[inquiry]

2!Cs is not what I would have rebid over 1NT... yes I know this is a problem hand type for 2/1 forcing players. The solution when this weak is to either pass (a good solution this weak), or play 1H-1S promises 0-4 spades, or in the final analysis, rebid 2♥ yourself.

Ben

[mikeh]

Too bad the hand was posted before I answered, but I had my choice already: I was leading the ♠10.

My rationale was that declarer was bidding in anticipation, based on the auction, of a fit. He almost assuredly lacked 5♠ and he must hold 4♥: with 5 he'd defend and with 3 he'd expect a 3=3 fit and thus a poor result on a ♥ lead.

He probably also has ♣ length: If I had to pick a shape it would have been 4=4=1=4 or 4=4=2=3. Yes, I know that it looks as if I peeked in guessing this shape, but it makes sense, especially if playing against strong opps: good players will draw inferences from their own hand and the opps' bidding to picture partner's hand.

[mike777]

Yes, this was a pick up partnership, no agreements as usual. I would pass also, but could live with 2clubs .