[jchiu]

As West, Both Vulnerable, IMPs, you hold
♠AQ8
♥84
♦73
♣AQT953.

Bidding Proceeds

1♣ X XX 3♥
P 4♣ 5♣ P
P 5♥ X AP

[mr1303]

Not convinced by my partner's bidding here: if he had club support he should show it himself. I lead a trump, since a diamond might give something away, and I don't lead from AQs

By the way, this is the wrong place for a hand like this. Try "Interesting bridge hands". BPO is where we put our online bidding contests.

[P_Marlowe]

Ace of clubs, trump will loose a tempo,
but wont accomplish a lot, they will have
enough trumps
... on the other hand the ace may kill an
entry in my hand.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[pigpenz]

i always find that on hands where we have the majority of the points that a trump lead works out best....the kkkumar principle I call it

[han]

They have a big fit and LHO has a club void. I'm leading a trump, but the 4 please. Although it is unlikely to matter, the heart 8 may be important if RHO starts ruffing diamonds. I always lead my lowest when I lead trump (unless I have an honor sequence or the ace or I think that partner has great trumps or...).

[Chamaco]

Opps are void in clubs and are likely to have a massive heart fit.

I am not sure a heart is best here.

I voted a diamond through dummy's strength, but upon reflection I am reconsidering the lead of the spade Ace : with most values marked in dummy, we might just need to develop tricks in spades.

[ardf10987]

Scoring: Imp

---

I tried to visualise some hands. I agree that XX with fit is NOT sensible... anyway the bid of 5♣ suggest a very huge inexpressed ♣ fit (in my mind with ♥ shortage too). With all this in my head I think ♥ is better to be avoided, ♣ has not a great future, ♠ should help declarer.

Don't ask me what we are left with...

Obviously the case of ♦ and ♥ running exists... but if this is true, I think rare to have three tricks available in the blacks.

[joshs]

Well partner should be 3235 with the sort of hand that does not want to declare NT (normally with a big trump fit you bid 2N, so the implication is that he was initially interested in playing NT, but didn't want to declare NT). Dummy has 4 hearts and a club void (listen to the bidding!), so is likely 4450 or 5440. Declarer usually has 6H on this auction, but maybe has only 5. (5 is more consistant with partner's auction)Leading trumps will not help since there are only 2 clubs to ruff if partner has 5 clubs like he needs to have, so the biggest worry is the 5 card suit in dummy, and you don't kbnow which suit its in. One thing is pretty clear, the Spade K is not in declarer's hand, so lead the spade ace and then decide if you should continue spades or shift to diamonds.

Actually a very likely layout is:
Declarer having 1552 shape
Dummy having 6430 shape
Partner having 3235 shape
in which case you might need to lead a diamond from the go if partner has KQT or KQJ of diamonds and the spade K as an entry, but in most other honor layouts the spade ace and diamond switch is good enough.

If I recall, I was your partner and my hand was not exactly what you would expect but was close. (something like Kxx x Kxxx KJxxx? ) I guess if I am not going to bid 2N with this hand I should like flip-flop more than I do.