[plaur]

Scoring: MP

1♦ - p - 1NT all pass

---

Local MP's, 18 tables
1♦ promises 4+ ♦'s. 1NT is 6-9 HCP, denies 4 card major and ♦ support, so at least 4 ♣'s
What suit do you lead and why?

[hrothgar]

Torn between the Ten of Spades and 8 of Hearts....

Partner has a 5 card Heart suit, however, he couldn't overcall and he has values
Ergo, he has a broken suit and a heart lead could cost a trick...

Guess I'll lead a spade

[mike777]

Richard said it well. I agree and lead a spade. Partner should not have a good hand or a good heart suit.

I would only add there is a lead theory that says lead from your K holding longish suit and keep your ace longish suit as a later entry suit. Of course in this case we expect Rho to be long in clubs.

[jtfanclub]

hrothgar, on Sep 6 2006, 05:16 PM, said:

Torn between the Ten of Spades and 8 of Hearts....

Partner has a 5 card Heart suit, however, he couldn't overcall and he has values
Ergo, he has a broken suit and a heart lead could cost a trick...

Guess I'll lead a spade

Hmmm...

I don't think I'm leading a spade. It's between clubs and hearts for me.

I agree that partner's sitting with a broken heart suit, but I think it's likely that the heart honors are sitting with dummy. I'm somewhat concerned that he may be a victim of a strip later on...if he's, say, 3=5=3=2, it's not hard for me to envision them playing off the black suits and then forcing him in with a red suit. If I play the heart now, he can escape if need be.

Say...
Jxx
KJ8xx
Kxx
Qx

and dummy has
Qxx
AQTx
AQxx
xx

Your partner's going to need the spades to get out of his hand safely.

[mike777]

Is spending our limited energy at a trick one opening lead on how to break up a strip endplay or squeeze really the best use of our time as beginners?

[hrothgar]

jtfanclub, on Sep 7 2006, 01:39 AM, said:

Jxx
KJ8xx
Kxx
Qx

Looks like a 1♥ overcall

[AdiBichea]

10♠

[whereagles]

Spade seems so.. "wtp?"

[jtfanclub]

hrothgar, on Sep 6 2006, 05:58 PM, said:

jtfanclub, on Sep 7 2006, 01:39 AM, said:

Jxx
KJ8xx
Kxx
Qx

Looks like a 1♥ overcall

Fair enough. Can you give me an example of what you think he has?

Edited to add: Sure, thinking through squeezes and throwins isn't necessary. But when partner has a suit, and he's sitting behind the strong hand, why not lead it? A lot of good things can happen. One of those good things is not forcing partner to lead it from his hand.

[mike777]

hrothgar, on Sep 6 2006, 05:58 PM, said:

jtfanclub, on Sep 7 2006, 01:39 AM, said:

Jxx
KJ8xx
Kxx
Qx

Looks like a 1♥ overcall

I have been thinking about Richard's comment here. Assuming you have a general agreement that your Unfav. Vul overcalls in this position show a "good hand or good suit" I would think this hand is neither. I would think a good suit means at the very least KJTxx or more?

Please note you are at unfav vul and partner is an unpassed hand. I would have passed Richard's example hand but wonder if this correct?

[inquiry]

plaur, on Sep 6 2006, 05:01 PM, said:

Scoring: MP

1♦ - p - 1NT all pass

---

Local MP's, 18 tables
1♦ promises 4+ ♦'s. 1NT is 6-9 HCP, denies 4 card major and ♦ support, so at least 4 ♣'s
What suit do you lead and why?

First, what not lead. A ♥. Opponents have stopped in 1NT so we expect them to have from 18 to 23 hcp. That give us from 17 to 22. I hold 8 so partner had from 9 to 13. Partner did not overcall 1♥ despite the fact that we know he has at least five of them. So a heart lead is out of the question. Partner also rates to have 2 or 3 spades. So we peg partner at 2-5-(33) or 3-5-(32).

That leaves the black suits and diamond. I rule out the diamond lead at MP as it is too likely to give up a trick by leading from Jxx (although I have a mild admiration for anyone who give it a go).

So that leaves spades and clubs. While the ♠10 opening lead seems normal, I don't want to blow a spade trick here. I think I will just start with a mundane 4th best from my longest suit, ie, a club. The club seven looks right, even though I am am a little worried that partner might misread the club spot lead, If I start wtih the two instead, partner might not continue the suit when in with one of his red suit winners when it is right to do so.

[zasanya]

inquiry says it all and on behalf of all beginners I thank him.Fourth highest from your longest and strongest suit.Yes,I read it 25 years ago in one of Charles Goeren's books ,I think.

[P_Marlowe]

zasanya, on Sep 8 2006, 01:27 AM, said:

inquiry says it all and on behalf of all beginners I thank him.Fourth highest from your longest and strongest suit.Yes,I read it 25 years ago in one of Charles Goeren's books ,I think.

certainly there was also a comment in Gorens book,
that one should not lead a suit bid by the opponents.
And that a suit bid by the opponents refers not only
to suit explicit mentioned in the auction but also to suits
implied by the auction.

E.g.

1NT - 2C (1)
2H - 2NT

(1) normal Stayman

Opener showed hearts and responder shopwed spades.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[plaur]

inquiry, on Sep 7 2006, 01:28 PM, said:

Partner did not overcall 1♥ despite the fact that we know he has at least five of them.

Good argument that I didnt think of. I lead ♥8 and partner wasnt happy. Our spadeshift came to late and we never got the fourth spade.
I didnt like any lead and lead 'partners suit'. I've grown an aversion against leading from 4-card suits against NT. Declarer has at least 4 clubs and often more, so I didnt like leading a club.