[jillybean]

Dealer: West Vul: None Scoring: IMP

♠ KQJ95 ♥ K63 ♦ A5 ♣ AJ7

West North East South

 Pass  Pass  1♦    Dbl
 Pass  1♥    2♦    2♠
 Pass  3♠    4♦    4♠
 Pass  Pass  5♦    Dbl
 Pass  Pass  Pass  


Your lead and why please

[Walddk]

♠K without much thought. You control every suit, so there is no need to experiment with say a low heart. Partner's 1♥ doesn't promise a strong suit. A heart is dangerous in quite a few instances and may cost the defence a trick on many layouts.

A top spade is 100% safe and is unlikely to blow a trick (tempo) for the defence.

If this auction is to be trusted, dummy must have close to a Yarborough. East's approach to this auction is very strange (to be diplomatic). One wonders why he didn't open 5♦. He bid it all by himself anyway.

Roland

[the hog]

I would also lead a S for the same reasons as stated in the post above.

[Fluffy]

My guess is ♠Axxx in dummy allows a free discard at trick 1

[Walddk]

Fluffy, on Aug 21 2007, 12:43 PM, said:

My guess is ♠Axxx in dummy allows a free discard at trick 1

If dummy has anything more than a jack, there is something completely wrong. East bid 1, 2, 3, 4, 5♦, and advancer bid 3♠ in a situation where he didn't have to bid.

2♠ showed a strong hand (18-21 roughly) when preceded by a double, but it's non-forcing. My estimate is that advancer has 5-6 hcp. With 7-8 he would have jumped to 4♠ and with more than 8 he could and should have bid more than 1♥ on his first turn (1♥ = 0-8 in my book).

Conceivably, advancer can have a flat 9 count with a moth-eaten heart suit, but then he should have raised to game over 2♠.

My guess is 5-6 though, and then declarer has around 15-16 and dummy close to zero. With this said, I confess that East can have most anything given the way he bid his hand.

Roland

[paulg]

I'd lead the ♦A just in case declarer has ♠Axxx and is looking for some ruffs.

[ulven]

I'll lead the ace of D. Agree with Paul.

I've seen on more than one occasion that this a winning lead in similar situations. Declarer's final bid may easily have been based on spade-length, anticipating ruffs in dummy with implied diamond length. It's even likely if our RHO is a sane person (rare at the bridge table on the other hand ;-))

[FrancesHinden]

I'd also lead the ace of diamonds.
I don't believe dummy has the SA and we have a 9 card fit, but it's possible declarer is something like 4270 and is going to take a spade ruff in dummy.

[Walddk]

Interesting. Could well be how Paul, Ulf and Frances picture it, but I see it the other way around. I think declarer is short in spades and has been encouraged by my spade bid and partner's support.

Roland

[ulven]

Well, if you're short in spades and bid diamonds three times, perhaps pushing the opps into a spade games they may not have bid otherwise, it's a bit unexpected to carry on to an unilateral save in 5D at the same vulnerability (i.e. not white vs red) when partner may have defensive trumps tricks (or threatening length).

It's more attractive to bid on with 3-4 card spades (I don't believe that dummy is void in spades with some support as he would've bid 5D himself).

[Walddk]

ulven, on Aug 21 2007, 02:43 PM, said:

Well, if you're short in spades and bid diamonds three times, perhaps pushing the opps into a spade games they may not have bid otherwise, it's a bit unexpected to carry on to an unilateral save in 5D at the same vulnerability (i.e. not white vs red) when partner may have defensive trumps tricks (or threatening length).

It's more attractive to bid on with 3-4 card spades (I don't believe that dummy is void in spades with some support as he would've bid 5D himself).

I agree with your reasoning, but East's approach is so bizarre that I suspect he is capable of having virtually any shape. 7(8) diamonds headed by KQJ, yes, but other than that I really don't know.

I suppose jillybean will enlighten us at some point.

Roland

[skjaeran]

I'll go for the trump ace too.
Try to avoid ♠ ruffs in dummy, if that's the issue. I don't think it's probable that cashing the ace will cost anything at all if there's no ruffs to take in dummy. With all my side suit stoppers it's hard to believe there's any tempo issue on this hand.

[jillybean]

Scoring: IMP

---

West North East South

 Pass  Pass  1♦    Dbl
 Pass  1♥    2♦    2♠
 Pass  3♠    4♦    4♠
 Pass  Pass  5♦    Dbl
 Pass  Pass  Pass  


Here's the full hand, my partner said I should have led ♠. My (misguided) reasoning was there is no hurry to play ♠'s so I led the ♥3.
I think my ‘standard’ leads are ok. The more unusual leads I have difficulty with and again here we have different ideas as to what is ‘best’. Alas, I’m in the minority for a ♥ lead

[cherdano]

Don't make aggressive leads when dummy is very weak (no need to help declarer with finesses if his losers can't go away), and you need a VERY good reason to lead from Kxx instead of KQJ... (such as indication of a double void, or similar )

I agree with the ♦A lead btw (and a good opponent couldn't have this hand IMO).

[Walddk]

OK, so you only got 500 when ♦A or a top spade would have yielded 800. I agree with Arend: do not risk a lead (heart) that may cost a trick when you have other, even very attractive alternatives.

By the way, remind your partner to raise 2♠ to game next time. It's not your job to bid his hand. You bid yours with double and 2♠.

As to East and his "diamonds are forever" avalanche, no one will understand why he needs partner. He ignores him anyway. 800 would have hurt more.

Roland

[pclayton]

I slightly prefer a spade over a diamond. A diamond is the 'book' lead in this situation, but I don't want to blow pard's ♦Jxx / Qx.

[jdonn]

I prefer the diamond in this spot, partly in case declarer is anticipating some support based on his own spade length, partly because of Fluffy's good point that dummy could have Axxx of spades opposite a void. I do not expect partner to have anything at all in diamonds, if I dare draw any inference at all.

[Quantumcat]

Why do you need to lead the ♦A now? If I were west with a spade void and 1 point I would have bid 3♦ after your 2♠ cause everyone knows I'm weak from passing east's open, only reason I could be coming in is spade/heart void. If anyone has a spade void it'll be east, and why would he want to ruff dummy's losers (he has to have at least 12 of them)? We are going to get in no matter what east plays on and by then we'll have some info on the correct defence. Trump ace is a powerful card, if you aren't 100% sure it's the only right thing to play why throw it away on trick 1? Well I am a beginner and everyone else expert so I am wrong but I'd like to know exactly why

[ulven]

Jlall, on Aug 21 2007, 06:06 PM, said:

It's close, but I'm worried about blowing a trick with the DA lead if partner has Qx or Jxx so I'd just go with a spade.

Your RHO bid diamonds, voluntarily, FOUR times up to 5D at equal vul. And you think the ace may blow a trick in that suit ???