[gwnn]

AKx
Axx
xx
QTxxx

1NT-2C
2H-3H
3NT-4H

3rd and low leads, if that makes any difference. partner is very good, if that makes any difference

[FrancesHinden]

I assume a diamond or the CQ or something is right given that the world would lead a top spade.

[pclayton]

I'll go passive here with a diamond. Declarer has a lot of work to do.

With three entries, I think I have the luxury of waiting for the club shift.

[jdonn]

This would really have to be posted in a forum for anything but a spade to be possible. If you are thinking of a club to give partner a ruff later there, you can always shift at trick 2. Can't wait to see why something else was right.

Clayton!?!?!

[ArtK78]

Looks like an obvious spade lead, so that can't be right.

[MarkDean]

I would lead a heart - do not see where the spades are going, and with partner marked with little, there is a pretty high chance I am simplifying the hand for declarer by leading a big spade.

I have lost innumerable IMPs and MPs on opening lead though, so perhaps my votes in these polls should be negative?

[pclayton]

jdonn, on May 28 2008, 08:20 AM, said:

This would really have to be posted in a forum for anything but a spade to be possible. If you are thinking of a club to give partner a ruff later there, you can always shift at trick 2. Can't wait to see why something else was right.

Clayton!?!?!

Josh - look at your hand again. Where are our spades tricks going?

[gnasher]

The arguments for a passive lead are good, but it's not clear that either a diamond or a heart is passive. A diamond may pick up partner's queen or jack; a heart may pick up his jack, or his Q9 over dummy's J10.

Of course, a spade may cost a trick when partner has the ten or jack, so that's not particularly passive either. The main advantage to a spade is that it gives you a chance to switch to a club if dummy has four, and eventually give partner a ruff.

[pclayton]

gnasher, on May 28 2008, 11:29 AM, said:

The arguments for a passive lead are good, but it's not clear that either a diamond or a heart is passive. A diamond may pick up partner's queen or jack; a heart may pick up his jack, or his Q9 over dummy's J10.

Of course, a spade may cost a trick when partner has the ten or jack, so that's not particularly passive either. The main advantage to a spade is that it gives you a chance to switch to a club if dummy has four, and eventually give partner a ruff.

I considered this too, but pard's diamond honors are finessable (assuming declarer plays the suit that way). I'd be worried we'd be picking off pard's Jx of trump with a trump lead. Its hard to tell what the bigger risk is.

I'm not sure we can ever diagnose the need for a club ruff, unless dummy flops with 5.

[gnasher]

Quote

I'm not sure we can ever diagnose the need for a club ruff, unless dummy flops with 5.

Yes, you're right - with declarer probably 3433, a club switch would be appropriate only if dummy had five. I seem to be having trouble with counting up to 13 at the moment.

[jdonn]

pclayton, on May 28 2008, 12:33 PM, said:

jdonn, on May 28 2008, 08:20 AM, said:

This would really have to be posted in a forum for anything but a spade to be possible. If you are thinking of a club to give partner a ruff later there, you can always shift at trick 2. Can't wait to see why something else was right.

Clayton!?!?!

Josh - look at your hand again. Where are our spades tricks going?

You lose the option to switch to whichever suit looks better at trick 2 (club king, diamond king, club ruff, even a trump can be right), and all for what, to fish out partner's diamond queen? What if partner is 2-1 in the majors and you lose your spade ruff? I often don't lead AK when it doesn't look right in fact, but I am not seeing at all why it isn't right here.

[matmat]

i like a small trump/