[andrei]

IMP

you hold:

QJTX - xx- xx - KJ8xx

[Jlall]

SQ, QJTx of a major is just too good to pass up. Sure a club will be right if we can run 5 on them, but that is so unlikely when they don't bid stayman (likely to have minor length, unlikely to have that many hearts to run). A much more likely scenario is that they are in a marginal game and we just have to avoid giving them tricks to beat them. QJTx will very rarely give away a trick and will be a good start on setting up some tricks for us.

This is the type of hand where we do NOT want to put all of our eggs in one basket because we have such an appealing choice elsewhere.

[the hog]

Agree with Lall, SQ.

[mtvesuvius]

The_Hog, on Sep 16 2009, 10:15 PM, said:

Agree with Lall, SQ.

Well said.

[effervesce]

SQ. Prefer a major lead on 1NT-3NT auctions, and especially with a good sequence thats alot less likely to blow a trick.

[pooltuna]

Well explained by JLall

[andrei]

♠Q is the winner, finding partner with AKxxx

our teammates lead a small club, so I was wondering how much merit has such a lead. not much, based on the answers here.

[Lobowolf]

andrei, on Sep 18 2009, 07:45 PM, said:

♠Q is the winner, finding partner with AKxxx

our teammates lead a small club, so I was wondering how much merit has such a lead. not much, based on the answers here.

I don't think the actual result necessarily reflects the advantages of the spade lead. You hit partner with a perfect holding; you migth just as easily have led a club and found AQx.

The spade lead's advantage is primarily that it's a solid suit, so when partner's holding in the suit is limited, you haven't blown a trick. A better result to illustrate would be if partner had 9xx in both suits, and the club lead gave away the game-winning trick.

Catching partner with the perfect holding is more random (although the fact that dummy didn't use Stayman is push toward the major).

[andrei]

Lobowolf, on Sep 18 2009, 07:58 PM, said:

andrei, on Sep 18 2009, 07:45 PM, said:

♠Q is the winner, finding partner with AKxxx

our teammates lead a small club, so I was wondering how much merit has such a lead. not much, based on the answers here.

I don't think the actual result necessarily reflects the advantages of the spade lead. You hit partner with a perfect holding; you migth just as easily have led a club and found AQx.

The spade lead's advantage is primarily that it's a solid suit, so when partner's holding in the suit is limited, you haven't blown a trick. A better result to illustrate would be if partner had 9xx in both suits, and the club lead gave away the game-winning trick.

Catching partner with the perfect holding is more random (although the fact that dummy didn't use Stayman is push toward the major).

oh, don't get me wrong, i was only interested in what people think about leading a club as opposed to a spade.

I don't consider what hapenned in the actual board very relevant, I have only posted the facts in case someone was curios

[P_Marlowe]

club.

Boring, I lead my longest suit.

Spades is the safe lead, which wont give away tricks, club
is the lead to establish your suit.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[eagle_one]

♠Q unless well behind and looking for the jackpot.

♣ is far too risky giving 2 tricks when they hold A and Q; maybe letting them make 9 before we get our ♠ in the bag.

[ggwhiz]

I agree with the spade Queen on the theory that if you establish either black suit it's easier to get in faster to cash with the club King.

Even if pard has 1 of the club honors, how do you cash the rest of the suit unless they have length too?

[ArtK78]

If I were given this problem with the question "Which suit do you lead to give you the best chance of beating the contract?" I would say it would be a club. You only need for partner to have as little as Ax of clubs and declarer have Qxx or Partner having A9 or AT of clubs with declarer or dummy having QT or Q9 of clubs for a club lead to produce 5 fast tricks.

The spade lead is "normal," in that it is very unlikely to give up a trick and has a good chance of establishing 2 or 3 tricks in the suit.

At matchpoints, the spade lead stands out by a mile. At IMPs, less so.

In your example hand, partner had AKxxx of spades, an extremely unlikely holding. It is certainly far more likely that partner has Ax or Axx or Axxx of clubs. Even Qxx of clubs may be sufficient if declarer or dummy has Ax.

On the other hand, if I were given this problem with the question "A lead of which suit is most likely to give declarer his 9th trick in 3NT?" the answer would also be a club, for obvious reasons.

[yahooya]

ArtK78, on Sep 21 2009, 11:53 PM, said:

If I were given this problem with the question "Which suit do you lead to give you the best chance of beating the contract?" I would say it would be a club. You only need for partner to have as little as Ax of clubs and declarer have Qxx or Partner having A9 or AT of clubs with declarer or dummy having QT or Q9 of clubs for a club lead to produce 5 fast tricks.

The spade lead is "normal," in that it is very unlikely to give up a trick and has a good chance of establishing 2 or 3 tricks in the suit.

At matchpoints, the spade lead stands out by a mile. At IMPs, less so.

In your example hand, partner had AKxxx of spades, an extremely unlikely holding. It is certainly far more likely that partner has Ax or Axx or Axxx of clubs. Even Qxx of clubs may be sufficient if declarer or dummy has Ax.

On the other hand, if I were given this problem with the question "A lead of which suit is most likely to give declarer his 9th trick in 3NT?" the answer would also be a club, for obvious reasons.

totally agree ArtK8! If opps need 9th trick, lead Club is mostly like to give them a extra trick. so safe leading is Spade.
I also think why LHO bidded 3NT directly?? maybe he got a long suit, and that was Daimond. so if Partner had a suit, It should be Heart, so I think lead Heart is also a choice.