[Mbodell]

But a bunch of fairly good bridge players couldn't agree. Playing "standard" what is the correct NT lead from a suit of AJ98?

[Jlall]

8 is completely standard.

[jdonn]

Of course the 8, I don't even know what the other option is supposed to be. The ace? That is just silly. The 9? The 8 is hard enough to read but the 9 is even harder.

[Jlall]

jdonn, on Oct 12 2009, 08:45 PM, said:

Of course the 8, I don't even know what the other option is supposed to be. The ace? That is just silly. The 9? The 8 is hard enough to read but the 9 is even harder.

Kranyak was in the bulletin once for leading the jack from this and catching Tx on right and Qxx on left

[jdonn]

Jlall, on Oct 12 2009, 09:04 PM, said:

jdonn, on Oct 12 2009, 08:45 PM, said:

Of course the 8, I don't even know what the other option is supposed to be. The ace? That is just silly. The 9? The 8 is hard enough to read but the 9 is even harder.

Kranyak was in the bulletin once for leading the jack from this and catching Tx on right and Qxx on left

I remember it, I think it was Txx on his right, even better lol. But for one thing they had bid the suit on his left (reversed into a 3 card suit) which clearly makes a higher lead better, and for another if Kranyak did it then it can't be standard.

[Phil]

Jlall, on Oct 12 2009, 09:04 PM, said:

jdonn, on Oct 12 2009, 08:45 PM, said:

Of course the 8, I don't even know what the other option is supposed to be. The ace? That is just silly. The 9? The 8 is hard enough to read but the 9 is even harder.

Kranyak was in the bulletin once for leading the jack from this and catching Tx on right and Qxx on left

I played this same board and I think we talked about this about 3-4 years ago. Dallas NABC Open Pairs.

If I recall, you still had the opportunity to find the shift, but I could be wrong.

[MattieShoe]

AJ98
J983
AJT9

These would be standard, yes?

[P_Marlowe]

#1 yes
#2 no, the 3
#3 yes

Wih kind regards
Marlowe

[Lobowolf]

MattieShoe, on Oct 13 2009, 01:36 AM, said:

AJ98
J983
AJT9

These would be standard, yes?

Basically, for a sequence (or interior sequence), you want it headed by an honor, and against NT, it should be a 3-card sequence (or 3-card broken sequence, but broken at the bottom, not the top (e.g. top 2 cards touching)). So:

KT97 but

AJ98

[Jlall]

J98x is somewhat debatable, but I believe the expert community currently agrees with leading the x. I am a big proponent of the x also.

[Phil]

A few of you know this story.

In the Swiss at Irvine a month ago I had agreed to play 10 or 9 shows "0 or 2 higher". Partner led the 9 and dummy flopped 10-x and covered. I wasn't excited about defensive prospects looking at the Qxx and decided to switch at about T6 to cut down on overtricks.

Turns out the 9 was from AJ98x LOL.

[Mbodell]

jdonn, on Oct 12 2009, 05:45 PM, said:

Of course the 8, I don't even know what the other option is supposed to be. The ace? That is just silly. The 9? The 8 is hard enough to read but the 9 is even harder.

The 9 was the other option that held a minority opinion.

[eyhung]

Perhaps you should redefine your definition of "fairly good" player, then. At least in their understanding of standard leads, I would define them as "bad". Defense can be really difficult if partner could have a good holding (AJ98) or a weak holding (9xx, 98x). This point is highlighted by the ambiguity of the standard lead of the 8: because the 8 can be from strong holdings (AJ98, AQ98, KJ98, sometimes KQ98) as well as weak holdings (8xx, 8x, sometimes T8xx), it can create some confusion amongst advancing players who see the 8 and make the knee-jerk assumption that their partner is leading from weakness. I see no benefit to extending this confusion to the 9 as well.

[Jlall]

Heh when I see the 8 I still think AJ98 immediately even though top of weakness is much more likely, guess it's because I started with 4th best and low from xxx/xxxx.

[cherdanno]

Jlall, on Oct 13 2009, 10:13 PM, said:

Heh when I see the 8 I still think AJ98 immediately even though top of weakness is much more likely, guess it's because I started with 4th best and low from xxx/xxxx.

That's what I think all the time, but usually I get disappointed!

[mike777]

Mbodell, on Oct 12 2009, 07:51 PM, said:

But a bunch of fairly good bridge players couldn't agree. Playing "standard" what is the correct NT lead from a suit of AJ98?

As a nonexpert not discussed yet is the issue of leading from such a suit vs nt.


If we try and lead from a 5 card suit or if none we try and find partner's 5 card suit baring all of the above I would guess to lead from a 4 card suit......low to show 4 cards and something...high to show 4 cards and nothing. Another option I guess would be to not lead from a 4 card suit but lead neutral.