[gwnn]

xxx
xx
ATxx
xxxx

1NT-2♣
2♥-4NT(rkc)
5♥-6♥

at matchpoints. opps are relatively young if that matters.

[DWM]

I like going by when in doubt lead the ace against a slam.

[Fluffy]

I'd lead a club

[barryallen]

♣ or A♦ depending upon whether I feel we should be active or not. Tend to favour the ♣ with no inclination.

[billw55]

The auction does not suggest a threatening side suit, so I lead passive. ♣ or ♠.

[maggieb]

DWM, on Oct 21 2009, 06:59 AM, said:

I like going by when in doubt lead the ace against a slam.

This is a huge myth, I don't know why non-expert players think this is true (my feeling is that this used to be more popular back in the day). There are only a couple ways this can gain and two huge, very likely ways it can lose (sacrifice a tempo, and more importantly solve all of declarer's diamond problems). This is not the kind of auction where you're worried at all that they might make 7 if you don't take the ♦A anyway, you should be trying to set up a black suit trick before they can knock out your ♦A or at the very least just not give anything away.

I would lead a club, I think it's safer than a spade.

[ggwhiz]

I hate the diamond Ace lead but think the trump lead is the safer (not always) passive lead. Especially if dummy has a stiff diamond and I get to lead a second trump.

Hoping declarer has to go find a black Queen or two with no help.

[Jlall]

DA before they make 7. It also gives us a chance if we have the DK as well, or if we can ruff a diamond.

[Jlall]

maggieb, on Oct 21 2009, 08:17 AM, said:

This is not the kind of auction where you're worried at all that they might make 7 if you don't take the ♦A anyway

Why? They are unlimited in their values, all they did was bid keycard then find out they were off the DA and stop in 6. We don't even have a jack in another suit. Looks pretty bleak to me.

[pooltuna]

Jlall, on Oct 21 2009, 03:59 PM, said:

maggieb, on Oct 21 2009, 08:17 AM, said:

This is not the kind of auction where you're worried at all that they might make 7 if you don't take the ♦A anyway

Why? They are unlimited in their values, all they did was bid keycard then find out they were off the DA and stop in 6. We don't even have a jack in another suit. Looks pretty bleak to me.

Amen!!! if this a weak or inexperienced pair you can bet they are not alone in slam. Collect that ace while you can. As an aside if there is a trump finesse you have given declarer a reason to finesse you for it.

[Phil]

I really don't have strong feelings about this. Unless the opponents are really n00bs, I seriously doubt we are cashing two diamonds on this auction, but I am a little hopeful pard can ruff the 2nd.

Its probably 50-50 whether or not the diamond lead gives away the contract versus holding it to 6. But its the 5-10% chance of giving pard a ruff is why I lead it.

[Fluffy]

pooltuna, on Oct 21 2009, 10:28 PM, said:

Jlall, on Oct 21 2009, 03:59 PM, said:

maggieb, on Oct 21 2009, 08:17 AM, said:

This is not the kind of auction where you're worried at all that they might make 7 if you don't take the ♦A anyway

Why? They are unlimited in their values, all they did was bid keycard then find out they were off the DA and stop in 6. We don't even have a jack in another suit. Looks pretty bleak to me.

Amen!!! if this a weak or inexperienced pair you can bet they are not alone in slam. Collect that ace while you can. As an aside if there is a trump finesse you have given declarer a reason to finesse you for it.

If you like unlikelly scenarios try giving partner ♦Qx

[ggwhiz]

Bad policy or bad bridge to base your lead on weakness or inexperience of the opps?

They were noted as being YOUNG as opposed to any of the above which leads me to believe they are on about 27 HCP's. One of them has the diamond 7 though.

[Jlall]

It is always funny to me when people post that there is no way good opps will ever be off the AK of diamonds here. Keep bidding scienfitically and always getting the right lead against you and I'll keep blasting when I have a good enough hand to drive to slam and even if we are off the AK of diamonds my opps won't lead it.

I think stayman and then keycard is a good bid with x AQJx xx AKQxxx or whatever.

[yahooya]

why not lead ♥?

[barryallen]

yahooya, on Oct 21 2009, 10:08 PM, said:

why not lead ♥?

As Donald would have put it "There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns". Or as his partner would have explained, 5♠

[Free]

♦A stands out by a mile imo. First of all, partner may have ♦K and we have 2 tricks. Second, he may also have ♥Qx or ♥Qxx and declarer may give that to us since we lead an Ace. Third we may have a ♦ ruff. Forth opps may have 13 tricks if we don't lead our Ace immediately.
Yes, it may give the contract away, but that won't be as frequent as it will be a winner imo.

[ArtK78]

Agree with ♦A lead for the reasons set forth by several posters.

[skjaeran]

Agree with several posters on ♦A. I very seldom lead aces vs slams, but this one really looks right at MP. Harder choice at IMPs, I'd probably lead a club then.

[bid_em_up]

skaeran, on Oct 22 2009, 01:47 PM, said:

Agree with several posters on ♦A......

Yea, but they are all "non-experts" so it doesn't matter what they think.