[kgr]

In another topic Frances said:
Opps pass:
1H-2H-4H
...an auction that suggests an aggressive lead...
 
Why is this auction 'suggesting' an aggressive lead? Dummy will be limited and maybe declarer pushed to bid game. It is possible that opps don't have extra's for 4♥ (or even not enough)?
 
Is an aggressive lead rather clear after this auction or is 'suggest' meaning that it is not clear at all?

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

It is true, that the opponents may have both streched to reach game.
Responder may hold a bare min for his response, opener may have pushed.

But nearly equally likely is, that responder has more than min or a max.
and opener has a clearcut raise to game, maybe even something to spare.

In the end, it comes down to probability, and it is more likely that they have
sufficient strength to make game, than both happen to hold a min. for their
bidding.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[FrancesHinden]

I admit I start from a position that I make an aggressive lead unless the auction obviously calls for a passive one (rather than the opposite).

But here opener has not made a game try, so their combined assets have a higher upper limit than after an invitational sequence.

[pooltuna]

FrancesHinden, on Jan 17 2010, 10:40 AM, said:

I admit I start from a position that I make an aggressive lead unless the auction obviously calls for a passive one (rather than the opposite).

But here opener has not made a game try, so their combined assets have a higher upper limit than after an invitational sequence.

since you are making aggressive leads does this mean

Quote

lead a diamond from Qxx Qxx Jxx Q10xx on this auction.

?

[gwnn]

I do not understand your joke pooltuna. What are you trying to say?

[pooltuna]

gwnn, on Jan 17 2010, 11:04 AM, said:

I do not understand your joke pooltuna. What are you trying to say?

see other thread

[gwnn]

I know the other thread. But what are you trying to say? Frances said her partners would never lead a diamond from that hand. Do you think underleading jacks is aggressive? I just don't understand anything.

[pooltuna]

gwnn, on Jan 17 2010, 11:20 AM, said:

I know the other thread. But what are you trying to say? Frances said her partners would never lead a diamond from that hand. Do you think underleading jacks is aggressive? I just don't understand anything.

leading from QTxx is fairly aggressive I would think

[FrancesHinden]

The example hand from the other thread is a somewhat different discussion, because from the putative Qxx Qxx Jxx Q10xx you don't have a passive lead.

A "passive" lead is generally interpreated to mean one that (we hope) will give nothing away or do nothing for declarer that he cannot do himself. Apart from 4-card honour sequences such as KQJ10 there are very few holdings that you can be certain are totally passive. Even QJ109 may cost if dummy has the king and declarer now picks off partner's short ace.

Jxx is definitely not a passive lead against a blind auction. I really hate leading away from a short jack because it doesn't usually help develop anything for your side and it can easily cost the third round of the suit. At least there is more upside when leading away from a queen.

Thinking about suit contracts...

As a very very rough guide, the longer the suit you lead, the more passive it is likely to be (declarer is less likely to be looking for tricks in the suit because he has fewer of them between the hands). The most common passive leads are from strong honour sequences (which are also attacking leads). Next come 4- or 5- low cards. Short honours are never passive, whatever the honour.

It is sometimes suggested that leading away from two honours (KJ or Q10, say) is somehow more aggressive than leading from one honour. As long as there's some chance that partner has an honour in the suit, the opposite is often true.

If you lead away from KJ, you strike gold if partner has the Queen, or the A10, or the ace and declarer has the queen. If you lead away from the King, you may be costing a trick, or at least a tempo, if partner has any one of the Ace, the queen, or the jack. Whether mucking up the third round of the suit matters depends on the contract, the rest of your hand etc

[pooltuna]

gwnn, on Jan 17 2010, 11:20 AM, said:

I know the other thread. But what are you trying to say? Frances said her partners would never lead a diamond from that hand. Do you think underleading jacks is aggressive? I just don't understand anything.

As far a leading a small ♦ from Jxx you must never have encountered dummy holding QT9x opposite declarer's A32

[kgr]

FrancesHinden, on Jan 17 2010, 05:40 PM, said:

I admit I start from a position that I make an aggressive lead unless the auction obviously calls for a passive one (rather than the opposite).

That is probably the reason of my question. I tend to lead very passive, and certainly in relation to leading from K(xxx) in a suit contract.
This habit probably comes from playing a lot of MP's club tournaments. I guess passive leads are more appropriate there?
 
Maybe I should force myself to lead active whenever I'm playing IMPs and if there is no very clear reason to lead passive.

[gwnn]

I asked you a simple question and still don't know what you replied. Your first reply said that QTxx is an aggressive lead, your second was that Jxx can blow a trick. I agree with both those statements but I think neither of these was a reply to my question, or they are two different and contradictory replies. Sorry I'm not trying to be argumentative. Sometimes I just want to understand what I don't understand. It's as if you're trying to confront Frances with her past post. Are you saying underleading queens is less aggressive than underleading jacks? Please help me.

[jdonn]

Pooltuna's jokes = Foo's bridge arguments

does that help gwnn?

[gwnn]

Well that's one alternative but maybe I just didn't understand. That's what I wanted to clear up but looks like it's not going to happen

[pooltuna]

gwnn, on Jan 17 2010, 03:20 PM, said:

Well that's one alternative but maybe I just didn't understand. That's what I wanted to clear up but looks like it's not going to happen

i think all the leads Frances suggested were aggressive is that what you are asking? I kind of thought both auction were similar enough that I thought it was funny that she would lead aggressively in one but not the other

[hanp]

Gwnn, please stop feeding the fish.