[CSGibson]

Scoring: IMP

1♥-1♠,
1N-2♦*,
2N-3N

2♦ is game forcing, artificial. You and your partner pass throughout.

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What do you lead from this collection?

[Phil]

Blecch. RHO is usually 2533 and LHO has five spades.

I doubt anything is going to work, but I'll lead a low heart and hope the pard has a high heart, the ♠A is on my right and hope for 2♠, 1♥, my A and a slow trick somewhere else.

[Free]

♣T, partner doesn't have much, but I guess with ♣ we have the best chance to reach him. The T may be necessary to unblock the suit.

[Fluffy]

This one doesn't seem like one where we wanna be agressive, but either lead looks dangerous anyway.

my 2 best guesses are ♦J and ♣10, I went for ♣10 cos it will be not obvious for RHO to duck Kxx if he's got it.

[Phil]

With clubs a likely 33 between the opponents, the ♣ T looks dangerous, not passive.

[bluecalm]

Leading ♥ is often good on similar auctions but I think our honors are too low and hand too strong so chances patner having an honor, then playing ♥ through and that to make a difference are imo slim. ♥ lead can easily lead to disaster though if we led into declarer's tenace.
I think heart would be more attractive if our holding was something like QJ9x/QJTx.

I am probably biased by simul results now so I won't post anymore analysis beside that I think leading J♦ is the best with low club being close second

[jamegumb]

Led ♠K, angling for opposing hands like:

♠Axxx
♥Kx
♦Qxxx
♣KJx

♠Jx
♥AQTxx
♦ATx
♣Qxx

Trying to find partner's ♠Txx. Yes, he's not going to have much on this auction.

Question to club leaders: if you lead the ten, is your partner always going to duck from Kxxx? If dummy has Qxx and rises, might partner not think that the T is from T9x, and a cover is necessary?

[gnasher]

Phil, on Aug 23 2010, 04:05 PM, said:

With clubs a likely 33 between the opponents, the ♣ T looks dangerous, not passive.

If ♣10 is dangerous, what word would you use to describe a heart lead?

[gnasher]

I don't see any reason to panic or get aggressive. Neither of their five card suits is breaking, and I may well make tricks in both as long as I'm patient. This hand calls for a passive lead, and the way to do that is most certainly not to lead a major.

The problem with a club lead is that even if it doesn't cost immediately it may set me up for an endplay later. I've don't think I've ever led from J9 doubleton in an unbid suit against 3NT before, but I'd lead DJ.

[Phil]

gnasher, on Aug 23 2010, 04:38 PM, said:

Phil, on Aug 23 2010, 04:05 PM, said:

With clubs a likely 33 between the opponents, the ♣ T looks dangerous, not passive.

If ♣10 is dangerous, what word would you use to describe a heart lead?

It seems partners average heart length is 2.5 so the chances of catching pard with the A,K,Q or T don't seem too bad. If pard doesn't have any of these cards then I doubt we are beating as the ♠A is probably on our left.

♦J is my 2nd choice however its not unusual for LHO has 4 diamonds because with a 5233 LHO will bid 3N a fair amount of the time. .

[Lobowolf]

Phil, on Aug 22 2010, 11:48 PM, said:

Blecch. RHO is usually 2533 and LHO has five spades.

I doubt anything is going to work, but I'll lead a low heart and hope the pard has a high heart, the ♠A is on my right and hope for 2♠, 1♥, my A and a slow trick somewhere else.

+1 (on both the low heart lead, and on not liking anything).

[jdonn]

I really don't think a heart lead is that dangerous, at least not relative to the other leads. A spade and a club certainly are. A diamond is very possible and I wouldn't heavily criticize it but a heart seems more productive.

[JLOGIC]

I would just not lead if I had this hand...too brutal to contemplate.

[cherdanno]

Wow, now a heart is even supposed to be productive? I think the one layout where a heart sets up a trick (LHO needs a singleton AND partner needs HT or HH among his 3 cards) is just not as likely as the one where it costs (partner having no honor).
Not that I feel strongly about which lead is right, but I prefer a diamond over a heart.

[gszeszycki]

Dealer: East
Vul: E/W
Scoring: IMP
♠ KQ95
♥ J943
♦ J9
♣ AT4
1♥-1♠,
1N-2♦*,
2N-3N

2♦ is game forcing, artificial

A nasty collection to lead from since we can count on P having at most around a K.
opps look like favorites to collect 3 if not 4 hearts the spades are to our left again
ughhh and if we get on lead we will have to lead from this collection again. It looks like we need some luck to beat this so I will try the club A hoping to find
P with at worst Kxxx or with luck Qxxx with club K on our left. There is a tiny attacking clubs will mess with communication btn opps hands. This lead could also
hit the jackpot if p manages to come up with Kxxxx or (Qxxxx and Kx is with lho) or (QJxxx and Kx is with either opp)

There is real risk this lead can cost a trick but hand seems to favor the opps so an aggressive stance seems to be called for. Leading the club T is no safer than leading the A and risks not only missing the jackpot but cost us a trick if Kxx is with lho and P (holding Qxxx) ducks trick to the J.

[CSGibson]

Scoring: IMP

1♥-1♠,
1N-2♦*,
2N-3N

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This was the actual hand from play. Diamond lead appears to be best, as it screws up declarer's communications somewhat, T♣ (my choice), A♣, or spade spot is immediate death, and anything else is just a slower death, as it gives declarer tempo