[Fluffy]

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[ArtK78]

What suits?

I lead the ♥8.

[the_clown]

I lead a ♥. Partner has more points than I do (otherwise we aint beating it anyway), so I will try to find his 5card suit. If he had 5-4 (or better) in the reds, he would have doubled 1♠. On the other hand he has 4+♥(unless E has 4 and W has 3), and often 5. And since he didnt double he cant have an owful lot of ♦. Spades and clubs are out of question for me.

[pooltuna]

one of the red suits I have a preference for ♦ as the bidding is more likely to conceal a ♥ suit by RHO than a ♦ suit

[dave_w]

If I had the ♦K then I'd lead a Diamond for sure. But with this holding I'm not so sure. Perhaps my Ace will be useful as an entry to help partner set up his suit. Leading the ♥8 needs a lot (hearts 5-3-3-2, probably not triple stopped, and one hold up might be enough since that will stop us from play any more). Okay, I'll lead a Diamond (a low one).

[rogerclee]

Low diamond, it is not close to me.

[jogs]

♦9. If you get lucky, you wish to unblock the suit now.

[akhare]

Low ♦...

[kenrexford]

jogs, on 2012-April-17, 11:17, said:

♦9. If you get lucky, you wish to unblock the suit now.

I agree with the diamond 9, but for different reasons.

Dummy with Q10xx, Partner with KJ8x? Even better if partner has KJ7x! Makes life easier for partner if you lead the 9 in the first, critical in the second, but only if partner is one to understand this issue.

[MrAce]

Low ♦.

Reminded me Alan Levy from France, who used to coach Turkish national team and it was one of the NO NO things to lead from a doubleton to find pd's suit in NT unless directed by pd.

[mikeh]

I think the diamond is clear, but the issue is: which one?

The problem with the low one is that we run a risk of blocking the suit, and/or perhaps confusing partner on the count (tho if we tank long enough, he'll work out we aren't leading 4th best...which is why we develop the habit of always pausing before making the opening lead)

The problem with the 9 is that it is virtually sure to mislead partner about the A. Not only will he get this suit wrong, but he'll mentally place us with these values in some other suit...he'll know, from dummy, that we have a few hcp and he'll think they are outside diamonds.

The problem with the A is that we lose a possible positional advantage....give partner KJ10x(x) and declarer Qxx.

I lead the 3, since any confusion about length may be irrelevant, and the appearance of dummy plus the auction may clue partner in to the possibility that we hold only 3 cards in the suit.

Edit: I wouldn't worry about blocking the suit...on any holding where we can run the suit after my lead of a spot, the 9/3 difference is, I think, irrelevant...and in all other cases, we need partner to get back in again anyway...and he rates to hold some stuff on the side, given the auction.

[jogs]

mikeh, on 2012-April-17, 11:45, said:

The problem with the 9 is that it is virtually sure to mislead partner about the A. Not only will he get this suit wrong, but he'll mentally place us with these values in some other suit...he'll know, from dummy, that we have a few hcp and he'll think they are outside diamonds.

If you are really lucky and hit partner's suit, he will know it. Doesn't matter what you lead. You don't want partner returning diamonds, thinking he's continuing your suit. On this board you have no suit.
Also if partner knows how to count he knows your count point within one point. A huge advantage over declarer, who doesn't know how the unseen points are distributed.

[lalldonn]

I don't think a diamond is clear, it looks risky in fact. I don't like a heart either, to me that's the worst lead. I prefer a club but a spade is ok.

[kenrexford]

mikeh, on 2012-April-17, 11:45, said:

on any holding where we can run the suit after my lead of a spot, the 9/3 difference is, I think, irrelevant...and in all other cases, we need partner to get back in again anyway.

Again:

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With the lead of the Ace, we win, then continue the 9-10-Jack, and then we need to get in later, which is impossible, so bad.

With the lead of the trey, Declarer ducks in Dummy, won by partner with the Jack. He returns a diamond to our Ace. Now, the diamond suit cannot produce four tricks.

With the lead of the 9, Declarer must cover with the 10 to partner's Jack. He runs back at our Ace to drop Declarer's 9, and then we have a straight hook through Dummy's Q-6 to partner's K-7. This takes also partner off the squeeze and off any throw-in.

Hence, at least in that situation the 9 lead is important.

[Phil]

Ken, what layout are you worried about with a low doubleton in declarer's hand? With 3=4=2=4, declarer is raising spades. I suppose 2=4=2=5 is possible but its such a narrow target.

I'm not enamored with a diamond lead. Fluffy seems to play in a lot of pairs games, and a diamond lead is loco there. From a tempo standpoint, by leading a diamond, we might lose a tempo to gain a trick, and it might be a wash anyway. Single dummy, if declarer is worried about partner getting in to push another diamond through to us, declarer will be finessing partner out of everything, which cannot be a good thing.

A heart is possible - that 8 fills up a lot of partner's four card holdings, and we might beat this just by staying passive. At the table, I would probably lead a spade.

Simtime?

[kenrexford]

Phil, on 2012-April-17, 14:25, said:

Ken, what layout are you worried about with a low doubleton in declarer's hand? With 3=4=2=4, declarer is raising spades. I suppose 2=4=2=5 is possible but its such a narrow target.

I'm not enamored with a diamond lead. Fluffy seems to play in a lot of pairs games, and a diamond lead is loco there. From a tempo standpoint, by leading a diamond, we might lose a tempo to gain a trick, and it might be a wash anyway. Single dummy, if declarer is worried about partner getting in to push another diamond through to us, declarer will be finessing partner out of everything, which cannot be a good thing.

A heart is possible - that 8 fills up a lot of partner's four card holdings, and we might beat this just by staying passive. At the table, I would probably lead a spade.

Simtime?

3424 also works. If you might raise with 3-4-2-4 (ugh!), then make the spades three small?


The 9 lead in diamonds also caters to Declarer having Qx in diamonds. 9 to partner's King, diamond to my Ace and dropping the Queen. Small back. If partner started with KJ-fourth, the J-x will be over Dummy. If Dummy has 8x and partner J7, the hand is easier. If partner started with KJ6x, even, then we might win if Declarer had Q-9 or Q-8 doubleton.

What about Declarer with Q8xx or J8xx in diamonds, Dummy with the Qx or Jx? The 9 will force Declarer's honor if everyone plays low, and then we take three tricks later. If Declarer puts up Dummy's honor, won by partner's King, partner's return of the 7 from 7-6 (or 7-5 if Dummy was J6 or Q6) allows us to establish three tricks in the suit quickly. A small lead allows Declarer to ride this to the 8 (which leaves the suit frozen). Partner can stick in a sacrificial 10 to force the Queen, but then our 9 gets smothered OR we lose transportation (requiring partner to have two entries). Partner could try the King and back to our Ace, with the 9 then forcing the Queen out, but then we may have allowed a rectification where Declarer can squeeze Partner and maybe throw him in.

I bet there are other situations where the 9 gains, but that last one took a lot out of me. LOL

[lalldonn]

It would take a lot out of me to lead the 9 and find declarer with QJ doubleton and partner KT42, or something equivalent!

[MrAce]

lalldonn, on 2012-April-17, 15:00, said:

It would take a lot out of me to lead the 9 and find declarer with QJ doubleton and partner KT42, or something equivalent!

And thats if you can convince pd that you didnt make a passive lead and you have your stuff somewhere else.

[kenrexford]

lalldonn, on 2012-April-17, 15:00, said:

It would take a lot out of me to lead the 9 and find declarer with QJ doubleton and partner KT42, or something equivalent!

So is this a clear restricted choice prob?em? Lol

[Phil]

Ken, most of your layouts work just fine when we lead small. We just set up the trick slower instead of quicker. There are many layouts where a 9 flat blows a trick. Some of these is the HH doubleton lalldonn mentions and their cousins.

Worst of all, the 9 is really hard to read by partner - Imagine when he holds KQ8x over dummy's T7xx. Is he really supposed to pop Q when declarer could have AJ6? I'm sure there are other layouts too when the 9 makes life really tough for partner.