[paulg]

Playing at imps against some expert forum members, you declare the following three notrump:

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West leads the ♥10 which, if from a 3+ holding, promises the ♥9 and denies the ♥J - West may or may not have a higher heart honour.

What is your plan and play from dummy at trick one?

[Fluffy]

I always play the jack on this spots, my play is to make 5 in the minors, 4 in the majors expecting LHO to hold ♠A or ♥Q

[TWO4BRIDGE]

Fluffy, on 2013-January-11, 10:45, said:

I always play the jack on this spots, my play is to make 5 in the minors, 4 in the majors expecting LHO to hold ♠A or ♥Q

Isn't it most likely that RHO has the ♥Q ?

I'm hoping the lead is from 4 cards... then the Q will drop in two .

[Fluffy]

TWO4BRIDGE, on 2013-January-11, 11:15, said:

Isn't most likely that RHO has the ♥Q ?

Sure, taking into account that the hand is posted is really high

[mgoetze]

TWO4BRIDGE, on 2013-January-11, 11:15, said:

Isn't most likely that RHO has the ♥Q ?

I'm hoping the lead is from 4 cards... then the Q will drop in two .

If LHO has T9 and any two other heart cards, odds are 50-50 as to who has the queen.

[cherdano]

I would lead low from QT9x and the T from T98x.

[JLOGIC]

I would lead the ten from QT9x but low from T9xx.

Anyways, obv LHO has 5 hearts a lot. Even if they would lead low from QT9xx, there are still twice as many QT98x's as T98x, and who knows if they'd lead low or the ten from QT9xx, most people probably lead the ten.

On a good day LHO will have QT9 third

[lalldonn]

mgoetze, on 2013-January-11, 15:52, said:

If LHO has T9 and any two other heart cards, odds are 50-50 as to who has the queen.

But if he has any three other heart cards...

[paulg]

JLOGIC, on 2013-January-11, 17:24, said:

I would lead the ten from QT9x but low from T9xx.

Anyways, obv LHO has 5 hearts a lot. Even if they would lead low from QT9xx, there are still twice as many QT98x's as T98x, and who knows if they'd lead low or the ten from QT9xx, most people probably lead the ten.

On a good day LHO will have QT9 third

Asking Frances about this would be a good idea (and declarer may well have done).

[FrancesHinden]

RHO isn't a forum regular but does quite a lot of vugraph commentary.
Declarer had a fairly long conversation about the lead with his RHO, but as they were on the other side of the screen I don't know what was said.
LHO would lead the 10 from 1098x(x) or, probably, 1097x, a low one from 109xx(x), usually a low one from Q109xx but the 10 from Q1098x or, possibly, Q1097x, the 10 from Q109x but might prefer a different suit
LHO makes short suit leads against 3NT extremely rarely (on this auction at least where no suit has been bid)

Double of 1S from RHO would have been "take-out of the minors" showing both majors, or possibly just a good hand with 4-3/3-4 in the majors.

[paulg]

Thanks Frances.

I must admit that I expected declarer to go down when watching on vugraph as I thought he would adopt Fluffy's line, which looked best to me. You don't really have the time to 'safety play' the hearts by leading towards the jack on the second round, especially given that a club switch could be fatal and the entry position is not as good as it looks.

As it happens, the ♥10 was the highest card in LHO's hand but the ♥Q was singleton with RHO. So playing the ♥J led to defeat.

The Scots gained three imps when five diamonds also failed in the other room.

[cherdano]

JLOGIC, on 2013-January-11, 17:24, said:

I would lead the ten from QT9x but low from T9xx.

I would lead the ten, usually, but since LHO has denied length in the suit, low seemed better to me.

Quote

Even if they would lead low from QT9xx, there are still twice as many QT98x's as T98x,

That's obviously not right, but if it's a typo I don't know which.

[JLOGIC]

T98xx seems like what I meant.