BBO Discussion Forums: What does the term "Standard Leads" mean - BBO Discussion Forums

Jump to content

Page 1 of 1

What does the term "Standard Leads" mean

#1 User is offline   Liversidge 

  • PipPipPipPip
  • Group: Full Members
  • Posts: 424
  • Joined: 2014-January-22
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Sleaford, Lincolnshire
  • Interests:Bridge, Gardening, DIY, Travel

Posted 2019-February-21, 06:42

Convention cards are not used by any of the players at our local clubs. Most players don't know what you mean when you use the term 'Standard Leads' I am not sure I understand it fully myself. When I google the term, up pops a long list of acceptable leads against suits and against no trumps, e.g. "if you choose to lead from K972, lead the 2."
Is there a standard 'standard lead' list that is universally agreed, so that we can, if asked, say "We play standard leads except leading AK means 'apple' and leading KA means 'pear'? Will that usually be a satisfactory answer or might we be asked what we mean by 'standard leads'?
0

#2 User is offline   Tramticket 

  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Group: Advanced Members
  • Posts: 2,070
  • Joined: 2009-May-03
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Kent (Near London)

Posted 2019-February-21, 06:56

the Best Advice is not to use a term like "Standard" - it means different things to different people.

Having said that, you are in England I think and the EBU convention card has a "standard" lead underlined - the idea being that you mark the card if not using these standard leads.

They are (for suit contracts):
AK
AKX
KQ10
KJ10
K109
QJ10
QJX
J10X
10XX
109X
987X
10XXX
HXX
HXXX
HXXXX
HXXXXX
XX
XXX
XXXX
XXXXX

There is a similar list for NT contracts

The card can be downloaded here
0

#3 User is offline   paulg 

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Group: Advanced Members
  • Posts: 5,053
  • Joined: 2003-April-26
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Scottish Borders

Posted 2019-February-22, 02:26

If I went to almost any British club and they said "Standard leads", I would presume they played "British" 2/4 which Tramticket has posted above. It is not the same as Polish 2/4, which is the EBL and WBF interpretation of 2/4, but no-one cares in the clubs. Everyone who is playing something different, like Polish 2/4, 3/5, 3/low, attitude, knows that they are not playing standard leads.

The only variance I see in Standard leads is the meaning of the ace and king lead: ace for attitude, king for count is popular in the stronger clubs in Scotland but has not made it to my local club yet.

My local club sounds similar to the OP's. I don't think anyone knows what standard leads are, but they always lead 4th from length and 2nd from a poor suit. Except when they forget and lead 4th from all long suits, weak or strong. In almost all cases their partner has no idea what they are doing either. You can only really trust the stronger players and those who have done classes recently.
The Beer Card

I don't work for BBO and any advice is based on my BBO experience over the decades
0

#4 User is offline   blackshoe 

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Group: Advanced Members
  • Posts: 17,562
  • Joined: 2006-April-17
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Rochester, NY

Posted 2019-February-22, 20:57

The uncontested auction goes 1-2NT! Fourth seat asks about the alert. Do you tell him "Jacoby"? No, you tell him what the bid means: 4 trumps and GF or better values (or whatever you play). Same with carding. In North America and, I believe, also in England, it is illegal to explain your convention (whether it's a bidding convention or a play convention) by naming it. Yes, people do it all the time. Yes, club players don't know what they're doing, and even if they knew not to say "standard" (which they don't) they have no clue how to explain what they do.

You can ask. After they say "standard" you can ask what that means to them. They'll have no answer. You can keep asking, but it will do you no good, and may get you into trouble. "Director, will you please tell my esteemed opponent to quit badgering my partner?"

If your club doesn't enforce, or doesn't have, the "everybody has to have a system card" rule, then you're out of luck. I've got to the point where I don't even bother to ask any more unless I'm sure they know what they're doing.
--------------------
As for tv, screw it. You aren't missing anything. -- Ken Berg
I have come to realise it is futile to expect or hope a regular club game will be run in accordance with the laws. -- Jillybean
0

#5 User is offline   rmnka447 

  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Group: Advanced Members
  • Posts: 2,366
  • Joined: 2012-March-18
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Illinois
  • Interests:Bridge, Golf, Soccer

Posted 2019-February-23, 00:09

In the US, the convention cards have a section for leads and carding. The lead section is broken down for leads against suits and no trump each part showing various card combinations with the "standard lead" in boldface. A few examples are:

xx
xxx
KQx
KJTx
xxxx


So if you play these leads, you are playing Standard Leads. (Top of touching honors, top of doubleton, top of interior sequence, K from AK, Q from KQ109, 4th best, etc.) Often declarers will ask about leads and carding. If you primarily play these leads, but differ slightly, you might respond with a short explanation -- "Standard leads, but we do lead A from K." or "Standard leads, but we lead 3rd or 5th from length."
0

#6 User is offline   Tramticket 

  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Group: Advanced Members
  • Posts: 2,070
  • Joined: 2009-May-03
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Kent (Near London)

Posted 2019-February-23, 14:16

View Postblackshoe, on 2019-February-22, 20:57, said:

In North America and, I believe, also in England, it is illegal to explain your convention (whether it's a bidding convention or a play convention) by naming it.


The Blue Book in England (2 B 6) has: "The use of the words such as ‘standard’, ‘normal’ and ‘natural’ to describe the partnership understanding of a call, and especially a play of the cards, should be avoided as it is often capable of misinterpretation."

I think that "illegal" is overstating it! But it is something that should be avoided - which is pretty much what I said in my initial reply.

By contrast the Blue Book (3 A 1) also has "Pairs are required to have two fully completed system cards. Both must contain the same information. At the beginning of each round they should exchange these with the opponents’ system cards. The TD may impose a penalty if a pair does not have two properly completed system cards."

Clearly the failure to have a convention card is viewed (rightly in my opinion) as more serious the term "Standard Leads"
0

Page 1 of 1


Fast Reply

  

1 User(s) are reading this topic
0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users