[shyams]

MP scoring. Red vs. White (i.e. opening leader's side vulnerable, declarer's side is not). Intermediate opponents.

You are on lead in what appears to be a stretch contract.

3♥ by East was invitational, shows 6-7 card heart and minimum HCP. If it matters, opps don't seem to have any agreement on help suit bids.

What is your preferred opening lead? Please vote --- voting is anonymous.

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[apollo1201]

Anything could work

If opps can be trusted to be in a 10-cd fit, H looks neutral, not blowing anything on the lead. Of course, partner needs some little opposition in C otherwise I just handed over by not cashing out. Which is hard to know before the lead!

For this reason, I prefer DA to SA as I can get partner a ruff, or I am less likely to give a trick (they have a sg and no useful discard on the DK, or Kx facing Qx, etc.). S is more risky.

C risks helping declarer with their secondary suit.

So an unconvinced DA, waiting to see dummy and partners signal to see next.

[shyams]

I was dummy.

I posted because I thought that the Diamond Ace would get far fewer votes. Based on votes so far, I got that totally wrong and ♦A is the favourite.

At the table, the ♦A was led. Dummy came down with ♦Kxxx, leader's partner dropped the ♦Q on trick 1 and ruffed the ♦ continuation. Two black suit losers were unavoidable so our side recorded a -50 for a ~20% on the board.

[apollo1201]

Maybe your bad score was because the majority of the field stayed out of game and made 9 or 10 tricks. In this condition being alone in game gets a 0 or 100 depending on the lead.

[Gilithin]

apollo1201, on 2023-December-14, 00:28, said:

Maybe your bad score was because the majority of the field stayed out of game and made 9 or 10 tricks. In this condition being alone in game gets a 0 or 100 depending on the lead.

I also expect a fair few Souths will have overcalled 3♦ opposite a passed hand, which might have made life difficult for West sitting there with diamond length.

[pescetom]

Gilithin, on 2023-December-14, 16:53, said:

I also expect a fair few Souths will have overcalled 3♦ opposite a passed hand, which might have made life difficult for West sitting there with diamond length.

Or made the off-shape takeout double and found a spades fit (cyberyeti would hit Qxxx xx Kxxx Axx).