[han]

How about this recent lead problem:

A52
KQ975
54
753

Righty deals:

1D - 1H - p - p
1S - p - 2H - p
3S - p - 6D - all pass.

Your lead?

[rogerclee]

Club trick seems most likely to be the one to vaporize.

[mikeh]

rogerclee, on Nov 25 2008, 11:45 PM, said:

Club trick seems most likely to be the one to vaporize.

agree... lho has a penalty pass of hearts, and rho is 5=6? Maybe not, but surely consistent with the auction...

[han]

Do you think it is likely that partner has the club ace? Dummy surely has the heart ace so if partner doesn't have the club ace then we are not getting any club tricks.

I hope others will also give their opinion.

[Echognome]

I would lead a trump. I want to cut down on any cross ruff.

[cherdano]

han, on Nov 26 2008, 11:58 AM, said:

Do you think it is likely that partner has the club ace? Dummy surely has the heart ace so if partner doesn't have the club ace then we are not getting any club tricks.

I hope others will also give their opinion.

Hmm, and if partner does have the club ace we can most likely still get it later.
I think a trump is right. LHO must have a lot of hearts, a decent diamond fit, and also isn't that likely to be short in clubs (partner didn't bid 2♣), so he may be hoping for a cross-ruff.

[han]

To beat the contract you have to lead a trump. I don't remember the complete layout, declarer was 5-1-6-1 and dummy had a stiff spade and AJ10xxx of hearts. Partner did not have the club ace.

[nige1]

han, on Nov 25 2008, 11:40 PM, said:

How about this recent lead problem: ♠ A52 ♥ KQ975 ♦ 54 ♣ 753
Righty deals:
1D - 1H - p - p
1S - p  - 2H - p
3S - p - 6D - all pass.
Your lead?

IMO ♥K = 10, ♦5 = 7, ♠A = 5, ♣ = 4.

[han]

Heart king? What layout are you hoping for?

[nige1]

han, on Dec 9 2008, 10:37 AM, said:

Heart king? What layout are you hoping for?

Scoring: Pairs


(1♦) 1♥ (_P) _P
(1♠) _P (2♥) _P
(3♠) _P (6♦) AP
♥K is almost always a safe lead.
Occasionally it will also be necessary

---

[han]

Alright, that's a good layout.

I wonder if partner should double. Should double mean "I have a void in declarer's second suit" (spades) or "I have a void, I hope you can see which"?

[jdonn]

han, on Dec 9 2008, 02:21 PM, said:

Alright, that's a good layout.

I wonder if partner should double. Should double mean "I have a void in declarer's second suit" (spades) or "I have a void, I hope you can see which"?

Usually I like to say these doubles (if east were to double) should be for a specific suit, so spades in this case. However I have to admit, the logic that dummy is going to be long in hearts as well as partner, and that partner can't have more than four spades (so he won't expect us to be void if they are not playing in spades) makes me think that we should double with a heart void and expect partner to work it out.

[nige1]

han, on Dec 9 2008, 02:21 PM, said:

Alright, that's a good layout.
I wonder if partner should double. Should double mean "I have a void in declarer's second suit" (spades) or "I have a void, I hope you can see which"?

jdonn, on Dec 9 2008, 02:31 PM, said:

Usually I like to say these doubles (if east were to double) should be for a specific suit, so spades in this case. However I have to admit, the logic that dummy is going to be long in hearts as well as partner, and that partner can't have more than four spades (so he won't expect us to be void if they are not playing in spades) makes me think that we should double with a heart void and expect partner to work it out.

IMO, it depends on style. For some, Lightner slam doubles request an unusual lead. Not trumps, not our bid suit, and so on. On this auction, a ♥ seems to be a fairly normal lead.

[jdonn]

nige1, on Dec 9 2008, 02:59 PM, said:

IMO, it depends on style. For some, Lightner slam doubles request an unusual lead. Not trumps, not our bid suit, and so on. On this auction, a ♥ seems to be a fairly normal lead.

You quoted my point, then ignorred it

I am saying, the logic of this auction and what E/W know of each others hands in this case is so overwhelming that it overrides partnership style, and both players should be able to realize this at the table.

[Winstonm]

Small spade was first thought.

Now that I know, trump is obvious.

[whereagles]

Must confess I wouldn't have led a spade. Probably a non-immaginative heart.

[kfay]

han, on Dec 9 2008, 02:21 PM, said:

Alright, that's a good layout.

I wonder if partner should double. Should double mean "I have a void in declarer's second suit" (spades) or "I have a void, I hope you can see which"?

I had a problem like this a few weeks ago when playing with Jeremy Fournier where he'd bid hearts and the opponents then, I think, expressed that they too had hearts in a quick auction to slam.

I doubled with a heart void and I made a post about it, I'll try to find it. But I agree with Josh that these slam doubles sometimes aren't Lightner in the sense that they demand some specific lead but rather ask partner to think about it. Larry Cohen wrote an article about this in the Bridge Bulletin about a year and a half ago, which I think I brought up in some other thread here about some Gold Cup hand or something.

Anyways, yes, I think that partner should double with a heart void.

I've forgotten what the hand is now but whatever it is I agree with Roger.

Edit:

Here's the thread. The opps, I guess, didn't express that they had hearts... yet

http://forums.bridgebase.com/index.php?sho...hl=lead+problem