[squealydan]

ONE :
♠ J863
♥ K8
♦ J72
♣ KT84

RHO opening, the opps bid an uncontested:
1♠-2♥, 2♠-4♠

Which lead is least likely to give up a trick? It was matchpoints, but I'd appreciate any view on an IMP-lead.


TWO :
♠ QT5
♥ Q63
♦ KJ95
♣ 863

Again an uncontested auction, RHO opening.
1♠-2♠, 3♣-4♠

The club bid is described as a long/strong suit game try.

These two arrived within four boards of each other, and my choice of lead cost us matchpoints on both boards. Help needed...

[wclass___]

1) Would be nice to know their methods. Was 2♥ GF? Did 2♠ show 6?

Feels like a ♣ (especially if they are playing in a 5-3 fit), but i would really like know their methods.

2) Ok-ey, this is between ♥ and ♦. I want a passive lead, but not ♣. Opener might not have enough enteries for finesses. Did opener have a tool to show a short suit? If i suspect that he is 5422 or 5521 i would lead a ♥. If i think he might have 5431 then i would go with ♦, because i don't want to lead in declarers 3c suit and if i do i would prefer ♦.

[nigel_k]

On the first one definitely a club. It is no less dangerous than anything else and has much more upside.

On the second one, I tend not to believe people's description of a game try unless I have interrogated them for a while first. What if they don't have a long/strong side suit? But in this case they have probably talked me out of the club lead regardless. I don't know which red suit is better but would go with a heart probably.

[SteveMoe]

1) ♦ 7
I want to find partner's length on hand 1 so we can punch declarer once or twice. Clubs seem too risky. My 7 will say I'm not so interested in a ♦lead from partner.
2) ♥ 3
Of the 2 red suit leads, ♥ give least away. My 3 will say I welcome a continuation if partner is so disposed.

[squealydan]

wclass___, on 2012-June-24, 09:20, said:

1) Would be nice to know their methods. Was 2♥ GF? Did 2♠ show 6?

They were playing 2/1. Don't know about the 2S bid.

And regarding the second one, their only game try was a long/strong suit try, no short-suit available.

[nige1]

squealydan, on 2012-June-24, 04:57, said:

ONE : ♠ J863 ♥ K8 ♦ J72 ♣ KT84
RHO opening, the opps bid an uncontested: 1♠-2♥, 2♠-4♠
Which lead is least likely to give up a trick? It was matchpoints, but I'd appreciate any view on an IMP-lead.

TWO : ♠ QT5 ♥ Q63 ♦ KJ95 ♣ 863
Again an uncontested auction, RHO opening 1♠-2♠, 3♣-4♠
The club bid is described as a long/strong suit game try.
These two arrived within four boards of each other, and my choice of lead cost us matchpoints on both boards. Help needed...

IMO

• ♣x = 10, ♥x = 7, ♦x = 6. The lead of ♥8 may be least likely to give away a trick but it may instead give away the contract .
• ♣x = 10, ♦x = 7, ♥x = 6. Declarer has most of the high cards, so, in spite of the trial-bid, a passive ♣ seems least damaging

[rmnka447]

The first thing to do is consider the auction the opponents have had and gleen any information you can about the likely strength and holdings the opponents have.

In Hand #1, the opponents have bid game without hesitation. Generally, this suggests making an attacking lead rather than a passive lead. Additionally, your LHO has bid 2 ♥ over 1 ♠. After a 1 ♠ opener, a 2 ♥ bid is much more likely to be made on a 5+ card suit. With two 4 card suits including ♥s, responder usually bids the minor opening the way for opener to cheaply rebid a 4 card ♥ suit if opener has it. Your ♥ K is badly placed versus dummy's long suit. Dummy's ♥ suit seems like a likely dumping place for any of opener's losers in the minors.

At either form of scoring (playing Standard 4 best leads), I'm putting ♣ 4 on the table.


Hand #2 is somewhat different. An invitation to game has been made and accepted. So the opponent's aren't likely to have much extra that suggest game will be easy to make. This points to a more passive lead because you don't want to gift any tricks to declarer. The only other information you have is that declarer has a ♣ fragment of some sort. You can think of it as maybe something like your ♣ holding in hand 1. It certainly seems like you'd be helping declarer if you led that suit.

You don't want to lead a ♠ because unless the lie of the ♠s is unfortunate you'll get a trick in that suit.

So the choice falls between a ♦ or a ♥. You hold 2 non touching honors and an intermediate card in ♦. You hold just one unsupported honor in ♥s. So there are fewer possible useful cards that partner can hold in ♦s than ♥s that will help prevent giving away anything.

At either form of scoring, I'm putting the ♥ 3 on the table. Occasionally, we might find declarer holds ♥ A10x opposite K9x and give away a trick when declarer plays us for split ♥ honors. That's just bad luck.

Please note for Hand #2, that, if the bidding had gone 1 ♠ - 2 ♠ - 4 ♠, an attacking ♦ 5 lead would be preferred.