[ahydra]

IMPs, your side only vulnerable. Opps playing 4cM, weak NT bid unopposed 1C-1S; 2C-2D; 2NT-out.

What do you lead from:

♠Jxx
♥AJxx
♦A10x
♣5xx

There will be a follow-up post.

ahydra

[wank]

jack of spades

[lamford]

A spade looks clear. Not sure if there is any gain from leading the jack. Even if North has KTxx and South xx, a small spade will beat it when we can.

[mcphee]

I like J of S, especially if 2D was natural.

[P_Marlowe]

Hearts.

Declarer is 5422, maybe 6322.

Clubs is out, spade is out, they will have a 52 fit, spades are breaking,
this leaves diamonds and hearts, I go with hearts.

I am assuming 2D 3rd suit forcing, if it is natural, diamonds is out as well.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[akwoo]

IMPs, I lead a small heart. They can probably set up long clubs if you go too passive. It might very well give up a heart trick, but might also set up the hearts before clubs run. If the contract goes down on a spade lead, it will likely also go down on a later spade lead; there's no urgency to it.

MPs, I give up on beating the contract, go ultra-passive, and lead a small club. Yes it might finesse partner, but declarer is going to take the finesse anyway, and I don't think he'll be that short on entries to dummy.

[rhm]

♦T

Not sure whether that counts as active or passive.

Rainer Herrmann

[Trinidad]

I would lead a heart. But if I would lead one of dummy's suits, I would pick his second suit, diamonds with the most discouraging card that I can play: the ten.

Rik

[ahydra]

Interesting range of responses.

At the table I figured they would be fairly tight on points for 2NT and led a small club, hoping to go passive. If partner has one honour in spades we have their suits controlled so they may struggle to establish any tricks outside of clubs.

Dummy hit with ♠A10xxx ♥10x ♦KJxxx ♣8. Partner had K10x of clubs and played the K on the first round. Do you agree with that play?

ahydra

[P_Marlowe]

The King of Clubs is ..., the 10 is a lot better.
From the bidding you know, that declarer has 5+ clubs, i.e. he will have at least
a length stopper with an honor, so ducking 1 round, and finessing the 3rd round will
establish the suit for us, if the suit can be established.
And of course, if the club lead, was worst of evil, the king is giving up a trick,
for no good reason.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[wank]

ahydra, on 2013-October-30, 05:47, said:

Partner had K10x of clubs and played the K on the first round. Do you agree with that play?

it depends which one you led. even if you play 2nd highest from bad suits, you should lead high here.

btw i think a club lead is very poor. declarer normally has 6 - he's likely to have enough tricks if he can establish them. you go passive on hands where you think the hand lies badly for declarer. xxx over the clubs doesn't constitute lying badly.

[ahydra]

wank, on 2013-October-30, 09:20, said:

it depends which one you led. even if you play 2nd highest from bad suits, you should lead high here.

I led the 3 (2nd highest). Pity I didn't have 87x or something.

ahydra