[TWO4BRIDGE]

The bidding:
1NT-2NT-3NT ( opps silent )

The lead:
♥ 4 .... it went 4 7 8 ACE !

Dummy's ♥'s
K 10 7

Declarer's ♥'S
A J 9

I took the Ace because I wanted ( needed ) an extra entry to dummy.

From Rule-of-Eleven ( if the lead was 4th best ) , LHO had to have the ♥ Q .

On the next ♥ lead I hooked the w/10 and RHO took w/Q ! ! !

Later I was told the Opening LEAD was from "2nd highest in a weak suit".

LHO hand was:

J
6 4 3 2
A Q J 3
Q 9 7 6

1) Was that LHO's best lead ? ( obviously it was here, because I was -1 in a cold contract ) .

2) Would you also lead 4th best at times when also playing "2nd highest from crap" ?

[robkat]

1) Yes
2) Yes

If LHO has lead 4th best, winning with the A does not guarantee that you will get 2 entries.

[Free]

Playing the Ace doesn't help to create an extra entry, the J is blocking you. If your LHO has Qxxx he can chose to cover or to duck your J. If he covers you'll have an extra entry, if he ducks you won't. For this trick to work you need the J in dummy.

1. This depends a lot on scoring imo.
2. Never say never when it comes to leading a suit. But it would be rare.

[IdiotVig]

Free, on 2011-March-22, 08:34, said:

Playing the Ace doesn't help to create an extra entry, the J is blocking you. If your LHO has Qxxx he can chose to cover or to duck your J. If he covers you'll have an extra entry, if he ducks you won't. For this trick to work you need the J in dummy.

You can't play the 9 to the T?

[manudude03]

IdiotVig, on 2011-March-22, 10:59, said:

You can't play the 9 to the T?

And if LHO puts the Q in?

[IdiotVig]

manudude03, on 2011-March-22, 11:07, said:

And if LHO puts the Q in?

Yeah, but that's not how it went in my head.

[TWO4BRIDGE]

robkat, on 2011-March-22, 07:38, said:

If LHO has lead 4th best, winning with the A does not guarantee that you will get 2 entries.

Is there something wrong with my math ?

If the ♥ 4 was 4th best, then 11-4 = 7 = cards higher than 4 in the other 3 hands: dummy, RHO and Declarer.

As Declarer, I can see all 7 after RHO plays the ♥ 8.
Ergo, LHO has to have the ♥ Q .

[wyman]

TWO4BRIDGE, on 2011-March-22, 11:51, said:

Is there something wrong with my math ?

If the ♥ 4 was 4th best, then 11-4 = 7 = cards higher than 4 in the other 3 hands: dummy, RHO and Declarer.

As Declarer, I can see all 7 after RHO plays the ♥ 8.
Ergo, LHO has to have the ♥ Q .

What are your two entries, and how will the tricks on which you enter the dummy go? Now imagine that LHO refuses to cover your ♥J.

[manudude03]

TWO4BRIDGE, on 2011-March-22, 11:51, said:

Is there something wrong with my math ?

If the ♥ 4 was 4th best, then 11-4 = 7 = cards higher than 4 in the other 3 hands: dummy, RHO and Declarer.

As Declarer, I can see all 7 after RHO plays the ♥ 8.
Ergo, LHO has to have the ♥ Q .

Nothing wrong with your maths, you might be cross-eyed though. What's been said in the last few posts is that you can't guarantee 2 entries EVEN WITH THE Q ONSIDE.

[TWO4BRIDGE]

manudude03, on 2011-March-22, 12:09, said:

Nothing wrong with your maths, you might be cross-eyed though. What's been said in the last few posts is that you can't guarantee 2 entries EVEN WITH THE Q ONSIDE.

I understand now.... LHO could put up the ♥ Q on the 2nd lead....( as you then said ) .
But at least I tried to get 2 entries.

[nigel_k]

If you needed two entries to dummy you could never make with the queen on your right anyway. So you didn't go down in a cold contract, you just conceded an extra undertrick.

[Free]

IdiotVig, on 2011-March-22, 10:59, said:

You can't play the 9 to the T?

manudude03, on 2011-March-22, 11:07, said:

And if LHO puts the Q in?

IdiotVig, on 2011-March-22, 11:32, said:

Yeah, but that's not how it went in my head.

If you take the first trick with the Ace and continue with the 9, LHO for sure must know you also have ♥J (why else wouldn't you take with the 9?), so playing the Q is actually not that difficult.