[flametree]

Matchpoints, vulnerable vs non.

As dealer you open 1S and it goes :

1S - [2C] - pass - [2NT]
all pass.

2NT is natural.

You hold :

♠ J.T.9.7.3
♥ A.4
♦ A.K.9.4.2
♣ J

Which diamond would you lead?

Or would you lead the JS?

[blackshoe]

♦2

[Vampyr]

blackshoe, on 2011-December-14, 21:14, said:

♦2

This is a nice idea if playing fourth best, but I think that I will make my systemic lead. I lead high if the third card is 8 or better, so I will lead ♦A to get a reverse attitude signal.

[Phil]

4th best diamond.

I don't want partner to play a spade, or even a heart if he wins a club trick. The deuce would be a very odd lead from AKx2, so he will not play me for a suit this strong.

[Cthulhu D]

Cash the king, calling for an upside down attitude signal from partner (Ace is for unblock). Partner has a bust or a misfit if he didn't support me so I'm not expecting much.

[Fluffy]

We have ♥A there is no need to lead small diamond so cash ♦A and take a look at dummy.

If we didn´t have ♥A then lead small diamond.

[mike777]

btw:

K=attitude lead vs NT
A=drop an honor, if no honor give count vs NT.

Here I will guess to lead 2D.

[gordontd]

mike777, on 2011-December-15, 06:30, said:

btw:

K=attitude lead vs NT
A=drop an honor, if no honor give count vs NT.

That's the American way, but it's not a global standard.

[Vampyr]

gordontd, on 2011-December-15, 06:57, said:

That's the American way, but it's not a global standard.

This is a concept that many seem to fail to get their heads round. I am reminded of a recent post that discussed "normal" NT and "weak" NT.

[blackshoe]

What I play is "standard" and "normal" and "sane". What you play is "non-standard" and "highly unusual" and "nuts".

[ggwhiz]

blackshoe, on 2011-December-15, 12:18, said:

What I play is "standard" and "normal" and "sane". What you play is "non-standard" and "highly unusual" and "nuts".

My style doesn't fit any of those, it's alien.

High or low ♦ could easily blow it if pard has Qx and we lead high (one of them has 4) etc.

I'm leading the J♠ to keep the max chance of running 5♦ after seeing the dummy in play. Oh, and getting the lead back. If they run a gazillion ♣ at me I'm toast but it's only matchpoints.

I might end up pitching all my low diamonds and beating this with a couple of spades, diamonds, a heart and pards club stopper(s).

[flametree]

Sample of one doesn't prove much, but in this instance top boards go to those who would lead from the top (whichever of A or K asks for count in your system would have worked best).

Declarer had just Qx of diamonds, partner Jxx. Leading from the top would get the first 6 tricks for a top board as long as partner read the 2D on the third round as a request for a heart return - dummy tabled AQ of clubs so it couldn't be asking for that... However, partner was a near beginner who might not have known about suit preference in this situation, so he might reasonably have assumed the winning defence was to lead back a spade through the no-trump bidder, which would allow declarer to run his 8 black suit winners.

Small diamond (my choice ) allowed declarer to take the diamond, the top three spades and five club tricks for +150 their way, and an absolute bottom board for us - declarer had four clubs, so most pairs sitting their way were in a club contract making +130...

A spade lead would have held declarer to just the 8 black suit tricks, and -120 would have been an 80% result.

[mike777]

flametree, on 2011-December-16, 15:46, said:

Sample of one doesn't prove much, but in this instance top boards go to those who would lead from the top (whichever of A or K asks for count in your system would have worked best).

Declarer had just Qx of diamonds, partner Jxx. Leading from the top would get the first 6 tricks for a top board as long as partner read the 2D on the third round as a request for a heart return - dummy tabled AQ of clubs so it couldn't be asking for that... However, partner was a near beginner who might not have known about suit preference in this situation, so he might reasonably have assumed the winning defence was to lead back a spade through the no-trump bidder, which would allow declarer to run his 8 black suit winners.

Small diamond (my choice ) allowed declarer to take the diamond, the top three spades and five club tricks for +150 their way, and an absolute bottom board for us - declarer had four clubs, so most pairs sitting their way were in a club contract making +130...

A spade lead would have held declarer to just the 8 black suit tricks, and -120 would have been an 80% result.

a big assumption is that you can ask for count but not request pard to drop an honor first vs NT. Here pard would drop the JD and txx in dummy would be a stopper.

Please note not one person posted they could ask only for count on lead.

A request for attitude from pard may not help much more here.

You cant change your system of leads just for one board.

Again not an easy hand by far.

[flametree]

mike777, on 2011-December-16, 16:24, said:

a big assumption is that you can ask for count but not request pard to drop an honor first vs NT. Here pard would drop the JD and txx in dummy would be a stopper.

Ha! True. But with Txx in dummy, wouldn't it be a bit of a guess to find a layout where ditching the jack would be right?

In truth, I don't know many B/Is though who've come across that concept, and indeed nor have most of the 10+ year players at the club...

[Vampyr]

mike777, on 2011-December-16, 16:24, said:

a big assumption is that you can ask for count but not request pard to drop an honor first vs NT. Here pard would drop the JD and txx in dummy would be a stopper.

Please note not one person posted they could ask only for count on lead.

I can. There is only one partner with whom I can ask for an unblock. With all others I can get count or attitude only. I do not miss the ability to ask for the unblock of an honour. Maybe other people see this situation all the time, but I do not.