[Free]

This deal was the cause of a huge argument after a competition match this weekend. Our team said one lead was clearcut, the other team said another lead was clearcut. So I want your opinion. I'll explain later why there was an argument.

The auction at our table (East = me dealer) [edit: no hesitations by anyone]:
pass - pass - pass - 1♠
pass - 3♦* - pass - 4♠
pass - pass - pass
(3♦ = 8-11 with 4+♠)

What do you lead with the following hand:

Scoring: IMP

---

How obvious is that lead to you?

[gwnn]

I stopped leading from doubleton Aces long ago but now I think I will try that.

[Hanoi5]

I thought about leading a heart to set up partner's tricks but then I thought I might as well lead the ♦A to have a look at dummy and then possibly continue the suit in order to get a ruff or switch to hearts.

[655321]

I would lead a heart.

I don't find this particularly obvious, but I don't like to lead Aces as a rule, and there doesn't seem to be anything special about this hand to call for an exception. A trump lead seems reasonable, and from two small is unlikely to cost a trick, but I choose to lead a heart hoping to set up a trick rather than go completely passive.

The only thing I feel strongly about is that if partner indicated that he is interested in diamonds over the 3♦ bid , I would be sure not to lead the ♦A.

[hotShot]

Leading an Ace is giving up a control without knowing if thats useful.
I don't lead ♥, if declarer wants to finesse ♥, he should do it himself.
So I'll lead a ♠, don't think it will do more damage than other leads.

[dicklont]

This is an ordinary value auction.
I have no more information than that they have a good spade fit and enough to bid a game.
The only extra bit of information is the fact that partner did not double 3♦ and that definitely takes my eyes off that suit.

That leaves hearts, which gives a free finesse, or spades which can hardly cost since partner holds 2 trumps or less.

So trumps it is.

[Free]

655321, on Feb 1 2010, 02:19 PM, said:

I would lead a heart.
~snip~

Can you also add your vote to the poll please?

[dicklont]

The spade lead can hardly cost, but when partners holds singleton ♠K and dummy ♠Axxx I just blew a trick.

Not likely, but it happened to me last friday.
O well.... I surely lead trumps again on this hand.

Holding ♠Kxx the spade leads stands out and might win a trick!

[hanp]

I would lead a heart, second choice spade.

[cherdanno]

Heart, no second choice.

[jjbrr]

Heart for me. ♦A obviously could work, but it's a disaster when it doesn't work. I try to avoid disasters.

[bid_em_up]

I think anybody who claims "the lead is clearcut" with this holding & sequence is delusional.

Was that an option?

[kayin801]

I was gonna lead a spade, I'd rather let them make the decisions :/ and hopefully by the time they figure out the hands it's too late. I hope no one at your table thought leading a minor was standout.

[Jlall]

I really really dislike a major suit lead. I think this is the type of hand where you must bang down an ace and it is a mistake not to. The DA is better than the CA, even though the CA is good when partner has a stiff club.

[Codo]

I want to beat 4 ♠, so what are my chances to get two more? Maybe partner has two slow tricks or one and we can get a ruff.

So I think the diamond ace is the best chance, and the risk that it blows a tricks is smaller then the risk that a passive lead is too slow to succeed.

However, if this was a case of UI or BIT, I would ban any successfull diamond lead.

[P_Marlowe]

Ace of Clubs.

I am going for an attacking lead, this basically eliminates trumps,
since I have 5 clubs, I doubt I will set up the club suit for declarer,
lets see the table.

2nd choice the other Ace.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[Fluffy]

when the bidding is unrevealing barring sequences I always lead my longest suit that has no awful holding, unsupported aces are awful, so I'd lead a heart.

if dummy is balanced he probably has 4 diamonds, I don't wanna set discards for declarer.

If we made a simulation I'd bet setting tricks would be very spread among all options.

[gnasher]

I'd lead a spade. Sometimes part of their "8-11" is a singleton. My second choice would be a heart. The ace leads seem far too committal to me.

[pooltuna]

dicklont, on Feb 1 2010, 09:23 AM, said:

This is an ordinary value auction.
I have no more information than that they have a good spade fit and enough to bid a game.
The only extra bit of information is the fact that partner did not double 3♦ and that definitely takes my eyes off that suit.

That leaves hearts, which gives a free finesse, or spades which can hardly cost since partner holds 2 trumps or less.

So trumps it is.

Looks like a sound argument to me which is why I would lead a ♠. The ♦ lead would be more attractive had partner never had an opportunity to X ♦s (at the other table maybe?). But I would not get adamant about any particular lead certainly not enough to argue that it was clearcut.

[Free]

Dummy had a 4=4=4=1 with ♥AJTx and out (so far for the 8HCP, but ok). Declarer had something like KQJxx-Kx-KQJx-Kx The only lead that defeats the contract was ♦A followed by another ♦, since partner had ♠A and was able to give us a ♦ ruff.

We defeated the contract, at the other table a ♥ was lead and 4♠ made. After the deal at the other table, an opponent asked if she could defeat the contract and one of our kibitzers told her that ♦A defeats it. We were playing in the same room, however far enough so we can't hear anything if someone talks normally. Apparently she was so paranoid that she thought we heard this and used it to our advantage! Anyway, we filled in a form and some commision will take care of the incident.

What I don't understand is the argument "partner could've doubled 3♦". All we need in partner's hand to defeat the contract is ♦K or ♠A. With ♦Kxx or longer, partner will never double 3♦ anyway... Passing 3♦ doesn't mean he can't have King.

I still don't see what people think they can achieve by leading a ♥. That lead was the first one I stopped considering. To create 2 tricks would mean that all values are in dummy and partner has KJx, KQx, AQx or AJx, something like that. Chances are pretty slim imo.
I considered a small ♣ in case partner had ♣Kx or Qx (with K in dummy), but then the suit also needed to split 3-3 or partner with singleton K/Q would have to find a ♦ switch. Also I've had a lot of bad experiences with underleading Aces from 5-card suits, so I prefer to avoid that.
Trump is passive and I thought the hand needed an agressive lead to defeat it, so all that was left was ♦A and ♣A. I was convinced that ♦A had more chance of beating the contract.

Apparently the poll suggests that there are 3 leads that have merrit. I'm surprised so many choose the passive action.