[Ktrock]

Hello. Playing coded 9s and 10s, if you're dying to lead a suit holding 9x or 10x, which do you lead? We're assuming the suit hasn't been bid. What about if it's been implied or does it not matter?

Thanks,
Ken

[awm]

High from doubleton. Leading the ten or nine shows “zero or two higher” and this is an example of the zero. Coded 9s and 10s really only change your leads from broken sequences like K109x or KJ10x.

[paulg]

The corollary of Adam's comments is that you should lead the 10 from 109x(+).

[nige1]

Steve Male and I adopted John Matheson's easy and effective suggestion:

• Top of sequence, or doubleton, e.g. ten from T98x, T4.
• Third from interior sequence or even number of cords e.g. nine from KT9xx, KJ94, KJ9xxx.
• Otherwise bottom from odd number of cards e.g. four from K84, K8654, KJ97654.

Compared with other schema (e.g. fourth highest), in theory, leading 3rd highest from four cards can sacrifice a trick. In practice, we have lived a charmed life, and benefited from more accurate information.

[Ktrock]

Thanks you guys, we may take this on. If not, then just take the d**m ace when partner leads a high spot unless there's a compelling reason not to.

Ken

[mikeh]

Bob Hamman apparently loves this lead convention.....when played by his opps!

Say you hold AKx in dummy and Jxx in your hand.

LHO leads the 10.

Ok, hands up...who has the Queen?

Against standard leaders, go guess..

Against these Journalist leads (named after the Bridge Journal, a short-lived but influential magazine), it’s trivial to drop the Qx offside or to play to endplay RHO if possible.

Same goes for the related ‘Jack denies’ lead.

[paulg]

mikeh, on 2021-March-23, 23:06, said:

Bob Hamman apparently loves this lead convention.....when played by his opps!

As do many world-class players.

However I've noticed that they often play with world-class teammates who play coded honour leads. So presumably they have some merit

[Winstonm]

Ktrock, on 2021-March-23, 21:13, said:

Thanks you guys, we may take this on. If not, then just take the d**m ace when partner leads a high spot unless there's a compelling reason not to.

Ken

For a little history, the reason behind coded leads was to solve the problem that came with standard leads when holding an interior sequence, like AJ10 or KJ10 or Q109. With standard leads partner had to try to guess (or work out) when the J or 10 was led what holding was likely - so coded leads were developed to eliminate that guess. The problem with the code is that declarer's guessing problem is also eliminated. As everything in bridge, there is a tradeoff when adopting.