[Quartic]

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Your opponents get to 6♥ after a competitive auction. You play standard leads (4th highest, top of a sequence, etc).

What do you lead?

[gszes]

while it is true that we might never get our
2 dia tricks if we dont lead them I think
leading a dia here is just trying to be a hero.

There is no reason to think the opps will have
an easy time of 6h (you have 3 trumps) none of
the side suits are splitting well and a dia lead
might be the only way the opps can make their slam.

try to avoid a trick one disaster and lead the


spade J

this will help p avoid any cover/lack of cover
mistake. This lead has only a slight chance of
giving the opps a trick not due them.

[SteveMoe]

I agree a ♠ is best. However, I think this is the opportunity to lead the ♠5. Partner knows the spade distribution exactly with dummy in view. He chould be able to decipher I led my lowest card. Then I hope to see a ♣ switch when he wins the ♠Ace...

[Antrax]

What was north's X?
Not sure a spade lead is best, it just lets the spade void ruff, draw trumps and run north's club suit.

[Quartic]

Antrax, on 2012-May-31, 00:02, said:

What was north's X?

I'm not certain what NS's agreement on the double was (we didn't ask), but I think it was probably showing values and ♥ support/tolerance.

The full hand was:

Spoiler

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Making 12 tricks when West chose the 5♦ lead.

SteveMoe's choice of the 5♠ should lead to the contract going down. A non-♠ lead will let it through, whereas a higher ♠ than the 5 will make it difficult for East to find the necessary ♣ switch.

[Antrax]

Interesting. I was sure S would've bid 5♣ over 4♠ with the actual hand he's holding. Too much Robson/Segal

[Quartic]

Antrax, on 2012-May-31, 21:49, said:

Interesting. I was sure S would've bid 5♣ over 4♠ with the actual hand he's holding. Too much Robson/Segal

Maybe I should have mentioned that this hand came up at my local club, so the standard of bidding isn't necessarily high.

[Codo]

Why should south bid 5 ♣? If I understood their bidding, they do have a heart fit and he has no control in clubs...

[Antrax]

Why? Since he's decided he doesn't want to let them play 4♠ and this way partner can know when to penalize, when to compete further, and when to go quietly, assuming the opponents bid further. If they don't, then 5♣ doesn't hurt.
Also, I'm not sure X shows heart support. I play it as showing a desire to penalize at least one of the opponents' suits, and usually use it with no fit.

[Codo]

1. It does not matter how you play it. South obviously play it different, else his bidding makes no sense.
2. Why should 5 Club show a second suit instead of a control? Do you really think that this is standard after they found a fit? I doubt that.
3. IF it had shown a suit,it had made the defence much easier.

[Antrax]

Sorry, I thought your question was sincere.