[arepo24]

The opposition has bid 4 Diamonds and all have passed, without any intervening bids.
Your hand:

D: 865
S: A984
H: A782
C: K8

[nige1]

arepo24 writes "The opposition has bid 4 Diamonds and all have passed, without any intervening bids."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Your choice of lead will probably depend on the auction. But. OK.
Let's assume that you are West, on lead after South opened 4♦.
I rank
1. ♥A. Take Rixi's advice to lead an ace against a pre--empt..
2. ♦A. Similar reasoning.
3. ♣K. Hoping for a ruff.
4. ♠x. At least GIB would approve

---

[Vampyr]

nige1, on 2020-June-15, 08:56, said:

hv=pc=n&w=s865ha984da872ck8&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=4dppp]133|200|
arepo24 writes "The opposition has bid 4 Diamonds and all have passed, without any intervening bids."


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Your choice of lead will probably depend on the auction. But. OK.
Let's assume that you are West, on lead after South opened 4♦.
I rank
1. ♥A. Take Rixi's advice to lead an ace against a pre--empt..
2. ♦A. Similar reasoning.
3. ♣K. Hoping for a ruff.
4. ♠x. At least GIB would approve ;[/hv]

I agree, except for the fact that I think the hand has been presented in jumbled-up order.

[Tramticket]

Vampyr, on 2020-June-15, 09:00, said:

I agree, except for the fact that I think the hand has been presented in jumbled-up order.

Yes, second one in recent day: (See here).

Can I advise posters to use the hand diagram (spade symbol with two red bars to left and right).

[balasu]

I would lead the A of hearts as a lead and survey the land before proceeding

[arepo24]

What's wrong with leading the 8 of Trump?

[mikeh]

arepo24, on 2020-June-15, 14:25, said:

What's wrong with leading the 8 of Trump?

The trump 8, or any low card in diamonds, can win on some rare layouts. For example, if we lead the heart Ace, dummy might hit with great hearts, headed by the KQ, and declarer ruffs, and has a quick entry to dummy. So a low trump saves us from that disaster.

I’m not a big fan of simulations in most contexts, but here is a situation where a simulation might help. Of course different people will differ on the constraints Does south promise 7 or 8 diamonds?

What’s the vulnerability? Which affects the constraints for 4D and may affect th3 constraints for partner who, despite being short in diamonds, passed.

Once one has agreed on constraints, then a sim may well let us evaluate the lead

Personally, I lead a heart (the ace), despite the risk of setting up dummy’s suit while dummy has entries (note that this is a risk even when the ace holds the trick).

I have no great confidence in this choice. About the only 2 cards I am sure are heavy losers are the diamond A and the small club.....and even they could be the winning leads😊

[johnu]

mikeh, on 2020-June-15, 15:48, said:

About the only 2 cards I am sure are heavy losers are the diamond A and the small club.....and even they could be the winning leads��

OP posted the suits out of order. There is no ♦A in the hand so it can never be the "right" lead but it may have been the winning lead

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

if the hand is as in original post, I am leading a trump from xxx
if the hand is as in nige1's post, I am going with a spade, less convinced

With kind regards
Marlowe

[AL78]

mikeh, on 2020-June-15, 15:48, said:

For example, if we lead the heart Ace, dummy might hit with great hearts, headed by the KQ, and declarer ruffs, and has a quick entry to dummy.

That very thing happened to me once in a very similar auction.

[nekthen]

A trump lead is dubious. If opps diamonds are solid, why did he not open 3N?
I think I try the K♣, the ace rates to be in dummy or with partner so may be the best chance to defeat the contract if declarer has a major void

[P_Marlowe]

nekthen, on 2020-June-16, 04:28, said:

A trump lead is dubious. If opps diamonds are solid, why did he not open 3N?
<snip>

The issue with a trump lead is, that it looses a tempo, it is the safes lead, it wont
blow tricks most of the time.
Asssuming partner has a diamond honor, it is quite likely singelton, we have 3,
opener has 7-8, now Kx with partner is possible - dummy holding 0, and in this holding
the lead costs, because there is no finesse.
With only one trump in dummy and a 71 fit missing the king, declarer may decide to give
up the finesse in order to preserve dummies entries, which again let the lead cost.

But obviously Dummy having the Ace to nothing, with opener holding Qx is not a high
probability for you.

Giving up a tempo is dangerous, but then we block all 3 suits outside trump, i.e. there are
no fast discards, ... unless we produce those fast discards.

PS: Not opening a 3NT can have various reasons, one being, it may not have be a possible option.

[AstridM38]

arepo24, on 2020-June-15, 07:28, said:

The opposition has bid 4 Diamonds and all have passed, without any intervening bids.
Your hand:

D: 865 5D
S: A984
H: A782
C: K8

[AstridM38]

arepo24, on 2020-June-15, 07:28, said:

The opposition has bid 4 Diamonds and all have passed, without any intervening bids.
Your hand:

D: 865
S: A984
H: A782
C: K8

6D

[miamijd]

arepo24, on 2020-June-15, 07:28, said:

The opposition has bid 4 Diamonds and all have passed, without any intervening bids.
Your hand:

D: 865
S: A984
H: A782
C: K8

I think there is some confusion. Is the hand:

♠ A984
♥ A872
♦ 865
♣ K8

or is the hand:

♠ 865
♥ A984
♦ A872
♣ K8

[arepo24]

miamijd, on 2020-June-16, 11:18, said:

I think there is some confusion. Is the hand:

♠ A984
♥ A872
♦ 865
♣ K8

or is the hand:

♠ 865
♥ A984
♦ A872
♣ K8

The contract is 4D by opponent. I have the lead. Here are my cards as arranged in my hand to play the 4D contract:
Trumps are the first suit in my hand:
D:865 (trumps)
S:A984
H:A872
C:K8
WHAT IS MY LEAD?
Lots of responses all over the place. I would rarely lead an unsupported A in a non NT contract unless maybe the contract was in slam. Nor would I lead away from an Ace (which is even worse). As for the CK? That's obvious!
My answer: I led the Trump Diamond 8.
I could have led the trump diamond 5 but then I thought my partner might think I had a high trump card in my hand.

[pescetom]

arepo24, on 2020-June-16, 12:45, said:

The contract is 4D by opponent. I have the lead. Here are my cards as arranged in my hand to play the 4D contract:
Trumps are the first suit in my hand:
D:865 (trumps)
S:A984
H:A872
C:K8

You could have avoided a lot of confusion and difficulty for everyone who reads by using the hand diagram tool, as nige1 attempted to do for you.
Using a browser it is invoked with the icon that looks like ♠ at the far right of the line of icons starting with Bold Italic Underline.

[shyams]

... or perhaps writing the suits in the standard order (♠ then ♥ then ♦ then ♣). The fact that diamonds are trumps does not mean it has to be listed first in the order of priority.

[P_Marlowe]

arepo24, on 2020-June-16, 12:45, said:

<snip>
My answer: I led the Trump Diamond 8.
I could have led the trump diamond 5 but then I thought my partner might think I had a high trump card in my hand.

Why should the 5 promise a honor?
Either go with the card you would lead from a no trump suit, or play something like Lavianthal in the trump suit.
Leading trump tells declarer usually, how the trumps are distributed, and locates missing Queens, it also cuts down
defensive ruffs.

[Tramticket]

arepo24, on 2020-June-16, 12:45, said:

Here are my cards as arranged in my hand to play the 4D contract

Here are my thoughts arranged in the order of my mother's date of birth:

WHAT A SILLY POST.