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 Lead with Barry by Monika

BLIND LEADS

It is much easier to identify an auction where you have a blind lead than to decide what to lead on such an auction. As soon as the opponents bid a suit or deny one, you gain more information to help make your task easier. But when you don’t have the information, and your hand doesn’t point in a clear direction, then you have to use first principles.


Question 1

  Your Hand
 J 9 6 3
 10 7 6
 A Q 9 2
 Q 4
 
Q: 1 - What do you lead as South?
SouthWestNorthEast
--- 1NT
PassPassPass


 Your choice:
A: 3 - The general rule about leading against one no-trump is to look for a long suit, of five or more cards. If you do not have one, opt for safety over aggression. Here the fourth highest spade looks a reasonably safe lead; by contrast a diamond lead is more likely than not to cost a trick by leading into declarer’s king.




Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 2

  Your Hand
 10 9 4
 Q J 8
 J 9 5 3
 K J 10
 
Q: 2 - What do you lead as South?
SouthWestNorthEast
-1Pass1NT
PassPassPass


 Your choice:
A: 10 - Where you have no attractive suit of your own, trying to hit partner’s hand by leading a spade looks right, even though he has not overcalled in that suit. It is particularly attractive to lead spades since you have a sequence to lead from, and thus an additional element of safety. From this holding the spade 10 would be the normal card to lead.

Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 3

  Your Hand
 7 4 3
 10 4 2
 K 8 4 2
 Q 7 2
 
Q: 3 - What do you lead as South?
SouthWestNorthEast
---1NT
Pass3NTPassPass
Pass


 Your choice:
A: 7 - Faced with a blind lead on an auction of this sort, with a weak hand, I would definitely try to hit partner’s suit. With nothing to go on, should you lead a heart or a spade? I do not think it matters; my preference would be to lead the spade seven – it may be easier for partner to read than a low heart, when partner may play me for a four-card suit.

Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 4

  Your Hand
 A 6 3 2
 10 9 7
 K 5 4
 Q 6 5
 
Q: 4 - What do you lead as South?
SouthWestNorthEast
PassPassPass1NT
Pass2Pass2
Pass3NTPassPass
Pass


 Your choice:
A: 10 - This comes down to a simple choice of major-suits. Dummy will surely have one or both majors, but is it a blind guess or is there more to it? My personal inclination is NOT to lead from ace-fourth into a strong hand if a sensible alternative exists. The risk that it costs a trick, even if it is our suit, is too high. With a sensible sequence from which to lead as an alternative, I’d go for the heart 10.

Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 5

  Your Hand
 Q 6 3
 5 3
 J 7 4
 10 9 7 3 2
 
Q: 5 - What do you lead as South?
SouthWestNorthEast
--1NT4
PassPassPass


 Your choice:
A: 10 - This is an unusual situation, since you have really no idea if declarer has a one or two-suiter. The choice to me would be to lead a top club or a fourth-highest diamond. I’m trying not to take a finesse for declarer, so my guess would be to lead the club 10. And yes, I admit that it might not work – but clubs is the suit declarer rates to be shortest in.

Your result so far:
Open Question

Overall Results

Your results:   out of    Average: 

What next? You may enjoy playing our prepared hands series.
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