Hand of the Week #10

Here's a hand from the Tuesday evening game, 13 May 2008. A golden opportunity to get a top, for anyone willing to think a little before making the opening lead.

Both sides vulnerable. You have in second seat:

K
7 4
K 8 7
K J T 8 7 5 3

and the dealer opens on your right with a preempt. You are on lead against spades, after either 4-Pass-Pass-Pass or 3-Pass-4, depending how agressive West was with his choice of opening bid.

Did you go on autopilot and lead the jack of clubs? If so, you get an average-minus as declarer wraps up an easy twelve tricks. With a moment's thought, you'll realize that it's extremely unlikely that the clubs are 7-2-2-2 around the table. Even if your partner does have the ace, you can't set up an additional trick for your side by leading a club.

A heart could work out well, if your partner has KJ or AQ behind some high cards in dummy; but the 7 is your best chance to set up a red-suit trick. Congratulations to Michael Schmahl for being the only one in the room who found that lead.

The whole hand:

Dealer West Both vul	K 7 4 K 8 7 K J T 8 7 5 3
A J T 9 8 6 4 3 Q 6 5 4 2		Q 5 2 A J 3 2 A 6 2 A 9 4
	7 K T 9 8 5 Q J T 9 3 Q 4

Only a diamond led sets up a trick for the defense, holding the contract to five when South comes in with his K On any other lead, declarer can pull trumps (with 11 trumps, you play for the drop, don't finesse -- noone should be losing a trick to North's singleton king) and use his A-Q-J of hearts to discard a losing diamond.