Thursday, November 16, 2006 1:55 PM

Hand Evaluation - Leading Blind ( Aces )

PITBULLS:

I was mentoring the other night, the auction went 1♥-P-1♠-P

2♣-P-2NT-P

3NT-P-P-P

The mentoree was on lead with ♠AKxx ♥Q10xx ♦Qxx ♣10x so you indeed have a difficult lead. Opening leads can be equated with the “house” at a Casino with the game of Blackjack. The house has an edge because the player has to guess & accept a card before the house plays. By making these blind guesses a player “breaks” so the house does not even need to play when at 17 .

If you lead blind by guessing , you give the house ( declarer) a real advantage. A blind lead is still another example of single handed decisions detrimental to partnership Bridge. My partner guessed to lead a diamond. This picked off by doubleton jack with their 5 card concealed diamond suit so they brought in a ridiculous 3NT contract. Note the difference if he led the spade king to look at the board ♠x ♥AJxxx ♦K10x ♣AQxx . I held ♠J109x ♥K98 ♦Jx ♣J987 so I would play a high spade which should be interpreted for a heart switch. Declarer should cash out for down 3 vulnerable because if he does not it could be worse. We would take 1♦ , 3♥ , 4♠ for down 4 vul.

You have a tough lead with that hand. A spade lead could also be very wrong also but since it is not blind there is still time to switch & you bring partner into the equation. You do not have to play this game alone. Partner is put there for a purpose so allow her to help with your guesses. All of a sudden , your leads will improve with partners input.

When you have unsupported Aces with the auction screaming for that lead , lead them. The “house” has a big advantage when you lead blind anyway, so it’s the lesser of the two evils time after time. This does not mean you lead unsupported Aces just because you do not know what to lead. The bidding must give you a clue to lead an unsupported Ace. A long suit by the opponents ready to go , deduced by applying hand patterns calls for an Ace lead. The auction calls for the unbid suit or the strong hand located on your left are all valid reasons.  If the auction indicates that the HCP’s are split between the two hands , do not lead an unsupported Ace. A Tormentte held

♠x ♥xxxx ♦xxxx ♣AQxx & was on lead on this auction .

1♥-P-1♠-P

2♠-P-4♠-P Do you lead an unsupported Ace. Why ? The bidding has given you no reason to take this risk . You try a diamond & your RHO has the ♣Kx so you beat the hand as you take 1♦ , 2♣ & a trump. Your lead hands them the contract because the auction gave you no reason to make the lead.