Wednesday, October 18, 2006 3:07 PM

Hand Evaluation - Opening Leads ( Basics )

PITBULLS:

When you are new to Bridge , your are taught opening lead basics like 4^th best from longest & strongest , top of sequences , Ace from AK etc , do not lead bare Aces etc. These rules are fine provided there has been no informative bidding. Bidding takes precedence over your own hand for opening leads. Let’s repeat that . Bidding determines opening leads not your own hand.

The first step that is an absolute must before you make an opening lead is to ask questions about their bidding. The 2^nd step is to translate this bidding into a pattern. When you review the bidding by looking at the bidding box cards or verbally , now is the time to translate the bidding review into a pattern. Only then can you now even look at your hand to determine an opening lead. If you do not have an attractive lead , do not lead a trump in a game contract. If the bidding calls for a trump lead , by all means lead it. Leading a trump normally just gives declarer timing or brings in the entire trump suit.

Do not lead blind . lead an unsupported Ace when the bidding calls for that suit to be led. At least you get to see the board with an Ace lead & partner can enter the fray with a signal. Blind opening leads are for 3 famous mice. Avoid them at all costs if it all possible. Experts say that you have been given an AK combination for a reason. That reason is to look at the board & not leading blind. Leading Blind gives the advantage to the declarer like the house in Blackjack. You are just guessing without the aid of the dummy or partner. Not leading blind , brings the dummy & partner into the equation. Leading blind has a touch of arrogance & singlehanded decision making to it.

Know where the strong hand is before you make an opening lead. If the strong hand is to your right , make passive leads. If the big hand is to your left , you might get as aggressive like underleading an Ace in a suit contract. I was playing with a Tormentee who with a 1NT opening bid to her right & they reached a 4♥ game . She made a 4th best lead from Axxxx of diamonds. This is a horribly risky lead ! . The 1NT bid is to your right so the odds are that your lead will give up a trick. Worse still is that partner will never play you for under leading an Ace into a strong NT so will play a wrong honour 99% of the time. I know I will not go up King, when partner leads a small diamond & the queen is on the board.

Rote rules & Bridge do not mix. 4^th best in a suit contract is fine but leading from an Ace into a strong NT ? Bridge judgment is knowing when to break rules. The auction goes 1NT-P-3NT. Quite often you break the 4^th best rule because of the simple fact they did not bid Stayman. Maybe a major lead is better. What if you have a horribly weak hand ? Break the 4^th best rule from your weak 5 card suit by trying to find partner’s suit with your xxx in a major. Of course , you can always luck out & find partner with all the fillers for your 5 card suit but Bridge is a game of probabilities.

Opening leads are included in Bidding quizzes for a reason. Opening leads are a bidding skill. As usual use your old friend patterns to give you a “lie of the land”. Your opening lead quite often now becomes obvious. Do not let things like unsupported Aces bother you. You lose only 1/3 of the time. You win with partner or the board holding the King & lose only if declarer has the King. Pretty decent odds.

Opening leads are also predicated on what partner has done during the auction. Has she overcalled , doubled a Q bid or finally , made a lead directing overcall ? The negative inference she did not make a lead directing overcall or double a Q bid , assists you for your opening lead. A lead directing double is not optional , it is mandatory. An experienced player in Calgary had AQ of dummy’s first suit ( artificial bid of hearts ) & failed to make a lead directing double of their vul slam. It cost 20 IMPS as of course partner would never consider a heart lead as partner did not double. The mathematics of the IMP scale & pot odds make these lead directing doubles mandatory. You are gambling losing 5 IMPS for them making the slam doubled to winning 17 IMPS or more. This is phenomenal odds in your favour so that it is not even considered a gamble. It is just normal Bridge. Tune into helping partner with her leads & watch your game improve.