Oliver's session on leads

[wackojack]

In Oliver’s teach-in on leads last night.  He advocated that if you lead partner’s suit from 3 spot cards, then you lead “top of nothing” against a suit contract and 2nd highest against a no trump contract.  I came in with a suggestion that if I had raised partners suit with 3 cards, then I lead the top card regardless.  E.g. Q from Qxx.  Oliver replied that he thought one should lead the lowest from Qxx regardless of my raising.  He suggested that leading the Q could lose a trick.  I hope I am not mis-quoting him.

My view is that leading your highest card when you have raised with 3 is better as it is unambiguous and I see no possibility of losing a trick unless partner has made stupid overcall in which case you may well lose a trick whatever card you lead.  I thought this was standard practice.

Any views or comments?

[kenberg]

For me, the default would be to lead small from Qxx if partner had overcalled. I think that's pretty standard, at least around here. And yes, top from three spots against suit contracts when partner has overcalled and I have raised. He presumably will not think I have a doubleton. I'll see if I can find a reference or two, but I think it is the usual way.

[Masse24]

Small from Qxx, regardless of overcall. I thought it to be almost universal. However, I think I recall reading something from long ago (1970's?) that suggested leading the Queen.

From xxx. Low. Unless I had supported. Then high.

Against Notrump, from a worthless holding. If something like 97xx, I lead the 7 (second highest). However, from 987x I lead the 9.

[wackojack]

OK if I raise partner's suit and I am on lead against no trumps I will continue to lead my top card from an honour if I have one.  Maybe I could make an exception and play lowest from an honour in certain contexts if example hands would convince me so. 

OK perhaps in an auction where there is some ambiguity about whether or not I am raising on 3 cards I might think to lead low from 3.  Partner opens 2S, RHO doubles, I have SQ52 and raise to 3S and RHO bids 3NT.  That would give me some thought. 

[jcreech]

From Qxx, I lead third in general.  But if partner has overcalled, I have no outside entry, AND I think there is a chance that dummy might come down with Kxx, then I lead the Q.

From xxx, my preference has always been a high card suggests I have nothing to work with in the suit and a low card shows something.  Particularly with partners who do not look carefully at the spots in dummy and their own hand, I will sometimes break fourth best agreements because 4th best looked too much like a high card or MUD agreements because the middle card looked too much like a small card.

[Masse24]

From Qxx, I lead third in general.  But if partner has overcalled, I have no outside entry, AND I think there is a chance that dummy might come down with Kxx, then I lead the Q.

Agree.

This is the ONLY time I would lead Q from Qxx.

[wackojack]

Not sure we are talking about the same thing. 

From Qxx, I lead third in general.  But if partner has overcalled, I have no outside entry, AND I think there is a chance that dummy might come down with Kxx, then I lead the Q.

Agree.

This is the ONLY time I would lead Q from Qxx.

My rule is "From Qxx, I lead third in general.  But if partner has overcalled, AND I have raised partner's suit then I lead the Q.
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[Masse24]

Same thing. Just opposing methods. At least in this one instance.
I lead low from Qxx, you lead the Q from Qxx.

Sitting opposite, I would assume you had led from QJx or had raised on Qx.

But I hate opening leads. I seem to have a particular knack for finding the solitary card that gives away contracts. So I try to stick to vanilla leads whenever possible.