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 Lead with Barry - Do you vote for a Trump? by MKuemmel

Do you vote for a Trump?

How could I resist this heading in an election year?
I’ll give you a clue: the answer to each question might well be a trump lead – because all the problems involve you on lead to a suit not to no-trump. that said, a trump might be more or less attractive in each case.


Question 1

  Your Hand
 J 7 4 2
 Q 7 6 2
 Q 10 4
 6 2
 
Q: 1 - What do you lead as South?
SouthWestNorthEast
---1NT
Pass2Pass2
PassPassPass


 Your choice:
A: 2 - On this sort of auction dummy rates to be going down with both majors and a short minor. Your best bet is to lead trumps at every turn and hope to cut down on the cross-ruff. It may be worthwhile to sacrifice a trump trick to achieve your aim. Even if you may be appearing to pick up the trump position for declarer, he might well misguess the suit later on, not playing you for this holding.

Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 2

  Your Hand
 A K 10 2
 10 6 2
 A 10 8 5
 J 4
 
Q: 2 - What do you lead as South?
SouthWestNorthEast
--13
Dbl5PassPass
DblPassPassPass


 Your choice:
A: 4 - Lead a trump. The only way declarer is going to manage to score a significant number of tricks is on a cross-ruff. Leading a top spade may see the trump shift come too late, and declarer will surely not be able to discard spade losers anywhere. Leading trumps against sacrifices is normally right, unless there is a chance the contract may make if you don’t cash out. With a full opener facing an opening bid there is no chance their game will succeed.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 3

  Your Hand
 Q 7 4
 K J 5 4
 A 10 4
 A 10 2
 
Q: 3 - What do you lead as South?
SouthWestNorthEast
12Pass2
PassPassPass


 Your choice:
A: 4 - Where, as here, West’s two clubs shows both majors, it looks normal to lead a trump – even if it might give up a trick. Sometimes it actually gains a trick (when dummy has the ace-king and declarer misguesses). Other times you break even by stopping East from ruffing one or more hearts in hand. And of course the trump becomes more attractive when you consider the ‘alternatives’.

Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 4

  Your Hand
 Q 9 5 3
 10 4
 A J 7 4 2
 9 3
 
Q: 4 - What do you lead as South?
SouthWestNorthEast
--1Pass
1DblPass2
PassPassPass


 Your choice:
A: 9 - Although a trump lead might be necessary to kill declarer’s spade ruffs in his hand, I would lead my short suit, and hope for ruffs with the short trumps. It sounds as though a trump lead won’t allow us to get that many rounds of hearts in. One way or another declarer will surely get to ruff one or two spades.

Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 5

  Your Hand
 10 7
 J 7 6 3
 Q 8 6
 A 9 4 2
 
Q: 5 - What do you lead as South?
SouthWestNorthEast
--Pass1
Pass1Pass1
PassPassPass


 Your choice:
A: 7 - On this auction leading a trump stands out – dummy will typically be weak and may only have responded to get out of an ugly club contract. There is much to be said for leading the low trump as opposed to the ten; it is easy to see how either card may win on specific layouts. As a general rule the low trump tends to be the better play.

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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