Lead Problem

Here is your suit:
♥AT52


The contract is 3NT. You were on opening lead and led another suit. You are in AGAIN. So far your side has taken just one trick. The ♥ suit has NOT been played yet so you decide to switch to a ♥. What card do you lead?

	Dummy ♥Q86
You! ♥AT52		Partner ♥?
	Declarer ♥?

Show Answer

You SHOULD play low from an honour. The 2♥.

Is it really that big a deal if you don't?

If you lead the A♥ (which most players did) and continue the suit you get three tricks.

Not bad.

If you play the 2♥ and Partner continues the suit you take FOUR tricks. Even better!

The ♥ holding was this:

	Dummy ♥Q86
You! ♥AT52		Partner ♥KJ3
	Declarer ♥974

See what happens when you lead the 2♥?

Declarer either plays LOW from Dummy OR tries to win the Q♥.

Your Partner will either win the J♥ (if Declarer played low from Dummy) or win their K♥ (if Declarer tried the Q♥). Once Partner wins the trick they will be on lead. They will continue with the ♥ (they probably will think YOU have the A♥ since Declarer didn't win the trick) by playing their HIGHEST ♥. (When leading from two cards always lead the highest card.) So now Partner will win their remaining honour. Then they will continue with a ♥ which you will win with the A♥ and you will be in YOUR hand to play the last ♥. This will be the winning trick because all the ♥ are gone.

If you start with the A♥ you can continue with the ♥ suit. Partner will win their K♥ and J♥. In the end YOUR last ♥ will be a winner BUT Partner will win the third ♥ and does not have a ♥ to return to you.

If you don't see this then take a pack of cards out and deal out the ♥ suit. Play it out to see what happens.