Transcript Improver Lessons - Cambridge Contract Bridge Club

Improver Lessons
Leads and Discards
Plan your opening lead
• Why?
• Watch bidding – what is it telling you?
• Start thinking about your lead during bidding
if it looks likely opposition will win contract
Plan your opening lead
• Use REAL
Review the bidding
Examine your cards
Analyse the situation
Lead after thinking through the above
Review the bidding
• Confidant auction? 1H 2H 4H
– Take a risk
• Struggling auction? Eg 1H 2H 3H 4H
– Play a safe lead so not to give away a trick on lead
K 8 6 3
T X
A X X X
T 4 3
What would you
lead from W?
X X X
J X X X
K X X X
Q J
A Q
A K Q X X
Q J X X
XX
Dlr: E
Vul: N-S
N
2H
P
E S W
P 1H P
P 3H P
P
J X X X
76
T
AK7652
K 8 6 3
T X
K X X X
T 4 3
What would you
lead from W?
X X X
J X X X
A X X X
A Q
A Q
A K Q X
Q J X X X
XX
Dlr: E
Vul: N-S
N
1H
P
E S
P 1D
P 4H
P
J X X X X
76 2
KJ7652
W
P
P
Examine your cards
• Top of touching honours
– KQXX in suit and KQJXX in NT
– T9XX
– KJT
– QT9XX
• AX doubleton
• AK or AK?
– AK doubleton AND AKXX
– or vice-versas
Examine your cards
• Top of sequence (2+ in suit and 3+ in NT contract)
• Low from an honour
– T42
– Q864
– J84
• MUD when not partner’s bid suit
– 954
– 873
– 9762
• Doubleton (high then low)
Differences
• Suit
–
–
–
–
–
–
AT95
AQ T98
A JT
A K XX
AXXXX
KQXX
• NT
–
–
–
–
–
–
AT95
AQT98
AJT
AKXX
AXXXX
KQJXX
Lead after consideration
• Suit contracts
• NT contracts
Suit contracts – partner’s bid suit
• Your partner’s bid suit
– Low from an honour
– Highest from a doubleton
– Highest (then middle) of worthless tripleton eg
964
– Singleton
– Consider leading another side suit if opposition
may be void
Suit contracts
• Lead an unbid suit. Often the other major can
be a good lead eg H if in S contract
• Top of a sequence of at least two touching
honours eg KQxxx
• Top internal sequence K JTxx / Q T98
• A from AK
• K promises the A or Q eg AKxx, KQxx
Suit contracts – trump lead
 If contract high for point count (as declarer will be relying
on ruffs) EG 1s -2s -3s-4s
 Sacrifice bid
 When NT been a consideration by opposition eg 1S-2S-2NT4S
 Slam contract
 Safe lead
X Not if you have ++trumps – lead your long suit
X Not if you hold one trump
X From honour doubleton eg Q5
Suit contracts – more desperate
• Small card if you have the K or Q in suit
eg Q 8 6 4 - lead the 4
• Doubleton
eg 9 7
• Middle Up Down (MUD) in unbid suit
eg 9 8 5 4 - lead the 8
Suit contracts - singletons
• Singleton if there is a good chance partner
may have A & you have trumps
How to get in a 2nd ruff….
• Contract 4S
9764
7
Q 6 4 3
6532
A
QT764
 9 87
A432
What NOT to lead in a suit contract
• Any card if holding an unsupported Ace in suit
eg A 9 8 3. If you do lead this suit, lead ACE
• From split honours unless not much choice
AQX
• Honour trump doubletons eg Q4
• A singleton if you don’t have trumps or
partner unlikely to have Ace / a way to return
suit in time
• Singleton trump
Play boards
• 1/9 and 2/10
No trump contracts
• 4th highest longest and strongest suit eg QJ54
• Note that if 2 led, that it is from a 4 card suit,
3?
• Your partner’s bid suit (low if you have an
honour and 2+ more / high if you do not have
an honour or only have two cards eg Qx)
• A major suit if Stayman not used eg 1NT – 3NT
• Lead through strength and away from your
weakness
No trump contracts
• Top of a sequence if 3+ honours
• eg QJ10XX or close QJ9XX
No trump contracts
• A major suit if Stayman not used eg 1NT – 3NT
K 8 6 3
T X X
A X X
T 4 3
What would you
lead from E?
Q X
K X X
Q X X X
JXXX
A X X
A J X X
A K X X
KX
Dlr: E
Vul: N-S
N
E S W
P 1D P
1NT P 3NT P
P
P
J X X X
X X X
T X
AK72
No trump contracts
• Lead through strength and away from your
weakness
K 8 6
T X X
K X X
T 4 3 X
What would you
lead from E?
X X
J X X X
A X X X
A Q X
A Q X X
A K
Q J X X X
XX
Dlr: E
Vul: N-S
N
E S
P 1D
1H P 2S
3NT P P
J T 5 4
Q 76 2
X
KJ76
W
P
P
P
Play boards
• 3/11 and 5/13 and 7/15
Leads against a slam
•
•
•
•
•
Don’t give away a trick!
Trump often a safe lead
Don’t lead an Ace without King
Singleton if p may have Ace
Look at bidding – may p have an Ace?
Signaling on a lead in a suit contract
Reverse Attitude
• Little - I LIKE
• High - discouraging
What would you play if your partner
led the following card?
A 7 5 4
Q 9 6 3
8 7 5
8 3
1. KS (answer= 4)
2. KC (answer= 8)
3. KD (answer= 7, then 8 next round)
4. KH (answer= 3)
Discards in a NT contract
•
•
•
-
Any suit you do NOT like
Want something more sophisticated?
Try Lavinthal
The 6+ in suit says you want the HIGHER of
the other 2 suits
- 2-5 in suit says you want the LOWER of the
other 2 suits
What would you discard when C is
played?
A Q
9 7 6 3
K 7 4

1. To show a S
2. To show a D
3. To show a H
K7
8 7 5
A 7

J
A 7 6 3
K 7 3

What would you discard when D is
played?
A Q
9 7 6 3

K74
1. To show a S
2. To show a H
3. To show a C
K7
8 7 5

A7
J
A 7 6 3

K73
In summary
• Use REAL
Review the bidding
Examine your cards
Analyse the situation
Lead after thinking through the above
Play boards
• 4/12 and 6/14 and 8/16