[dwar0123]

What too play at trick 5

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I lead a small club which was apparently very wrong(got me booted)

[sailoranch]

If partner really did lead from doubleton, he probably wanted a ruff.

My other guess is that this was a pickup partner, double was intended to show a four-card heart suit, and the lead was third best. In that case, declarer is probably 6223 or 7222 with no way into dummy, and partner thinks that you've cost a trick by giving declarer a finesse she otherwise couldn't take.

It's between that and a ♠Q exit, which will salvage a club and get two trump tricks for our side if partner has ♠9xx or ♠Jx.

Or, declarer has a third diamond and partner is left wanting his ruff, which would be unfortunate and hilarious.

[inquiry]

It might help if we knew the methods we were playing. Since I hold such good spades, I will assume partner's double was takeout. Thus, his heart lead looks to be 3rd best, as I doubt he doubles with a doubleton heart, and no other holding than he had four makes since. Also, the play in diamond by declarer (J from AJ) only makes sense if he had ♦AJ doubleton.

So we arrive at the point were partner had 4♥, 3♦, and declarer 2=2 in the reds. Does this make sense?

Partner has shown up with the king of diamond, and the jack of hearts on this assumed theory. Partner's is something like 2-4-3-4 or 3=4=3=3 or 1=4=3=5. We are going to score the 2♥, 1♦, 2♠ without much problems... we need another trick. Surely partner has a club honor for his double (queen or ace, maybe both). So we should exit with a club == like you did, but we don't want to be endplayed in case declarer has three clubs. So exit with the club king. Your partner will win his club honor eventually, and you will surely score two trump tricks later.

Why did partner boot you for a low club lead? I am suspecting he may see that game in hearts is cold... meaning he has the ♣A, and probably (since he hasn't seen your ♣K, both the ♣AQ, ♥Jxxx and ♦K and is upset you missed vulnerable game. Perhaps he should learn lebenhsol if he holds at least 10 points instead of getting upset with you.

[Phil]

I don't mind leading low from doubleton honors in certain situations, I do not see what it might gain here. I think there's a pretty strong inference declarer is 2-2 in the reds here, so leading a red suit is wrong. Not only do I give declarer access to dummy's winners, but I set up an entry for a spade play.

I will slap the ♣K on the table. What happens next depends on the strength of partner's clubs, and he seems to imply one of them.

[billw55]

dwar0123, on 2012-August-12, 16:06, said:

I lead a small club which was apparently very wrong(got me booted)

Let me guess, he labeled himself world class?