[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

You hold

♠KJ10xxx ♥x ♦xx ♣xxxx

you are in 3rd seat, green vs. red.

Pass - (2C (1)) - 2S (2) - (3D (3))
4S - (5H) - Pass - (6H)
X (4) - (Pass) - Pass - (Pass)

(1) semi forcing, i.e. one trick below game forcing strength
(2) 6 card suit
(3) pos., natural
(4) Lightner

The question is, which suit got requested by the
Lightner?

With kind regards
Marlowe

[kenrexford]

Well, ain't this a charmer. Partner had the ability to tell me what to lead by bidding anything other than 4♠ over 3♦, but instead he makes a non-useful 4♠ call followed by an ambiguous double.

What holding would justify silence? At first blush, it seems like a diamond void, as obscure as that sounds. But, I cannot imagine a layout where that makes sense. There are not enough diamonds aout there.

Maybe partner did not want to leave space to find the club suit? Opener with 0625 pattern and Responder with 2254 pattern? Maybe the opps have a duplication of spade Ace and void, missing the heart Ace?

Weird. I'll try the club.

[CSGibson]

I'm playing the diamond. Partner may have a side suit ace and the king of diamonds, or something similar. I'm expecting opener to have 7+ hearts and probably a singleton spade. This might be the only lead that lets partner get both his king of diamonds and ace of clubs.

[karlson]

I guess I'm a victim of fallacious popular belief, since I think this asks for a diamond.

[FrancesHinden]

I think on this auction it asks for a diamond.

(Also, partner could have bid clubs over 3D if he was that keen to get them led)

[Apollo81]

I'd also lead a diamond. I don't think he has a club void.

[ArtK78]

I lost a KO match last year when partner had an opportunity to make a lead directly bid but instead raised my preempt and then doubled the opponents' slam, and I led the wrong suit.

Here, as the panel has said, the double rules out spades and hearts. Based on the auction, the diamond lead "smells" right, but I wouldn't be shocked if partner wanted a club lead.

[whereagles]

Apollo81, on Nov 14 2007, 03:24 PM, said:

I'd also lead a diamond. I don't think he has a club void.

If pard has ♣AK, he would have bid clubs. I don't believe he has a club void because opps are bidding the red suits.

I'll go with the diamond. ♦AQ, now that's something pard might have and still raise spades.

[kenrexford]

whereagles, on Nov 14 2007, 11:03 AM, said:

Apollo81, on Nov 14 2007, 03:24 PM, said:

I'd also lead a diamond.  I don't think he has a club void.

If pard has ♣AK, he would have bid clubs. I don't believe he has a club void because opps are bidding the red suits.

I'll go with the diamond. ♦AQ, now that's something pard might have and still raise spades.

See, this seems backwards to me. It seems that you would be more likely to not make the lowest-possible lead-director.

Simply put, a 4♦ lead-cue with void, Kx, or AQ takes away 4♣ and 4♦ as calls for Opener. In contrast, a 4♣ lead-cue allows a 4♦ call, and perhaps a double of clubs to show clubs. So, partner's election to not make a lead-cue leans me toward a club lead-director.

Hence, of course, a general rule that some use. When in doubt, a lead-directing double asks for clubs. I think the better rule might be that, when in doubt, the double asks for the suit that would have most cheaply been bid had the doubler opted to make a lead-cue. Of course, that would be hearts after 3♦, so maybe the best rule is the cheapest prior option that is not trumps.

Whatever you do, however, a nice lead-cue would have resolved this question very well.

[whereagles]

Ken, go take your medication. Quick... lol.