[jschafer]

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They play 13-16 NT but their responses are standard. IMPs.

EDIT: Does your lead change if it is MPs?

[ArtK78]

♠6. On the general principal that since the opps did not search for a major suit fit, at least one of the opps does not have 4 spades.

Really, this is essentially a pure guess. My second choice would be a small diamond.

[G_R__E_G]

Particularly at IMPS, the ♠6 has to be a huge standout.

[Free]

I'd lead a ♠

[Phil]

I'd lead a spade too.

At MPs, I would consider what's happening at other tables. RHO will have a 13-14 most of the time, and will probably one of something. LHO will respond with some number of NT, or possibly 1♦ over 1♣ or raise RHO's minor. The other tables will have more information, or the other side may be on lead. We might try an unusual lead, only because we might think we are already behind on the hand.

Unfortunately, I don't think any of this would be enough of a reason for me not to make my normal spade lead.

[matmat]

♦x

[xxhong]

I lead low D, D is a better suit and more likely to be useful. DK may also work sometime when partner holds 5 low diamonds. This 3NT can be based on a long club suit, in which case we have to attack really aggressively. For MP, it is slightly different, but I still think low D is a good bet because other leads are also quite dangerous.

jschafer, on 2011-July-18, 07:20, said:

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They play 13-16 NT but their responses are standard. IMPs.

EDIT: Does your lead change if it is MPs?

[Rossoneri]

I'll lead a low ♦ and dummy will table something ridiculous like AJx in that suit.

[gnasher]

I'd lead a spade. Opener's unusual range doesn't make any difference to the decision - the key fact is still that responder probably has no 4-card major.

[MrAce]

I'd lead ♠, but i suspect ♦ is the winner, since u asked in forums.

[wclass___]

Out of curiosity i manually went through ''some'' boards.

Not sure how objective it is, but quite often opponents had 5♣+3Aces tricks and were able to get his 9th trick.

From my observations most likely chances for defense appears when partner has

......5♠ or 5♦ with some support from partner,
while partner will have 5♠ more often, it would be reasonably bettter to hit ♦Axxxx rather than ♠Axxxx (and ♦Jxxxx rather than ♠Jxxxx); note that ♠A+J won't improve your chances by much (only T-Qxx split), additional T would be much better (AJTxx with partner) though.

......♠AJxx (AJx) if we can get 4 from top,
if LHO has ♥A, opponents can probably still get their 9 tricks: 5♣+3♥+1♦ or more unlikely 4♣+4♥+1♦

...... ♦Axxx (Axx)
same reasons

......♦J+any ace gives reasonable chances (also T does, because declarer quite frequently will finesse T rather than KQ)
this would be a good card to hit, there probably are reasonable chances to to set them with additional slow tricks in other suits.

......♠ QJxx, QJx, QTxx etc.
+some heart support like ♥Q9x gives some reasonable chances (depends in which suit declarer will try to get his 9th trick and where these red aces are), so does ♣ Qxx.

Overall i think it is quite close, but i lean towards small ♦.

[nige1]

jschafer asked...
They play 13-16 NT but their responses are standard. IMPs.
Does your lead change if it is MPs?

IMO
At teams, ♠ = 10, ♦ = 8, ♥ = 7
At pairs, ♠ = 10, ♣ = 7.

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[whereagles]

This is a bit of a yucky lead... anyway, club at pairs, diamond at teams (small one).

[gszes]

the bidding indicates p will rarely have more than 3hcp

the lead of a spade can all too easily pick off any help
p has there and cost a trick. The lead of a low dia
benefits anytime p has small help there and wont often
cost a trick when p has no help there.

low D both forms of scoring.

[the hog]

I would also lead a Spade against this auction.

[matmat]

having said ♦ earlier, I'm wondering if at IMPS a ♥ lead isn't called for. I expect opps to be scoring 5 clubs and three aces, so perhaps hope for ♥QTxxx in p's hand and ♥Ax somewhere with opps. Almost talked myself into the ♥K lead here. Almost.